The education system in Montenegro
The education system in Montenegro consists of several levels:
- Primary (kindergartens);
- Incomplete secondary education (school education up to grade 9);
- Full secondary (2 years of gymnasium after school or college);
- Higher education (universities).
Primary education, or predškolsko obrazovanje (up to 6 years old)
Kindergartens, as in other countries, are divided into public and private ones.
1. State kindergartens
These are budget institutions. Monthly cost of the visit: 40 euros. There are 2 tutors and 2 babysitters for each group.
Kindergartens open at 7 a.m., and you need to bring your child clearly from 7:00 a.m. to 8:00 a.m. Please note that both kindergartens and schools in Montenegro are quite strict about lateness. If you and Chad overslept and came by 9, they won't let you in!
Enrollment in state kindergartens takes place in May. The application is filled out on the online platform and, as a rule, by July it is already known which group the child will go to, and what the name of the tutor is.
Low-cost kindergartens are available to foreigners if the child has a residence permit.
The main feature of the state gardens is that communication and games are conducted in the Montenegrin language. Kids' daily routine: breakfast, walk, lunch, sleep. There is no charging here that is familiar to Russian children. You should not count on an active educational process. The children make crafts, draw, and learn songs, but all this in an unobtrusive mode, to the rhythm of the famous local "polaco" (translated from Montenegrin and Serbian "slower"). Sometimes educators even turn on cartoons, which shocks some foreign parents.The last year in kindergarten (from 5 to 6 years old) is pre-school training. But this does not mean that your children will master the letters and learn to read. They will just have enough basic knowledge (colors, traffic lights, basic words in English). Graduation groups also participate in several city events: carnivals and a dance flash mob dedicated to Children's Day.
A significant disadvantage of public kindergartens is quite large groups of 20 to 30 children.
2. Private kindergartens
They are more expensive, but with an emphasis on foreign languages and educational games. The cost of such a garden starts from 200-250 euros per month, but not all of them provide meals and sleep.
Every major city has private kindergartens, which can be called djeca radionica or vrtic. They can be both monolingual (for example, Russian-speaking) and bilingual. There are usually a lot of additional activities in such institutions, and optional music, English, and gymnastics classes are provided. Field trips are organized: in the warmer months, children go to the water park, on a picnic, on an educational walk by the sea.
Montenegro loves children, so both public and private kindergartens treat them carefully.
School education, or osnovna škola (from age 6)
Children go to school from the age of 6. Some give up at the age of 7, but it's a bit late, considering that the first grade in Montenegro is more like a preparatory one. Children get used to classes, learn to keep their attention throughout the lesson, listen to the teacher, and master counting up to 10.
1. Public schools
Montenegrin public schools are free for everyone, including foreigners (a residence permit is required for admission). There are no fees or charitable contributions here.
School enrollment takes place in the spring. Next, the child is invited to an interview with a psychologist, after which they are assigned to a particular class.
From 1st to 5th grade, children have one homeroom teacher who teaches all subjects. From the 6th grade, there are subject teachers and additional sciences (physics, chemistry, a second foreign language). English is taught from the 1st grade, and German, French, Italian, and Russian can be chosen as the second language. The training is conducted in two shifts.
There is no dress code or uniform in public schools: children wear what is comfortable, the only thing is that boys are not allowed to wear short shorts and T-shirts during the warm season (bermudas and T-shirts are allowed).
The assessment system is slightly different from the one used by children from the CIS. Two corresponds to our three, and one corresponds to our two.
The general atmosphere in schools in Montenegro is generally friendly and pleasant.
2. Private schools
In all major cities on the coast and in the capital, there is an opportunity to get an education in a private school.
Private schools are set up a little differently. Their training takes almost the whole day and includes additional classes. This is a more comprehensive approach to the education and development of a child.In addition to the main educational programs, such schools pay attention to the development of students' aesthetic taste, scientific and project activities, and IT disciplines.
The tuition fee starts from 400 500 euros per month. You can choose a school with teaching in Russian or English. There is also a French gymnasium, The European French School of Podgorica, in the capital of Montenegro. Montenegrin is taught optional in such institutions.
The most famous Russian-speaking private schools are Compass, Adriatic College in Budva, and Adriatic Open School in Bar.
There are 2 prestigious English-speaking schools in Tivat: the boarding school Knightsbridge Schools International (KSI Montenegro) and the British International School Arcadia Academy. The cost of tuition at these institutions starts from 12,000 16,000euros per year. The cost covers food, textbooks, uniforms, and travel expenses. They adhere to the classical European model of education according to the best educational standards.
Boka School International is located in the luxury Porto-Novi complex in Herceg Novi. The British Arcadia Academy operates in Kotor.
Families with children mostly prefer Budva, Tivat, Bar, and Podgorica for life, since it is in these cities that there is an opportunity to provide children with a full-fledged primary and secondary education. To get higher education, choose the city where the specialized faculties of the University of Montenegro are located or go to other countries (Serbia, the EU, the USA).
After the 9th grade, graduates can go to high school or continue their studies at the gymnasium. One of these two routes is chosen by those who plan to go to university in the future. The alternative is to go to a professional educational institution, get a degree in 3-4 years and start working.
Higher education
The University of Montenegro (Univerzitet Crne Gore) is the main state university in the country. The University cooperates with universities in Europe, Asia and the USA, participates in research projects and provides high-quality basic education according to European standards.
Russian Russian philology program is available at the University's Faculty of Philology, and you can study to become a teacher of Russian as a foreign language.
There are also private universities: the University of Donja Gorica in the capital, Univerzitet Mediteran.
Nevertheless, most locals and foreigners prefer to receive higher education in other countries. The Montenegrin school certificate is recognized in Europe, and this facilitates the admission procedure for applicants.
Thank you for your help in preparing the material:
Svetlana Zamotina, Director of the agencyTradegoria
Ekaterina Zubrilina, an expert at the agencyCherry Estate
