"A little more rigor in school wouldn't go amiss"

As Mr. Ognjanović added, it was like that even before the coronavirus, and now it is even more so.

"The devaluation of grades is a long-term process, and our country is no exception. It is similar in other countries," said the former director of the high school, whose students win numerous prizes in competitions around the world, in an interview for NIN.

He stated that now there are extreme proposals that even go as far as abolishing, partially or completely, the evaluation system we know, stressing that he does not think radical solutions are good.

"Such grades have existed in our country since schools, from the time of Miloš Obrenović, there is no need to change it promptly. Still, more rigors would not be out of place. Let's remember, for example, that once a two was a permanent grade, there were many more remedial exams and repeating classes," Ognjanović said.

Perhaps, he stated, it would be possible to try the practice existing in many countries - to organize external tests at the level of the whole of Serbia once or several times a year in all schools which could have a greater influence on the grades.

"It would not only contribute to the fairness of the assessment and standardize the criteria, but it would fundamentally change the teacher-student relationship. I admit that this is expensive and complicated for the organization. But if it can be done in England, Sweden, Finland, it can be done here too." Mr. Ognjanović explained.