SUBOTICA, April 6 (Hina) - The enrolment of children for classes in the Croatian language in the first grade will begin this week in Vojvodina.
SUBOTICA, April 6 (Hina) - The enrolment of children for classes in
the Croatian language in the first grade will begin this week in
Vojvodina. #L#
Last year, classes in Croatian as the mother tongue were organised
for the first generation after a few decades ethnic Croats in this
northern Serbian area had been denied the right to be taught in
their mother language. Last year's generation consisted of 55
first-graders who attended school in the city of Subotica where
ethnic Croats make up about 12 percent of the local population.
Subotica is also know for introducing Croatian as an official
language in 1991.
The education in the Croatian language in the entire Vojvodina was
made possible in early 2002 with the adoption of a federal law on
freedoms and rights of national minorities.
So far no classes in the Croatian language have been organised in
other towns (except for Subotica) populated by ethnic Croats
because of their fear for thus exposing their kids to threats.
Thanks to some positive changes in the social atmosphere there are
indications that Sombor could follow the example of Subotica.
"Besides certain problems in the first year, we can expect that the
new endeavour will be fruitful with the aim of the normal
integration of young citizens of the Croat descent in a country
where until recently the Croat community was not only unequally
treated but it was denied the right to its own mother
language...,"said Kalman Kutic, a deputy to the Vojvodina
parliament.
(hina) ms