Markov says uncertainty over education law changes is unsettling teachers

Serbia’s school year is beginning with teachers still unsure whether proposed changes to education laws have been abandoned or merely delayed.

Aleksandar Markov, a teacher at Belgrade’s Eighth Gymnasium and president of the Edu Forum, said the uncertainty had damaged what should have been a ceremonial start to the academic year. He said educators have grown used to changes being introduced during the summer, but described the latest episode as especially unsettling because the proposed amendments were raised in mid-August and then left unresolved.

“Somehow, we have become accustomed to school years starting in an atmosphere of uncertainty. On the one hand, there is the ceremonial moment when first-graders begin school, and on the other, changes to laws always happen over the summer, creating a bitter taste among teachers and disrupting an atmosphere that should be festive,” Markov said.

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Somehow, we have become accustomed to school years starting in an atmosphere of uncertainty. On the one hand, there is the ceremonial moment when first-graders begin school, and on the other, changes to laws always happen over the summer, creating a bitter taste among teachers and disrupting an atmosphere that should be festive.

He said the chances of changing the law appeared to be shrinking if elections are held in October. At the same time, he said nobody had stated that the proposal was withdrawn. Markov suggested it could still be presented by the ruling coalition as part of an election platform, but said it was difficult to understand why the process had stopped so abruptly.

Pay remains another central concern. Markov said teachers enter classrooms with enthusiasm because they value their work, but argued that their salaries are low compared with wages available in bakeries and shops. He said educators were prepared to pursue better working conditions and a stronger school system through strategies developed by unions and education groups.

“We are not fighting only for education, we are fighting for children and the future. Young people are leaving,” he said. Markov also said teachers had suffered during the blockades, with many losing their jobs, but argued that educators could not simply give up.

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We are not fighting only for education, we are fighting for children and the future. Young people are leaving.