At the beginning of January 2025, he was still the then prime minister Milos Vucevic told the teachers and professors: "You don't want to work? There are those who want to, there are other professors." Dismissals, pressures, changes of directors have been going on for more than a year and a half.
According to the data Ministry of Education in 2025, 25 directors were replaced based on the findings of the educational inspection, while 75 directors resigned for various reasons.
The pressure on teachers and students of primary and secondary schools continued this school year.
Peta and Jovina under constant pressure
Fifth Belgrade Gymnasium in Belgrade and Jov's high school in Novi Sad certainly drew the most attention from the public, and lately the focus has been on the Novi Sad high school where the principal suspended or dismissed several professors. The students of Jovina and their parents also requested the dismissal of the school director Radivoje Stojković.
The fifth Belgrade high school got a new director, and a former director Danka Nesovic after the suspension of 12 teachers, she received the Svetosava award for "exceptional commitment in the field of professional public action", which was presented to her by the president Aleksandar Vučić. At that time, professors Pete said in a statement that they believe it is an "order of repression".
Photo: FoNet/Milena VlajićDanka Nešović, the former principal of the Fifth Belgrade High School, became an assistant to the Minister of Education, Dejan Vuk Stanković.
Danka Nešović also progressed professionally. Namely, she became an assistant to the Minister of Education Dejan Vuk Stanković who once said that politics has no place in schools.
There are a large number of teachers throughout Serbia whose employment contracts have not been extended, and Minister Stanković stated that he does not see politicization in the fact that someone did not get an extension of their employment contract for a certain period of time.
The case from May of this year, about which "Vreme" wrote, that Vladimir Janković, a merchant who graduated in geography at the age of 50 and was a participant in the show "It's never too late" in Grand production, was appointed acting director of the Zemun High School, caused numerous reactions from the public.
Folk amateur from Grand Production: Who is the new acting director of the Zemun High School?
Janković succeeded professor Teodora Toleva, who retired, and who a few days before appointed professor Strahinja Milojević, who received the support of the majority of the members of the Teaching Council and the School Board, as acting director. At that time, this school told "Vreme" that the Ministry of Education did not explain why a new director was not elected, but an acting director was appointed.
Not only professors and students in Belgrade and Novi Sad are targeted
There is a large number of teachers who lost their jobs in the "first wave" of layoffs in 2025. At the Second Kragujevac High School, the employment contract of five teachers was not extended, and among them is the Latin teacher Ivana Vasović, who recently told N1 that a colleague was hired instead of her, whom she doubts has the necessary qualifications, about which, as she said, she informed the educational inspection.
Photo: Wikipedia/Intermedichbo Dr. Milorad Dimic SerbiaGymnasium "Stevan Sremac" in Niš
At the first high school "Stevan Sremac" in Niš, students also boycotted classes at the beginning of this school year, because the newly appointed acting principal Radmila Stoiljković did not extend the employment contracts of 13 teachers, which she did not inform them about in time, and they found out that they were fired only when they came to work.
Three teachers were dismissed from Valjevska Gymnasium, and acting director Mila Iličić informed them by phone.
All these teachers have in common that they supported the protests of students and pupils.
However, the case of the Serbian language teacher Suzana Rogan from Kragujevac, who was dismissed by the director of the "Toza Dragović" Trade and Hospitality School Ivica Miljković, is also interesting, because she allegedly did not justify her absences while she participated in the student march to Nis.
Professor Rogan filed a lawsuit, and the Court in Kragujevac returned her to work and assessed that there is a danger of "irreparable damage" if the professor does not return to work, given that her existence would be threatened in both material and non-material terms.
Repression in elementary schools as well
The elementary school "Pavle Savić" in Mirijevo also found itself in the public eye at the beginning of this school year due to the appointment of a new SNS official from Bujanovac, Nenad Tasić, as acting director. The parents of the elementary students then refused to send their children to classes and organized a protest together with the parents and employees of the Fifth Belgrade Gymnasium and the parents of the Air Force Academy.
After the rebellion of parents and teachers in the Elementary School "Pavle Savić" in Mirijevo, the Ministry of Education hired two educational advisors to stabilize the situation at the school.
At that time, for "Mašina", the teacher of this school, Katarina Pešić, stated that the public was presented that "life at the school has returned to normal and that everything is functioning as it should", but that this educational institution is on "artificial respiration".
This school year ends just as turbulently as the last - with protests, dismissals and suspensions.
The latest protest will be organized by the parents of the students of the "Jovan Jovanović Zmaj" Gymnasium in Novi Sad, this Wednesday (June 10) at 19 pm in front of the Serbian National Theater, with a request for the dismissal of the director Radivoj Stojković under the name "The last hour to save Jovina".
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