SERB AND CROAT OFFICIALS IN BOSNIA STIMULATE EDUCATION SEGREGATION

SARAJEVO, Aug 10 (Hina) - The Office of the High Representative to Bosnia-Herzegovina (OHR) accused the Republika Srpska Education Minister Nenad Suzic and the deputy minister of education in the Federation of Bosnia-Herzegovina Miro Jovic of attempting to consolidate the existing separations in the schooling system, based on ethnicity. OHR spokesman Chris Bird said Thursday he held Suzic and Jovic responsible for obstructing the implementation of an agreement according to which pupils in the entire country would gain education on the language, culture and history of all the three biggest ethnic groups. What they are doing can only be described as stimulating an educational apartheid, Bird told reporters in Sarajevo. Suzic and Jovic refused to accept a suggestion by the OHR about studying other languages and scripts in prime schools so pupils could have equal knowledge of both the Latin and Cyrillic scripts. They also opposed the introduction of joint education programmes in literature, history and culture of religions on which a principle agreement had been previously reached with the mediation of deputy high representative Matej Hoffman. The Bosniak (Moslem) side has indicated complete readiness to implement the agreement. Suzic and Jovic's conduct are evidently politically motivated, OHR spokesman said, refusing to specify which measures the High representative might undertake. (hina) lml