Podgorica Basic State Prosecutor’s Office (ODT) will check Croatian experts’ allegations that Montenegrin colleagues copied a part of their draft national curriculum, without prior consultations or requests.
According to Dnevne Novine, the ODT has launched a case on the alleged plagiarism.
“Based on information published in media that certain Croatian state authorities announced that part of the documents related to the Croatian education reform was copied by Montenegro, the ODT has launched an inquiry. Necessary information and data, as well as the relevant documents, are being collected,” the ODT told Dnevne Novine.
The scandal of copying part of the Croatian national curricula has been shaking the Montenegrin public for days. All the consequences of the affair launched by the information released by Jutarnji List can only be guessed.
Yesterday, members the Working Group for preparing Physical Education curriculum for nine grades of elementary school resigned. According to previous analyzes, the PE curriculum is the most controversial.
The analysis which is being carried out by the bureau for Education Services will show whether the solutions of Croatia’s education reform were used only in drafting PE curriculum. The reform has not been implemented in Croatia yet, due to the divided opinions in the public. Croats are also checking, ie comparing their and Montenegrin curricula, so the epilogue of this affair depends on their findings as well.
As a reminder, at the end of June, eight laws were passed from pre-school to university education, which rounded up the reform. Solutions that should contribute to raising students’ skills, better preparation for the labour market and better recognising, affirming and rewarding best students and teachers… will start being implemented as of Monday, 4 September.
At the last cabinet meeting, the government stated that a comprehensive reform of the education system “could not be called into question by any procedural failures of individuals”.
