At their meeting held today, the Committee on Education, Science, Culture and Sports, upon the request of one third of members of the Committee, held a control hearing of the Minister of Education Mr Slavoljub Stijepović, on the topic “Exploitation of Preschool-Age Children for Political Party Purposes in the Kindergarten “Zvjezdani vrt”, Golubovci”.  

The initiative for the control hearing was submitted by the following MPs: Mr Srđan Perić, Ms Zdenka Popović, Ms Branka Bošnjak and Ms Jelisava Kalezić, because of the occurrence in the kindergarten “Zvjezdani vrt”, Golubovci”, when, during the delivery of their donation to the kindergarten, the representatives of the Youth Council of DPS Podgorica, had been photographed with the children in front of the flag of this party, after which the photograph had been published in the media.  

The Minister of Education Mr Slavoljub Stijepović rejected the claims of the submitters of the initiative that the exploitation of preschool-age children for political party purposes occurred in the kindergarten in Golubovci.

Pointing out that the political organising and acting was prohibited in all education institutions, the Minister of Education pointed out before the members of the Committee on Education, Science, Culture and Sports that the event in the kindergarten in Golubovci was an oversight committed by the representatives of the Youth Council of DPS Podgorica and an isolated case, not a regular occurrence, which was also confirmed by the fact that no similar case had been recorded in the previous period at the level of education system.  

A majority of members of the Committee agreed that the occurrence in the kindergarten in Golubovci was an oversight that should not repeat in the future, and that it was an isolated case.

- The Committee on Education, Science, Culture and Sports and the Ministry of Education strictly condemn any exploitation of children for political party purposes;

- Children in general, and especially preschool-age children, should be protected from any form of political party activities.

Members of the Committee did not support the proposal of the MP Srđan Perić to include in conclusions the statement that the exploitation of preschool-age children for political party purposes occurred in the kindergarten “Zvjezdani vrt”, Golubovci.
The meeting was also attended by the following: Ms Vesna Vučurović, Assistant Minister of Education; Ms Nataša Tomović, Director of the Public Pre-School Institution “Đina Vrbica”; Ms Slavica Luburić, Director of the Public Pre-School Institution “Ljubica Popović”; and Mr Mijailo Đurić, Head of Legal Department in the Ministry of Education.