Serbian schoolchildren protest over maths test leak
A primary school student lights a flare during a protest over math test leak in Belgrade, Serbia, June 19, 2019. REUTERS/Marko Djurica - Copyright MARKO DJURICA(Reuters)
BELGRADE (Reuters) – Dozens of primary school students rallied for a second day on Wednesday in downtown Belgrade, demanding the resignation of the education minister after authorities postponed a mathematics exam that was leaked on social media.
Waving banners that read "Resignation" and "You stole our future", the children marched, lit flares and blocked traffic.
"They cannot play with us like this, we are not guinea pigs, it is our future at stake," said eighth-grader Milan.
The children were upset at the stress caused by the postponement this week from Tuesday to Wednesday of a test required for secondary education enrolment.
Local media reported a printing press employee photographed the test and shared it with other parents on Facebook.
Education Minister Mladen Sarcevic said police were investigating the leak and he would not resign. A day earlier, students also pelted his ministry with eggs.
Serbia's Prime Minister Ana Brnabic said she was proud to have him in her cabinet and that tests would be safer from leaks next year when they would be in electronic form.
Serbia, which wants to join the European Union, is trying to modernize its education system and has suffered exam leaks before.
(Reporting by Aleksandar Vasovic; Editing by Andrew Cawthorne)
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