This chapter provides a thematic and chronological overview of national reforms and policy developments since 2018.

The first chapter describes the overall education strategy and the key objectives across the whole education system, while the second chapter presents how the education reform process is organised and who are the main actors in the decision-making process.

The section on ongoing reforms and policy developments groups reforms in the following broad thematic areas largely correspond to education levels: Early childhood education and care; School education; VET and Adult learning; Higher education; and Transversal skills and Employability. Inside each thematic area, reforms are organised chronologically. The most recent reforms are described first.

Finally the section on the European perspective provides links to European strategies in which education and training have a prominent role.

1. Overall national education strategy and key objectives

The vision of the Montenegrin education system is to develop Montenegro as a society of knowledge, where education, as the key factor of economic and social development will be of high-quality, flexible, efficient, with the professional human resources who will have competitive knowledge, skills and competences and who will be qualified to take part in the labour market, where each individual has equal opportunities for personal and professional development. Most significant recommendations and steps which should ensure the sustainability of the education reform and enable the implementation of this vision are as follows:

1. Further development of social partnership and active involvement of partners in planning, organization and implementation of education and training, thus providing faster response to the labour market needs.

2. The improvements of flexibility of VET through development of modularized curricula based on vocational and key competences, which ensure wide basic vocational knowledge and which, by the means of elective modules, satisfy special interests and affinities of pupils.

3. The development of indicators for institution quality assessment, defining procedures for curricula evaluation, as well as the evaluation itself, will contribute to the improvement of quality of education.

4. Early school leaving prevention, taking into account its complexity and influence on individuals and society in general. Develop career guidance system for all types of education.

5. The improvement of initial and continuing professional training of teaching staff has been recognized as a key factor of education quality. Special attention will be dedicated to the education of teachers of practical training.

6. Finding out the way to involve local community representatives and employers in the financing of education to the possible extent, which should encourage better cooperation between school and local community.

7. Preparation for the implementation of a model of financing per capita, which would ensure more efficient expenditures, with greater autonomy of both school and local community. Developing role of school will be encouraged.

8. One of the priorities in the upcoming period has been defining of enrolment policy which will reflect labour market needs as well as Montenegrin mid-term and long-term development policy requirements, along with further work on the creation of relevant working conditions at schools, school equipment and teaching aids upgrading and development of textbooks and relevant learning materials.

9. International context will be taken into account in the envisaged activities.

10. Linking higher education and labour market and increasing entrepreneurial and innovation character of education,

11. The share of population with higher education degrees aged 30-34 should be at least 40% in 2020,

12. Establishing a model of lifelong learning based on a good international practice,

13. Research oriented higher education,

14. The National Qualification Framework will ensure the quality of qualifications, the connection and comparability of the outcomes, achieved through different learning types.

2. Overview of the education reform process and drivers

The ongoing national reforms and policy developments since 2019 mostly refer to the implementation of the laws in education and strategic dokuments which were adopted or amended in the previous 2 years.

The Parliament of Montenegro, on its session held on July 10, 2017 adopted a set of 8 education laws that reform the education system, with the aim of making knowledge accessible to all, to provide a better response to the labor market through practical education, providing additional support for talents, strengthening of quality assurance systems and better functioning of institutions, as well controlling the running of educational institutions and increasing the quality of teaching and education in general. The focus was on students in order to provide them the opportunity to develop knowledge, skills and competences that will enable them to compete in the job market. Through the implementation of the adopted solutions and the proposed reforms, the education system will be improved and become more recognizable in the European education area. From the school/study year 2017/18, measures have been taken that lead to the realization of the stated goals, some in continuity and some have already been realized.

The aim was to reform the entire package of measures for all levels of education, as it was estimated that only in such a way those measures could deliver the expected results.

From 2017 to 2021 most of the goals set in the amendments to the laws were and continue to be implemented, while others are a matter of a longer implementation process.

As per levels of education we have:

• Increased the coverage of children aged 3 to 6 years in pre-school institutions;
• Introduced English language in preschool institutions;
• Adapted and increased the number of spatial capacities;
• Reduced the number of children in classrooms, from 30 to 28;
• Reduced amount of curricula content;
• Improved the position of Teaching Assistants for Children with special educational needs;
• Established the Fund for Quality and Talents;
• Increased number of students and employers in dual education in vocational schools;
• Additional incentives introduced for employers who engage in three-year systems and dual education;
• Scholarships for students enrolled in deficient occupation programs;
• In higher education a reform model of studies was introduced (3+2+3);
• Free bachelor studies introduced;
• Free master studies will start as of 2020/2021;
• Law on Academic Integrity was adopted;
• Higher Education Quality Assurance Agency was established;
• Compulsory practice introduced in all faculties, in the amount of 25% per study program, i.e. year;
• New model of financing of HE institutions introduced.

Despite the fact that the Ministry of Education, Science, Culture and Sports is the key policy maker in the field of education, other national education institutions are also the drivers in creation and implementation of sectoral policies and strategies. These institutions are the Bureau for Educational Services, Center for Vocational Education, Examination Centre and Textbooks and Teaching Adis Department, as well as all other educational institutions. Besides these, other relevant stakeholders taking part in the process are social partners such as Chamber of Commerce, Trade Unions, Montenegrin Employers Federation, whose role is very important in matching labor market and employment needs. NGO sector is also one of the involved parties - all working groups established for the purpose of the design of education relevant laws must include NGO representatives.