The new Talent Tracking System has been introduced by the Minister Education Damir Sehovic at Teen T@lk conference – Student Motivation: How to Succeed at School and Beyond? which is organized by the Business Academy Vijesti with the support of the Ministry of Education held at multimedia hall of the University Sports and Cultural Center in Podgorica.
The Director of the Business Academy Vijesti, Brano Sudar said that they have been addressing topics that are important for children’s development for four years.
The representative of the youth, Anđela Mićanović, told the youth not to go the beaten path but to follow their own paths. She advised young people to go abroad, to gain new experiences but to use their knowledge in their own country.
The Minister of Education, Damir Sehovic said that the attitude of most citizens, not only in our country but in the world, on the topic of education, should not be reduced to the stereotype that it is a bureaucratic system of molding children. “Even before I became the Minister of Education, I believed that this attitude towards the school was deeply unfair and that it was an institution that had tremendous potential to direct a child. I personally know some of the examples where a teacher or professor has completely changed their life path. Now as a minister, I am convinced of that” – Sehovic said.
He said that even the results of the PISA survey that they received two days ago showed just that: children who have a sense of belonging to the school, over 80% of them, achieve significantly different results from children who do not have that sense of belonging, and therefore less motivated. The same goes for those children who have incentives and more frequent praise from teachers, Sehovic said.
‘’This tells us that in the hands of teachers and the education system, it is not only a mechanism for the transfer of knowledge, but also tools that will trigger intrinsic motivation in children and make them aware that they are all equally important, that there are no good or bad children. Motivation mechanisms are very serious and sensitive and should be targeted in the same way to children who are achieving results, as well as those who need additional incentives. I know the responsibility of teachers and that is the beauty of their job’’ said Sehovic.
‘’We need to be aware of how much our support encourages and means to the child, even when they seem overwhelming and uninterested, in fact, that is when they need it the most. You know that you need to encourage your child even when he/she gives you optimal results and to explain to the child that he/she has a lot to work on her/himself even when he/she gets all fives. We create both situations: first is to encourage them to be better, and second is when they show their satisfaction’’ Sehovic said.
Of course, creating an atmosphere of trust in the school is also the responsibility of the many educational institutes where the classes take place, and one of them is the best “Talent Support Fund”. The Talent Support Fund gave awards for the first time last year, for which we spent half a million euros. The same amount of prizes will be awarded by the end of this year’’ Sehovic said.
‘’For Awards have applied twice as many students this year, which is enough evidence of confidence in this new instrument. It is appreciated that they have sent strong support and appreciation for the hard work and effort at the school, but according to the number of applicants for this year, we believe that we have given the Fund additional impetus to the entire community to keep working on themselves even more. Its value the large part of the award winners, which are of a financial nature, are directed to further realization of training that they personally value important and useful. But the Fund does not exist only for that kind of purpose but because of the recognition for those who deserve our attention and to which it was shown to the public during the campaign’’ Sehovic said.
‘’But not to forget for a moment that we, after all, are the creators of educational policy, to monitor the progress of all children equally from the beginning through an informative approach, and to monitor children who are in high school graduation. And from next semester, we will monitor the talents and those who will achieve the best results’’ said Sehovic.
‘’So, we send a clear message that we are equally committed to each other and to encourage each student to succeed in their own way. Therefore, the best success and result for teachers and the education system in general is to make the child aware. It should let child know that when he wins he is even better and not winning does not mean that he is worse and that the system is there to support him but to be a motivational impulse and that motivational impulse must find that child independently of the attitude of others towards him. It has not been said in vain that a creative man wants to achieve, not that he wants to defeat others. You, kids, should not always be such, strong and creative personalities who are motivated to compete with others and show that they are better than others, but to compete always and only for yourself ’’ Sehovic said.
‘’Only such competitors know that they are valid regardless of the opinions of others because they are true winners and that is why they will become the best talent’’ Sehovic said.
The Director of High School Slobodan Skerovic, Zoja Bojanic Lalovic, said that it is not enough for students to be teached at school but to enable students to develop their own traits and develop their critical attitude aw well as their consciousness and to allow them to say what they think. To listen to them and not only to hear them, but to think how to react to what they are asking us for, said Lalovic. She said ‘’I think it is very important that all of us, who design their school’s life to create their leisure time in a way that they spend quality days outside the school’’.
Conditions must be provided for students to achieve their goals and compete for the Talent Fund, Lalovic said.
The Head of the Ministry of Education, Olivera Nikolic, said that the Talent Fund had justified its expectations and that last year there were 1,200 candidates and this year more than double or 2,500 candidates. Last year, about 500 awards from the Talent Fund were presented to candidates from 23 municipalities in Montenegro, Nikolic said.
The teacher of Primary School Oktoih, Sava Kovacevic, said that teachers are models to children, from whom they learn how to behave and that the teacher is a motivator, which is a very important feature – Kovacevic said.
He emphasized that it is necessary to let children be free, to explore what suits them best which is very important for students to have a goal. It is very important to write down what the goal is, not just think about it. When it is put on paper, then that paper constantly reminds you, Kovacevic said.