Brnabić: This is "D-day", after this date the academic year is lost; Situation in schools significantly better

She pointed out that the total suspension of classes violates the law and the Constitution.

"The situation with schools is significantly better today, a much smaller number of schools are in total suspension, especially elementary schools, which is great news for our country," said Brnabić in "Uranak" on K1 television.

She stated that those who did not work will not get paid for February in education, but that when they start making up for teaching, they will be paid for what they are making up for.

Brnabić said that the state showed enormous tolerance and flexibility in order to calm the situation and prevent further radicalization. She also pointed out that March 17 is "D-day" when it comes to the possibility that this academic year will not be lost and asked what will happen if the school year at the blocked faculties does not continue then.

Brnabić said that this date was arrived at based on the school calendar, that is, data on how long the semester lasts, how many working days there must be, how many exam deadlines there are and the fact that the next academic year must start on October 1.

"And all the faculties know that. With the fact that at some faculties, such as the medical faculty or the technical sciences faculty, it is much more difficult because you can't theoretically just condense and reduce classes, because there are also exercises, you have to go to classes, do practice, be in hospitals, be with patients. All of this is provided that it is done all summer, and on full weekends, which we will agree is not realistic," said Brnabić.

She also pointed out that faculties, i.e. professors, even though they are blocked, regularly write projects and apply for funding of their projects through the funds of the European Union, through Erasmus plus, and through the funds of the Science Fund of the Government of Serbia and through the funds of the Fund for Innovation Activities of the Government of Serbia.

"So, even though they are in a blockade and support students, they are writing projects in parallel to get additional funds from the budget of the Republic of Serbia," she said and added that 718 projects had applied for projects from the Science Fund.

I asked how come they do that when they are blocked, they don't have classes, exams, but they write projects and apply for additional funding.

She stated that in the Proposal for the Law on Higher Education, which is on the agenda of the session of the Assembly of Serbia, which starts tomorrow, nothing has been changed regarding budget students.

"No one has changed anything in the sense that we should reduce the criteria for budget students so that children in case they lose an academic year can stay on the budget. No one. Which means that those faculties and those rectors' colleges thought about not losing an academic year, which again then means that those faculties have to start working in March," said Brnabić.