MAST: We are trying to reach a regional level agreement on recognition of diplomas, Serbia is hampering

Recognition of university diplomas between Kosovo and Serbia still remains unmet on both sides, though Kosovo for 5 years has recognised 1,000 and 800 diplomas of the other side. In the Ministry of Education, Science, Technology and Innovation ( MASTTI says they are trying to reach regional level agreements about recognition of diplomas among all Western Balkan states.

But Deputy Education Minister Dukagjin Pupovci said it is Serbia's delegation that has insisted that in the Kosovo report, Serbia implement the Brussels Agreement, which does not constitute a solution.

Pupovci at a media conference regarding activities held over the past two weeks said the Kosovo government is in the phase of making a decision on how it will be carried out in the future.

There is a 2012 (if I'm not mistaken) agreement for this, and this agreement has not been implemented for years because it included the third party, the Assolution of European universities, which has simply been withdrawn from its role and no longer agreed to certified the diplomas of one side of the other's storage, so the process has remained hostage to the absence of the third party. We are making efforts at the regional level to reach agreement about the recognition of diplomas among all Western Balkan states, but here I have to say that Serbia's delegation in these negotiations has insisted that in the Kosovo report, Serbia implement the Brussels agreement, which brings us to the situation when the diplomat could actually not be recognised, and there was no point in linking such an agreement, much more when we have no problem with Macedonia, Montenegro”, he said.

Popopvci at this conference also talked about MAST priorities and strategic plans.

According to him, MASTI is characterised with three key words on which it is carried out: quality, inclusion and accountability in the Kosovo educational system.

When talking about priorities, I'd like to focus on them: significant increases in early education and inclusion in education through building new nests and adopting existing infrastructure, licensing teachers, improving the quality of textbooks, digitisation and increasing the credibility of national tests; improving the quality of education... In the area of professional education, the priority is complying with programmes in professional education and higher education with labour market needs and meeting quality standards, supporting practical work”, Pupovci said.

The deputy minister has mentioned once again the payment of 32 Serbian national officials, for whom last week, during the report to the Parliamentary Commission for Finance Supervision, has said that wages are suspended.

According to him, their salaries for February will be suspended in order for the same to be presented to the employer and to accept their job duties or to declare whether they want to work.