The Parents’ Council of Belgrade’s Ninth Gymnasium has sent an open letter to the outgoing Minister of Education. We are publishing the letter in full.
We demand that by Monday, November 2, 2026, at 3:00 p.m., you fulfill the five demands of the Parents’ Council of the “Mihailo Petrović Alas” Ninth Gymnasium, submitted in a letter dated October 29, and take measures within your authority to ensure the lawful operation of the school.
We remind you that we have filed criminal complaints against Tatjana Šuković and members of the temporary school board, accompanied by supporting evidence. We particularly draw your attention to the complaint dated October 16, received by the Higher Public Prosecutor’s Office in Belgrade on October 19, 2026, concerning suspicions of false representation, taking actions without authorization, falsification of official documents, abuse of office, and dereliction of duty.
The submitted documentation includes decisions issued by your ministry, minutes of meetings, and school decisions. It calls for an examination of the authority to make decisions during the period between two documented terms of the temporary governing body, the legality of the decisions of July 3 and 16 and the constitution of the body on September 14, the handling of annual leave and the replacement of the principal, as well as the adoption of the Annual Work Plan before it was considered by the Parents’ Council.
In the Ministry’s response of October 29, it was stated that you did not have specific evidence concerning meetings and decisions of the temporary governing body and that a formal submission was required to initiate an inspection. However, a submission accompanied by evidence had already been sent on October 16, and on October 19 your ministry informed us that it had forwarded it to the city inspection authority. The minutes were also delivered to you directly on October 28.
We demand that you explain how, after all of the above, the Ministry’s response could state that you did not have specific evidence and that a formal submission still needed to be filed. We expect you to establish who reviewed the submitted documentation, what actions were taken, and who is responsible for any potential failures to act.
Parents’ trust has been further undermined by the fact that secondary education is overseen by Danka Nešović, against whom, according to publicly available information, parents of students at Belgrade’s Fifth Gymnasium have filed a criminal complaint, while the NSPRS has informed the public about another complaint, citing claims that written evidence exists. Filing complaints does not in itself establish guilt, but these allegations require a clear statement from the Ministry and a convincing answer to the question of how you ensure an impartial examination of the reported irregularities. [1–3]
The actions of your associates do not diminish your responsibility for your own decisions and omissions. A caretaker mandate does not relieve you of the obligation to act within the limits of your legal authority. The submitted evidence requires consideration, examination, and a reasoned response, as well as the implementation of measures for which a legal basis is established.
The Parents’ Council’s five demands:
We demand that you ensure, through lawful procedures:
- The annulment of the existing competition for the position of principal and the repetition of the procedure, following an urgent review of the reported irregularities and the establishment of legal grounds for annulment.
- The dismissal and replacement of the current temporary governing body, based on established legal grounds and the responsibility of its members.
- The appointment of a new temporary governing body with a lawful composition, taking into account the proposal to include the six already elected representatives of parents and the Teachers’ Council named in our letter, as well as the urgent implementation of measures to appoint a permanent school board.
- The dismissal of Principal Tatjana Šuković, based on the submitted evidence and established legal grounds.
- The appointment of an acting principal from among the Ninth Gymnasium’s staff, following a reasoned proposal from the school collective and subject to the fulfillment of legal requirements.
By the stated deadline, we demand a written response on each point and the delivery of the adopted decisions to roditelji.deveta.gimnazija@gmail.com. If you believe there is a legal obstacle to fulfilling any of the demands, identify the specific provision of the relevant regulation, explain how it applies, and provide details of the actions you have taken and the further steps available within your authority.
We warn you that knowingly failing to act on the submitted evidence, if this enables the continuation of unlawful conduct, may also raise the question of your personal criminal liability. If the failure to act without explanation continues after this deadline, we will file a criminal complaint against you and other responsible individuals. We will ask the prosecution to examine specific actions and omissions, including any potential knowing assistance to the individuals named in the complaints and the existence of other forms of complicity.
Public Appeal to the Higher Public Prosecutor’s Office in Belgrade
We call on the Higher Public Prosecutor’s Office in Belgrade to act without delay on the criminal complaints already filed, gather the necessary information, secure evidence, and take measures within its jurisdiction.
If the Ministry’s failure to act continues, we call on the prosecution to examine the responsibility of those in charge for such conduct as well. We demand that the role of each individual named in the complaints be established, that it be examined whether there was coordinated and organized unlawful activity, and whether those named in the complaints were knowingly provided with institutional protection. Timely action is essential to protect students, employees, and the school from further consequences of potential illegalities.
Minister Stanković, the deadline is Monday, November 2, at 3:00 p.m. The students, parents, and employees of the Ninth Gymnasium expect concrete decisions and reasoned answers. We will insist that responsibility be established for everyone who violated the law or knowingly enabled such conduct to continue.
For the Parents’ Council,
Irena Vukelja
President of the Parents’ Council of Belgrade’s Ninth Gymnasium.
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