At the sitting held on 17 May 2021, the Committee on Education, Science, Technological Development and the Information Society considered, in principle, the Bill amending and modifying the Law on Secondary Education, submitted by the Government.
The Bill was presented by the State Secretary of the Ministry of Education, Science and Technological Development Prof. Dr Mirjana Dukic Mijatovic who said that the adoption of the Bill amending and modifying the Law on Secondary Education aims to provide accessible and quality education for all by supporting the overall development and well-being of high-school students by developing general interdisciplinary and professional competencies in accordance with the qualification standard. These changes should cover provisions relating to the final exam deadlines for secondary school students completing a three-year course, four-year course and students of vocational schools, as well as vocational, artistic and general final exams. In addition to the provisions concerning final exams, certain changes are necessary in the articles of the Law on Secondary Education concerning the records kept by the secondary school and the data therein, as well as the provisions concerning which data the primary school needs to submit upon students’ enrolment into secondary school.
The Bill amending and modifying the Law on Secondary Education should introduce a norm that prescribes the possibility of teaching foreign languages in combined groups, which includes students from different grades, as well as students who receive education in different languages. In this way, in exceptional cases, there would be a legal possibility to form a foreign language group even when the number of students is low. The proposed change complies with the methodological principles of foreign language teaching.
At the same time, the proposed amendments harmonise the Law on Secondary Education with the Law on Personal Data Protection.
Following a discussion, the Committee members voted to propose that the National Assembly accept the Bill amending and modifying the Law on Secondary Education, in principle.
The sitting was chaired by Committee Chairman Academician Muamer Zukorlic and attended by the following Committee members and deputy members: Samira Cosovic, Nandor Kiss, Goran Spasojevic, Milijana Sakic, Prof. Dr Marko Atlagic, Doc. Dr Mihailo Jokic, Vladica Maricic, Bratislav Jugovic, Prof. Dr Zarko Obradovic, Prof. Dr Ljubisa Stojmirovic and Nevena Djuricic.
