Jovina Gymnasium Community Protests Director, Cites Mismanagement and Intimidation

Parents, students, and teachers of the prestigious Jovan Jovanović Zmaj Gymnasium gathered outside the Mechanical School in Novi Sad, their voices united in protest against the school's director, Radivoje P. Stojković. Chanting "We won't give up! We won't give up Jovina! Jovina is ours!", the demonstrators demanded Stojković's dismissal, marking a continuation of their struggle against perceived mismanagement that has plagued the institution for over a year.

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We are not going to compromise! We started with some reasonable demands and practically nothing has been fulfilled by the end of the school year, and now essentially everything has come down to one demand that we are waiting to be fulfilled.

Tamara Injac, president of the Parents' Council, stated that initial reasonable demands had not been met, leaving the dismissal of the director as the sole remaining request. Protesters shared a news report detailing the gymnasium's crisis, emphasizing how the director's tenure has allegedly undermined the school's academic integrity. Students recounted how over 20 university professors, crucial for the school's renowned teaching quality, were not engaged this year. They also claimed that professors, students, and parents have been subjected to intimidation and baseless disciplinary proceedings.

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They took our school, but not our knowledge.

Despite the alleged obstacles, students showcased remarkable achievements. They excelled in biology, mathematics, physics, and Serbian language competitions, earning regional and national titles. Students noted that even without specialized professors in some areas, they secured top placements. They also highlighted successes in chemistry, informatics, and sports, despite the alleged lack of access to laboratories, computers, and sports facilities due to the director's actions, including alleged illegal reconstruction of a dome deemed unsafe by construction inspectors.

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Thanks to Director Stojković, over 20 university professors were not engaged this year, on whose competence the quality of teaching in Jovina Gymnasium has been based for years and decades.

The protesters also pointed to the cancellation of school excursions and numerous extracurricular activities, including the suspension of the school's renowned choir conductor and professor. Nevertheless, students organized their own events, including a concert, demonstrating their determination to preserve the school's spirit and legacy. The gymnasium's current situation, with students dispersed across three different schools, further compounds the challenges they face.

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Thanks to Director Stojković, professors, students, and parents have been intimidated and exhausted by the initiation of, as it turned out, unfounded disciplinary proceedings.