At the "Jakov Nenadović" Secondary School of Internal Affairs (SŠUP) in Sremska Kamenica, where future police officers are trained, five female teachers lost their jobs, ten days before the start of the new school year.
Vedrana Bjelajac, who was a professional teaching assistant at this school, claims that the acting director of the school, Vesna Đurović, stated that the reason why their contract was not extended was "that they don't listen" and that they "tarnish the reputation of the Ministry of Internal Affairs".
Principal Đurović told "Vreme" that the school acted in accordance with the law.
"SŠUP 'Jakov Nenadović' in Sremska Kamenica was founded in 2023 and for the school year 2023/2024. started working. All employees have established an employment relationship based on a fixed-term contract that expires no later than August 31.08.2024, 155. year, in accordance with Article 3 paragraph 3 point 31.08.2024 of the Law on the Basics of the Education and Training System. Upon the expiration of the employment contract, as of August XNUMX, XNUMX. Their employment ended in XNUMX, including the applicant, Vedrani Bjelajac. From the above, it can be concluded that it is not a case of 'cancellation', but the expiration of the time period on which the contract is based, and thus the contract itself has been implemented", said Đurović.
No answer about the alleged mobbing
On the other hand, the collective of employees of the SŠUP wrote to the MUP, demanding a reaction because they are being mobbed and humiliated by the director, writes Danas.
They brought to the public various types of inappropriate behavior of the principal, examples of unprofessional decisions aimed at employees and students.
According to Bjelajac, during the last school year, ten employees, nine of whom were women, were forced to leave their jobs at SŠUP, due to pressure from the director.
Bjelajac points out for "Vreme" that it is not about the system, but about an omission, placing an individual in a position for which he is not competent.
The school's development plan, she adds, does not contain the basic elements of strategic planning, while the director hires new colleagues based on some "private recommendations" and not on professional competencies and priority lists issued by the Ministry of Education, Bjelajac stated.
Director Đurović did not answer the question of the "Vremena" journalist whether the claims about mobbing were true.
Also, the question addressed to the director, whether there are new professors or whether students are suffering the consequences due to the lack of teaching staff, is also unanswered.
The Ministry's response is still awaited
Bjelajac says that the five fired female professors were department heads, whose students won awards and achieved notable results.
"They contacted the Ministry of Interior and the Cabinet of Education, but they are still waiting for an answer." All those who were fired had licenses and are people with many years of experience in education, and among them there is even one doctor of science", said Bjelajac and added that the children in this school should receive quality education and stability, because it is boarding school.
Bjelajac says for "Vreme" that if we don't want things like this to happen in education strike for wage increase, the quality of education must be taken into account.
"People must be provided with the conditions to respect their work. If that doesn't happen, only people without integrity will remain in education, who have no other choice," says Bjelajac.
She also emphasizes that the big problem in this case is that no one reacted to the changes in the Minutes, about which she presented evidence.
"The wording of the Daily Point has been changed, which suggests the formation of an attitude towards the child, which is based on a personal impression of what the Ministry of Internal Affairs wants. At the same time, I insist on the personal impression of the person who utters these words, because I do not think that this is the position of the minister, least of all the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Republic of Serbia. In addition to the humiliation and everything that the professors experienced, the best interest of the child is something that cannot just be left aside," says Bjelajac and adds that she submitted 16 petitions to the Ministry.
The inspector did not notice any omissions
The educational inspector was at the school at the request of Vedrana Bjelajac, but based on the established factual situation, he concluded that the SŠUP did not violate the law or other regulations.
The educational inspector transferred the case to the Novi Sad School Administration, the Labor Inspectorate and the Temporary School Board of the SŠUP "Jakov Nenadović" in Sremska Kamenica.
Vesna Đurović, a physical education teacher from Sremska Kamenica, was appointed acting director a year ago.
