Professors Demand Authorities Call Snap Election, Scrap New Higher Education Bill

Belgrade University Rectorate (BetaPhoto/Milos Miskov)

Professors, teachers, and associates demanded during a May 23 rally outside the Serbian government that a snap parliamentary election be called, a decree based on which teachers' salaries were calculated to be revoked and that a working group drafting the new Law on Higher Education be disbanded, while strongly criticizing the idea to "commercialize and ‘voucherize’" the Serbian education sector.

The protesters also called for an end to pressure and the intimidation of employees and students, insisting that elections were the best way for a peaceful and democratic resolution of the crisis. "Education is not a market commodity, knowledge is not a privilege, but a condition for social justice and a democratic society based on equality, freedom of thought, and responsibility," said Professor Katarina Popovic of the Faculty of Philosophy.

Professor Marija Babovic added that higher education was the foundation of society and that those who were destroying it only wanted to stay in power. She also called on citizens to decide whether they were in favor of education or not, and to think about who they wanted to be their doctor or builder, and support them.