Press Release: We Demand the Immediate Withdrawal of the Proposal to Appoint Dejan Vuk Stanković as Minister of Education

Education is the foundation of every society. The leadership of the education system determines not only the quality of knowledge but also the safety, dignity, and trust of hundreds of thousands of young people who enter classrooms across the country every day. For that reason, the choice of the person who will lead the Ministry of Education is of critical importance for both our present and our future.

We, the undersigned organizations, collectives, and individuals, therefore demand the immediate withdrawal of the proposal to appoint Dejan Vuk Stanković as Minister of Education, because:

  • he clearly demonstrates a lack of understanding and respect for students' demands for justice and for responsible and lawful institutional conduct;
  • he promotes unacceptable, undemocratic, authoritarian methods of governance that cannot resolve but only deepen the current social crisis;
  • he has been the subject of serious accusations of sexual harassment made by female students during his tenure at the Faculty of Education—these accounts have been shared on social media and reported to feminist organizations.

Appointing a person under such serious allegations to one of the most important public positions in educational sector sends the message that responsibility, ethics, safety, and protection from all forms of violence and abuse in the educational system are being ignored. Such a decision constitutes institutional humiliation and a dismissal of the voices of current and former students of the Faculty of Education.

We demand the immediate withdrawal of the proposal for his appointment as Minister of Education.

We will not remain silent. We demand accountability.

The initiators of this statement are the Association for the Empowerment and Development of Women and Citizens OsnaŽene, in cooperation with the Autonomous Women's Center. The statement was signed in less than three hours by more than 3,300 individuals and over 40 civil society organizations.

The statement remains open for signatures via this link.

  1. Association for the Empowerment and Development of Women and Citizens “OsnaŽene”
  2. Autonomous Women's Center
  3. A11 – Initiative for Economic and Social Rights
  4. Alternative Girls’ Center
  5. Belgrade Pride
  6. Belgrade Centre for Security Policy
  7. Belgrade Centre for Human Rights
  8. Center “Live Upright”
  9. Center for Modern Skills
  10. Girls' Center
  11. Center for Moms
  12. CRTA
  13. Rainbow Spark
  14. Civic Initiatives
  15. Educational Center NEW STEPS
  16. FemPlatz
  17. B92 Fund
  18. BFPE Foundation for a Responsible Society
  19. Impuls
  20. Youth Initiative for Human Rights
  21. IRIDA
  22. FROM THE CIRCLE – VOJVODINA
  23. Lawyers’ Committee for Human Rights – YUCOM
  24. Labris – Organization for Lesbian Human Rights
  25. Lila Initiative
  26. Independent Journalists’ Association of Serbia
  27. New Optimism
  28. Partners Serbia
  29. Pedagogical Society of Vojvodina
  30. Psychosocial Innovation Network – PIN
  31. Regulatory Institute for Renewable Energy and Environment
  32. Reconstruction Women’s Fund
  33. ROZA – Association for Women's Labor Rights
  34. Rural Women’s Association of Čajetina
  35. SHARE Foundation
  36. Union Organization NSPRV, Primary School “Petar Kočić” Temerin
  37. Slavko Ćuruvija Foundation
  38. Tampon Zone
  39. Association “Women’s Studies and Research” Subotica
  40. Women’s Association Peščanik
  41. Women for Peace
  42. Successful Women of Kostolac
  43. Women in Black
  44. Women’s Solidarity
  45. Women’s Association of the Kolubara District