Developing Learner Autonomy - Teacher's Responsibility

The relationship between teacher and pupil has always been the essential component of education. All other parts come as an additional element to the core we have mentioned. We have no intention to go into the history of teaching and the provision which schools have made to teachers and pupils. We want to emphasize that we have come to the point when "no school, or even university, can provide its pupils with all the knowledge or the skills they will need in their adult lives. Adult life, in its personal as wel as its vocational aspects, is far too diverse and subject to change for any educational curriculum to attempt to provide a detail preparation." (Trim, 1987)

Our own learning experiences tell us that successful learning takes place when one or more of the following elements are present in the learning process:

• personal involvement / motivation
• a feeling of confidence, security, accept, respect
• a feeling of progression

We as learners and as teachers also know that school knowledge, which someone else presents to us is only partly grasped. It is enough to answer the teacher's questions, to do exercises, or to answer examination questions. But if we never use this knowledge we probably forget it. It is our final opinion that the objective of education should be to incorporate the knowledge into the learner's view of the world and to use parts of it to cope with the exigencies of living. In our schools and our education we need action knowledge.

In short it means that qualitative teaching would have to prepare learners for taking responsibility for their own learning and to establish a learning environment that support self-esteem for learners and teachers alike.

Quality education for our children is something that we owe to them

Strong dedication of the Republic of Montenegro to provide ALL children with high quality education should be observed as an action that each serious society of knowledge owe to those who will continue to build brighter and better future than the one we have.Our efforts must be supported by efforts of all parties involved in the lives and development of young generation, but first and the most of all, by teachers who play incredibly important role in young age of all individuals.

Once we have open curricula delivered by modern teaching methods, contemporary information technology applied in the classrooms, competent staff and well-trained teachers who are eager to improve their competencies on a daily basis, we will have right to say that we enabled education for all to take place in all parts of the society.

It is our responsibility to put in place prerequisites necessary for the children all around the world to become pupils of the 21st century, to be open-minded individuals and citizens of the world. Their ideas and knowledge should be shared with their peers around the world and therefore we have to ensure permanent communication and strong links among our countries that will enable both our pupils and teachers get better acquainted with each other and share “good practices” that will help them to respect and live with all the differences inherent to the world.

We are absolutely aware that even the best curriculum delivered in well equipped schools will not result in high quality competencies necessary for the living in modern society, unless teachers are motivated, well trained and strongly committed to their profession and eager to help their pupils to develop all their potentials.

That is something that we owe to them!