OSIJEK, Feb 22 (Hina)- The security situation in the Croatian Danube River region's Osijek-Baranja County is satisfactory, the National and County trust establishment committees assessed on Monday. Members of the two committees
assessed the return to the northern Danube region of Baranja as satisfactory, as opposed to the return to the Osijek region. According to local leaders, reasons for the poor return were slow reconstruction and mine-clearing processes. National Trust Establishment Committee President, Vesna Skare-Ozbolt, criticised a statement by the President of the Joint Council of (Serb-populated) Municipalities' Education Committee, Djuro Podunavac, published in the Serb daily "Vecernje Novosti". Skare-Ozbolt said Podunavac falsely accused Croatian authorities of forcing students in the Croatian Danube River region to listen to the Croatian national anthem before classes. Students
OSIJEK, Feb 22 (Hina)- The security situation in the Croatian
Danube River region's Osijek-Baranja County is satisfactory, the
National and County trust establishment committees assessed on
Monday.
Members of the two committees assessed the return to the northern
Danube region of Baranja as satisfactory, as opposed to the return
to the Osijek region.
According to local leaders, reasons for the poor return were slow
reconstruction and mine-clearing processes.
National Trust Establishment Committee President, Vesna Skare-
Ozbolt, criticised a statement by the President of the Joint
Council of (Serb-populated) Municipalities' Education Committee,
Djuro Podunavac, published in the Serb daily "Vecernje Novosti".
Skare-Ozbolt said Podunavac falsely accused Croatian authorities
of forcing students in the Croatian Danube River region to listen to
the Croatian national anthem before classes.
Students of several schools in Osijek do listen to the Croatian
anthem, however no school in the Croatian Danube River region plays
the anthem, said the head of the County Education Office, Ksenija
Zbozil, and Osijek-Baranja County deputy prefect Mirko
Blagojevic.
Out of 4,452 students of the Croatian Danube River region's
elementary schools, 1,800 are returnees, while out of 1,029 high
school students, 365 are returnees, Zbozil said. The number of
incidents in schools has decreased in 1999, and is almost
negligible, she added.
She pointed to the problem of usage of the Croatian language in
school, and said that teachers of Serb nationality showed
resistance to using Croatian during classes.
Zbozil said that 38 teachers of Serb nationality, even though
receiving salaries, had not worked a single hour, while 67 of them
have not got enough working hours.
National Committee Vice-President Josko Moric announced a
systematic adjustment to peace-time conditions, and a significant
decrease of the number of police stations, as well as the number of
police officers in the Croatian Danube River region.
(hina) it jn/lml