As explained by the Ministry of Education, Science and Innovation, TALIS is an international survey on teaching and learning, which focuses on teaching and management staff, giving teachers, educators and school principals the opportunity to share their views and experiences in their work.
"The research for the Western Balkans is encouraging in terms of teacher satisfaction with their job and relationships with students, but it is also obliging in terms of providing systematic and continuous support for professional development, in terms of inclusive education, as well as in terms of the use of digital tools that in practice contribute to better student results in international tests," they said in a statement.
The conference was opened by Anđela Jakšić Stojanović, Minister of Education, Science and Innovation, Andreas Šlajher, Director for Education and Skills at the OECD, Mikele Servadei, Head of UNICEF in Montenegro, and Bernard Brunet, representative of the European Union Delegation to Montenegro.
Minister Jakšić Stojanović emphasized that the TALIS survey, which was first conducted in Montenegro in 2024, is crucial for understanding the position of teachers, their needs, and their relationship to the profession.
"The TALIS survey is also an occasion to look back at the system of continuous professional development, as the most important form of support for teachers, as well as initial teacher education. I expect that through the educational reform that we started in 2025, and whose most important carriers are teachers, we will make significant steps towards improving their status, working conditions, and providing support in the application of modern approaches and technologies in the classroom. Today, we want to send a message that their voice is heard and that our most important goal is a satisfied teacher and a student who acquires functional knowledge," said the Minister.
She added that it is extremely significant that Montenegro is one of the 55 countries included in the TALIS survey, and that it is important that we have relevant data that, along with the Education Reform Strategy 2025-2035, can serve as a starting point for improving the position of teachers and their profession in society, and thus improving the quality of the education system at all levels.
Speaking via an online platform, Andreas Schleicher said that the OECD's International Survey of Teaching and Learning provides valuable insight into the working lives of teachers and school principals.
“This event represents an opportunity to carefully consider these insights and connect them with the participants’ deep knowledge of their education systems, in order to identify evidence-based approaches to improving the quality of teaching and learning for all students in the Western Balkans,” emphasized Schleicher.
Mikele Servadei, UNICEF Head in Montenegro, stressed that stronger support for teachers is crucial for quality education for all children.
“The message of the TALIS survey is clear: without stronger support for teachers, education reform will not succeed. This requires greater and sustained investment in better quality training, mentoring and better working conditions. UNICEF stands ready to support the Government in translating these findings into concrete measures,” said Servadei.
"The European Commission is committed to supporting the education sector in Montenegro, in particular through investments in schools, improving the quality of education and the position of teachers. The findings of the TALIS survey prepared by the OECD provide valuable evidence for data-based policy-making, which can bring concrete improvements in the classroom. Teachers are at the heart of any education reform, and the EU remains committed to contributing to their professional development and strengthening the education system as a whole," said Bernard Brune, Head of the Cooperation Sector at the EU Delegation to Montenegro.
The results of the research were presented by OECD experts, Krista Rawkins and Rodrigo Castaneda Valle, while Nora Shabani from UNICEF pointed out good practices, providing recommendations for improving education policies.
Representatives of the ministries of education of the countries covered by the research spoke about the importance of supporting teachers and practices in their countries. A discussion was also held on the topic of educational reform in Montenegro, where representatives of Montenegrin educational institutions, as well as teachers, spoke.
The conference was held in a hybrid format, so in addition to representatives of educational institutions, schools, and the diplomatic corps, who followed the presentation of the research live, the event was also available to teachers in an online format.
