Popular teachers at Novi Sad’s Jovina Grammar School lose their jobs in mass dismissals as students demand director’s resignation

Ten more teachers at Jovina Grammar School in Novi Sad were dismissed after a student-backed gathering protesting earlier staff firings. Students responded by demanding the resignation of director Radivoje Stojković and continuing their boycott of classes.

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The teachers who were dismissed have worked at Jovina Grammar School for more than 10 years. They are popular teachers who are asked every August 31 whether they will work there the following year. After 13 years, I was dismissed, and I had an unlawfully fixed-term contract throughout that period.

The teachers say those dismissed include long-serving and popular staff members. Sonja Ivković Pavlović, who said she had worked at the school for 13 years, described the employment arrangements as unlawful fixed-term contracts that left teachers uncertain about whether they would return each year.

Students gathered outside the director’s office, in the presence of a school police officer, chanting that they would not give up their teachers. Staff members accused the administration of using fixed-term employment and reduced teaching loads to pressure employees who had raised concerns about the school’s operation.

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With the 10 teachers on today’s list and the 10 of us who have either lost our jobs or been suspended, the school is losing 20 teachers. I personally think the school will not be able to function, but I do not think that matters to anyone, especially the school administration.

Rima Grujić said that, including the 10 teachers newly listed and 10 others who had either lost their jobs or been suspended, the school was losing 20 teachers. She said she believed the school would not be able to function, while institutions and the school administration appeared unconcerned.

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These are all teachers who taught us and gave a huge part of their lives to this school. They prepared students for competitions and brought awards and medals to the city and the school, only to lose their jobs overnight because they did not want to follow certain instructions and stood with their students.

Former students and parents also defended the teachers. Former student Nikola Maletić said they had prepared students for competitions and brought awards and medals to the city and school. Parent council representative Goran Radojev said the school’s specialized mathematics, biochemistry, information technology and physics programs could not easily be found elsewhere in Novi Sad. The director declined an interview, and the Education Ministry did not issue a response.

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The director says, ‘Take your children out if it does not suit you.’ Where are we supposed to take them? These specialized programs do not exist anywhere else in Novi Sad.