According to Ivanka Popović, the new Minister of Education does not represent the interests of the teaching staff, but executes the political orders of the president and the ruling party. Instead of explaining why he doesn't use the normal entrance to the ministry, he needs to prove his independence
This is not a colored, imported or any other revolution, but an authentic aspiration of students and citizens of Serbia to bring about changes in our country. That's why I don't think we should pay too much attention to the statements of foreign officials, neither from the USA nor from Russia. We have our authentic and national goal, which is to survive and enable a normal life
"It seems to me that it is unclear to them how and in what way to approach solving the crisis, without jeopardizing the support of their loyal voters," Professor Ivanka Popović tells "Vreme"
The President of Serbia, Aleksandar Vučić, presented a "plan to destroy the Serbian Progressive Party" targeting the ProGlas initiative. There was also drawing on the blackboard
The storm in education was caused by the announcement of the arrival of foreign faculties without accreditation, because of which the University of Belgrade threatened "temporary suspension of work". The authorities soon relented, and Prime Minister Vučević announced that the bill was being withdrawn "due to unprecedented pressure and blackmail". Former Rector Ivanka Popović and former Minister of Education Srđan Verbić talk about problems in education in the new issue of "Vremena".
I would not waste time at all discussing the potentially damaged reputation of individuals, it is irrelevant at this point, and it would distract attention from the essence, which is that, unfortunately, we live in a system that we cannot trust to work in the best interests of the majority of citizens. I also have to emphasize that the final decisions about the possible implementation of the "Jadar" project will not be made by experts at all - although the government has been insisting on that thesis lately - but by politicians and the company itself.
Mass protests showed that it is possible to resist the autocratic regime, says professor Ivanka Popović in an interview for "Vreme".
Judge Miodrag Majić interprets the attacks on the initiators of the Proclamation by the fact that it was more difficult for the government to deal with fourteen people who are not interested in political positions, than with their political opponents.
"I greatly respect the struggle of these hard-working people not only for their own existence, but also for Serbia to become a rich country of satisfied people, justice and fair laws," Ivanka Popović told the "Vremena" portal.
The interest was so great that a large number of citizens followed the fourth forum of the ProGlas initiative, which was held in Novi Sad, on a large screen in front of the Workers' House, whose hall was full to capacity. "Vreme" was the co-organizer of this event
"The university cannot work well and educate the best staff if it does not receive the best candidates for studies. This should not be understood as a criticism of primary and secondary school teachers. I think they are doing the best they can under the given conditions, but I think it's time for some things to change in schools, because universities feel that the freshmen coming in now are different from those who came 10 or 20 years ago."
