The defeat of education in the age of digital technologies

It can be argued that the system of higher education in Serbia is currently at one of its lowest points since its establishment in the nineteenth century, if measured by comparative European and even regional standards. Among the most important reasons that brought higher education in Serbia to this situation are the lack of interest on behalf of the State to get seriously engaged into the problem of education and its quality, as well as a very high corruption which established a unique model of (pseudo) 'market education' which in many cases does not fulfill the very elementary academic, scientific and ethical standards. This can have very serious consequences toward the entire society, resulting in the lack of well-educated professionals (which is directly related to the faster and more successful social/economic development) and leading, potentially, to very serious problems in functioning of the democratic procedures, values and institutions, together with the erosion of the civil society. At the same time, one also witnesses to the unfortunate attempt to diminish those aspects of higher education that affirm critical thinking, not only in the developing but in the developed industrial countries (in Europe and USA) as well. In such a situation, the role of new technologies becomes critical on a global scale, since the way we use technological innovations (e.g. internet) defines to a significant extent the possibility of real education today (i.e. affirmation of critical thinking, our ability to access relevant information etc.) and the outcomes of the entire educational process.