School diaries, which have been utilized for the past two decades with some minor adjustments, are being phased out this September as both elementary and secondary schools adopt new class books.

The Ministry of Education, Science and Innovation (MESI) has stated that they’re working to streamline the administrative processes for teachers by reducing the information required in the new diaries, focusing on what’s practical for day-to-day use.

“While it’s essential to keep records, the core of teaching lies in the classroom with children. We aim to lessen the administrative load on teachers as much as possible, ensuring that necessary tasks are still managed effectively,” said Dragan Markovic, the State Secretary at the Ministry of Education and Science, in an interview with “Vijesti”.

The previous diaries, which featured over 200 pages and two pages dedicated to each student, had been in use since 2005. Alongside, the Montenegrin Education Information System (MEIS) was developed initially as a teacher-focused platform and became a web portal in September 2014, allowing parents to access their child’s performance, attendance, behavior, and disciplinary records using a username and password.

For years, teachers have highlighted the challenges of maintaining two extensive records for each student—both written and online—stating that this administrative workload consumes a considerable amount of their time.

“Every reform comes with documentation, so the diaries created two decades ago remained in use until this school year. The introduction of the new diary is a significant step forward and a relief for teachers. I believe we are heading towards further digitalization, encompassing pedagogical records and continuing efforts to alleviate the administrative burden on educators,” Marković noted.

While the old diaries included extensive information about teachers, such as their credentials, student statistics, reports on extracurricular activities, field trips, and parent-teacher meetings, the new diaries focus primarily on essential columns and data.

“It was determined that two pages per student were excessive and unnecessary. All omitted elements are already integrated into MEIS, so redundancy in both formats was avoided. Starting September, the diary will now contain general student data, grades, absences, and sections for recording lessons and meeting minutes for the Department Council, as this body makes crucial decisions. Although this data is also stored in MEIS, including it in the diary provides convenience,” explained Marković.

He also underscored that school registers have seen considerable simplification.

“Previously, student registers were established for each cycle, specifically in first, fourth, and seventh grades. The first cycle register remains unchanged, as student grading is done descriptively. From fourth to ninth grades, there is now a unified student register, eliminating the need for repetitive data entry. After recording the information in fourth grade, only grades need to be updated thereafter,” Marković pointed out.

He also noted the updates to the Regulation on keeping pedagogical records and the content of public documents in educational institutions.

Changes to the Rulebook, diary, and register involved collaboration among teachers, principals, and representatives of the Ministry of Education and Science who possess significant teaching experience.

“According to the regulations, diaries are kept for a duration of five years, while civil registers must be maintained permanently,” clarified Marković.

“Following the adoption of the regulation on preschool education by the Parliament of Montenegro, we’ll revise the Regulation on maintaining pedagogical documentation in kindergartens to reduce the workload on educators and modernize record-keeping methods,” Marković announced.

Aiming for European Standards in Schools over the Next Decade

Marković reminded that the Education Reform Strategy up to 2035 has been established to restructure the education system.

“…allowing us to monitor its effectiveness for another decade. Initially, we need to develop a robust infrastructure, as European standards advocate for all-day schooling for students. This includes not just educational classes but also homework, sports, projects, and family time. We must create conditions where students can also receive hot meals, transforming schools into hubs for healthy habits,” Marković emphasized. He also mentioned that plans are underway through the Ministry of Health to establish school dental facilities across the country, providing accessible and preventive services for students.

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