Serbian Education Minister Dejan Vuk Stanković Criticised for Ignoring School Problems

Tatjana Marković‑Topalović, deputy president of the Serbia Centre (SRCE) party and member of the Serbian parliament, said Education Minister Dejan Vuk Stanković has shown a "complete ignorance" of the accumulated problems in the country's education system. She highlighted that in the 15 months since taking office the minister has done little beyond boasting that he has "balanced the system".

Marković‑Topalović criticised the minister’s proposals, such as offering higher percentage salary incentives for teachers of mathematics, physics, chemistry, biology and geography, and a scholarship for second‑year university students, as "pay‑as‑you‑go" solutions that do not address the underlying shortage of qualified teachers. She noted the lack of a functional database to track missing or unqualified teachers, the failure to engage with teacher‑training faculties, and the polarising effect on staff groups. Without systemic measures, she warned, thousands of teaching positions could remain vacant for decades, exacerbating the imminent retirement of current teachers.

The SRCE party called for prompt, comprehensive action to rebuild the education system rather than superficial measures.