In accordance with the General Law on Education, primary and secondary education institutions are governed by school boards, whereas preschool education institutions are governed by governing boards. Institutions are managed by heads, who act as pedagogical managers as well.

School boards, i.e. governing boards, of institutions are composed of: three representatives of the Ministry, or three representatives of the municipality for institutions that are founded by municipalities, one representative of employees and one representative of parents.

School boards, i.e. or governing boards, of institutions carrying out vocational education are composed of: one representative of employees, four representatives of the Ministry, or four representatives of the municipality for institutions that are founded by municipalities, one representative of social partners and one representative of parents.

School boards, i.e. governing boards, of combined secondary schools and educational centres are composed of: two representatives of employees, four representatives of the Ministry, or four representatives of the municipality for institutions that are founded by municipalities, and one representative of social partners.

Representatives of the Ministry are appointed and dismissed by the Minister.

Representatives of employees are elected by secret ballot cast by teaching and/or expert council.

Representatives of parents are elected by secret ballot cast by Parent Council.

A school board, or a governing board of an institution:

• adopts a development programme;
• adopts the institution’s annual work plan and its implementation report;
• reviews programmes and results of extracurricular activities;
• decides on organising a school sport society or sport club;
• adopts the institution’s statute, act on internal organisation and job classification and other general acts;
• adopts the institution’s annual financial plan;
• adopts the institution’s public procurement plan;
• decides on leasing school property in accordance with law;
• adopts the institution’s periodical and annual statement of account;
• proposes the change of name and seat of the institution;
• decides, as a second instance body, on the rights of pupils or service users, in accordance with law;
• carries out other tasks, in accordance with law and the institution’s statute.

School board, or governing board decides by majority vote on the total number of members, unless the statute of institution lays down that certain issues are decided on by a different majority.

An institution’s head:

• plans, organises and manages the work of the institution;
• organises rational and efficient implementation of educational programmes;
• ensures equality among pupils in exercising their right to education, in accordance with their abilities;
• prepares the proposal of annual work plan and is responsible for its implementation;
• manages the work of the teaching and/or expert council;
• performs the selection of teachers, professional associates and other employees at the institution;
• proposes the institution’s act on organisation and job classification;
• performs expert and pedagogical supervision;
• decides on the rights and obligations of employees, in accordance with law;
• encourages professional training and development of teachers and proposes their promotion;
• adopts a plan for improvement of quality of educational work at their institution;
• represents the institution and is responsible for the legality of its work;
• cooperates with parents and the community;
• establishes commissions to assess the knowledge of pupils during the course of their instruction, following the request of pupils, parents or guardians;
• performs other tasks, in accordance with law and the statute of their institution.

An institution’s head submits the report on their work to the school board, i.e. governing board, at least once a year or more often if necessary.

Requirements for appointment

A person may be appointed as head of a preschool institution if he/she:

• meets the conditions prescribed for preschool teachers or professional associate (school counsellor, psychologist or special education teacher) in accordance with the Law on Preschool Education;
• has a license to work at educational institutions;
• has seven years of working experience in teaching.

A person may be appointed as head of a primary school if he/she:

• has at least VII1 level of the national qualifications framework and meets the conditions prescribed for class teacher, or teacher of a compulsory subject or professional associate (school counsellor, psychologist or special education teacher) in accordance with the Law on Primary Education;
• has a license to work at educational institutions;
• has seven years of working experience in teaching.

A person may be appointed as head of a gymnasium if he/she:

• meets the conditions prescribed for teacher or professional associate (school counsellor, psychologist or special education teacher) in accordance with the Law on Gymnasium;
• has a license to work at educational institutions;
• has seven years of working experience in teaching.

A person may be appointed as head of a vocational school if he/she:

• meets the conditions prescribed for teacher or professional associate (school counsellor, psychologist or special education teacher) in accordance with the Law on Vocational Education;
• has a license to work at educational institutions;
• has seven years of working experience in teaching.

A person may be appointed as head of a resource centre or an educational centre if he/she meets the conditions prescribed for a head of primary school, gymnasium or vocational school.

A person may be appointed as head of a combined school if he/she meets the conditions prescribed for a head of gymnasium or vocational school.

A public institution with more than 600 pupils or children may have a deputy head, whereas a public institution with more than 900 students or children may have two deputy heads.

An institution’s deputy head assists the head in organisation of educational work. The duties and tasks of deputy head are determined more closely by the statute of institution.

Conditions of service

A public institution’s head is appointed for a period of four years. Same person cannot be appointed as head of a public institution more than two times in a row. During his/her first term of office, the position previously held by the public institution’s head remains dormant.

A person appointed as head is obliged to complete an adequate type of training and professional development. The training and professional development is organized by the Bureau for Education Services and Centre for Vocational Education.

A public institution’s head is appointed on the basis of a public call and the submitted development programme for that public institution. The call for appointing a head is announced by school board, or governing board, two months before the term of office of the head holding the position has expired.

Besides application, a candidate is obliged to submit a development programme for the public institution. The candidate submits the development programme prepared on the basis of evaluation and self-evaluation reports of the public institution’s work. A private institution’s head is appointed and dismissed by the founder, whereas a public institution’s head is appointed and dismissed by the minister.

In the process of appointing a public institution’s head, the minister forms a three-member commission to interview the candidates who meet the prescribed conditions and discuss the enclosed institution’s development programmes. The commission ultimately reports on the matter to the minister.

A public institution needs to submit the whole documentation to the minister, within seven days following the completion of the call.

If duty of a public institution’s head ceases, and a new head is not appointed through the call, the minister will appoint an acting head for a maximum period of six months.

A person can be appointed as deputy head of an institution if they meet the conditions prescribed for a head. An institution’s deputy head is appointed and dismissed by the head. An institution’s deputy head is appointed for a period of four years. Same person cannot be appointed as deputy head of a public institution more than two times in a row. During his/her first term of office, the position previously held by the public institution’s deputy head remains dormant.

The duty of an institution’s head ceases by:

• expiry of their term of office;
• personal request;
• dismissal;
• meeting the conditions for termination of employment by operation of law.

In case of temporary inability, a public institution’s head is replaced by an employee of the institution designated by the head.

If the head is not able to designate a replacement, the institution’s school board or governing board will do so.

Besides the circumstances prescribed by the Labour Law, a public institution’s head may be dismissed in case of:

• not implementing the institution’s development programme;
• not taking measures against an employee who does not carry out his/her duties, violates his/her duties, or misuses his/her position;
• finding that the institution does not carry out the annual work plan;
• not performing their work tasks or violating his/her duty;
• misusing his/her position;
• recruiting a new teacher, without contractually taking over a teacher of another institution’s who meets the requirements for that position;
• recruiting extracurricular staff contrary to the law;

• selecting a teacher or an associate contrary to the law;
• not keeping relevant records;
• lack of transparency of the institution’s work;
• not passing a decision on the annulment of an exam, in accordance with the law;
• not executing a decision of inspection body;
• not adopting or implementing the plan for improvement of quality of educational work at the institution;
• causing greater damage to the institution, employees and service users due to the implementation of acts he/she adopted;
• allowing political organising and religious activities at public education institution;
• failing to provide timely and accurately enter data into the Information Montenegrin Education Information System (MEIS);
• institution being assessed as “failed to meet” in the procedure of evaluation of its work;
• providing inaccurate information about a teacher who does not have a prescribed teaching load or failing to provide information on the number of periods that are not allocated to teachers.
• other circumstances defined by the law and statute of the institution.

If a public institution’s head is not re-appointed after the expiry of their second term of office, he/she is assigned to a position corresponding to his/her level of education; if there is no such position, he/she will exercise rights as an employee for whose work the need has ceased, in accordance with law.

A public institution’s head or deputy head dismissed in line with the law may be assigned to a position corresponding to his/her level of education; if there is no such position, his/her employment will cease.