Submitted by crinadmin on
The Prime Minister of Montenegro, Mr Željko Šturanović, this month met with children in Podgorica to listen to their suggestions for improving the accessibility and quality of the country’s education system. The meeting, which was organised by Save the Children, formed part of its campaign activities for ‘Rewrite the Future’, an international initiative which seeks to help millions of children in conflict-affected areas gain access to and reap the current and future benefits of a quality education. More than 200 children participated in the workshops, which led up to the meeting, where they developed their own messages for the prime minister. The seven child delegates selected to meet with the prime minister - Lejla, Leotrim, Ilda, Đorđije, Marija, Aleksandra and Kristina – were chosen during the workshops which were organised by school student parliaments, the Centre for Education and Rehabilitation of Disabled Children and the NGO Forum MNE Youth and Informal Education Center, which works with Roma children in refugee camp Konik. The delegates included children from vulnerable groups in Montenegro: Leotrim, 16, representing the Roma community, dropped out of formal schooling at an early age and now works as a street cleaner, whilst Marija, 16, and has physical disabilities, represented children and young people from the Centre for Education and Rehabilitation of Disabled Children. The child delegates handed the prime minister a summary of their messages: “Respected Mr Prime Minister, Your voice is heard much better than our own, that's why we, children, are speaking here today to you because we want all our peers in the country to have the opportunity to attend school and have more accessible and better quality education. We are asking for free schoolbooks, breakfast and school buses for the poorest children, schools free from violence and discrimination. We are looking for schools adapted to all children who find it harder to access them because of physical, language and cultural barriers. We want better education and all children into schools!” The prime minister was keen to meet the children and speak to them about his government’s plans to improve education and put into practice the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). He made a public commitment to the children and the media to ensure the MDGs were implemented, particularly MDG number 2, saying that by 2015, all children in Montenegro will have access to good quality education. This received significant media attention: the main State television station gave five minutes’ time to children's comments and a statement by Save the Children was also aired on a major station. For more about the event, see: http://www.vlada.cg.yu/premijer/index.php?akcija=vijesti&id=44126 and http://www.vlada.cg.yu/premijer/index.php?akcija=vijesti&id=44064). Further information