HDZ AGAINST SEPARATE SCHOOLS FOR SERB CHILDREN

VUKOVAR, Aug 29 (Hina) - The Croatian Democratic Union (HDZ) finds it unacceptable that the Joint Council of eastern Croatia's predominantly Serb municipalities (ZVO) has suggested that the Ministry of Education and Sports approve that Vukovar set up two primary and two secondary schools to cater for Serb pupils this school year, local HDZ leaders Petar Cobankovic and Petar Mlinaric said on Thursday. #L# According to Cobankovic, the HDZ has never denied the rights of any one national minority, including the Serb minority, but believes there is no need in Vukovar for separate schools in the Serbian language and Cyrillic script. Mlinaric recalled that for five years already Vukovar primary and secondary schools catered for separate classes both in Croatian and Serbian. "This model has ensured equal standards for all pupils, regardless of nationality," Mlinaric said, adding that all the rights of Serb pupils were guaranteed with regard to receiving an education in their mother tongue and script. He labelled the ZVO initiative as a political act. As a body established by the Erdut Agreement with the intention to protect civil, human and minority rights for Serb nationals and their educational and cultural autonomy, the ZVO submitted a request to the Education Ministry last year, asking for the establishment of minority schools in eastern Croatia that would teach in the Serb language and in Cyrillic script. According to ZVO president Jovan Ajdukovic, ten primary and two high schools were requested, with an additional school for the Baranja region. "This is the will of parents of pupils who would attend these schools, and we are obliged to represent their interests. We are not asking for any exclusive rights, but the consistent implementation of the Law on Education in the Language and Script of National Minorities," Ajdukovic told Hina, adding that the Education Ministry was of the same opinion. (hina) sp/ha sb