Aside from members of the Committee, the meeting was also attended by: Minister of Education in the Government of Montenegro Mr Damir Šehović and Secretary of the Ministry of Education Mr Omer Mehmedović. Mr Nikola Vukicević, Director General of the Budget Department at the Ministry of Finance, attended the meeting, in the capacity of the authorized representative of the proposer, together with his associate Ms Tamara Ivković, coordinator at the Department for Budget. Also, the meeting was attended by representatives of the Union of Free Trade Unions of Montenegro: Mr Vukašin Zogović, President of the Trade Union of the University of Montenegro and Mr Zvonko Pavićević, President of the Union of Education of Montenegro, as well as Ms Vanja Pantović, Director of "Princess Ksenija” Ballet School.
Mr Damir Šehović, Minister of Education, presented the key items of the proposed budget for 2018 for the consumer unit Ministry of Education and expressed his satisfaction that the proposed budget was the best confirmation of the commitment of the Government of Montenegro to the improvement of the education system, which is placed at the top of priorities and to whom special attention is paid. He stressed that the budget has been increased for around 3 million euros in comparison with the one from 2017, and that those funds would be used for continuing the implementation of the reformed education, as well as that the funds allocated to the University of Montenegro were the largest since its establishment - EUR 19.3 million. He also referred to funds for the Fund for quality and talents, Agency for controlling and ensuring the quality of higher education and funds allocated for solving housing issues of educational workers in cooperation with the housing community of educational workers and the Union of Education.
The Chairperson and all members of the Committee took part in the comprehensive discussion on the Proposal for the Law. Representatives of the lead ministries and representatives of the proposer requested clarification of certain budgetary items. Questions regarding the following were answered: the problem of accessing the education institutions for persons with disabilities, the construction of new institutions of preschool education from the Capital Budget, low salaries for around 13,000 educational workers. It was suggested that the amendments to the Law on Education of Children with Special Educational Needs should be initiated, in terms of introducing the category of talented and gifted children. The Committee learned about the request of "Princess Ksenija” Ballet School, to allow this private art school to receive again certain funds from the 2018 Budget, in order to continue working.
Following the discussion, the Committee on Human Rights and Freedoms has supported, assessing it as acceptable, the Proposal for the 2018 Budget Law of Montenegro, in the part relating to consumer units: Ministry of Education, Ministry of Science, Ministry of Culture and Ministry of Sport.
The committee supported the initiative sent by the "Princess Ksenija" Ballet School and unanimously passed the following conclusion:
The Committee on Education, Science, Culture and Sports has proposed re-examination of the possibility for re-financing the "Princess Ksenija” Ballet School, within the consumer unit Ministry of Education.
