VUKOVAR TRUST ESTABLISHMENT COMMITTEE DISCUSSES DIFFICULTIES IN SCHOOLING

SCHOOLING ( Editorial: --> 7777 ) VUKOVAR, Oct 12 (Hina) - The Vukovar Trust Establishment Committee on Monday discussed difficulties in schooling, reconstruction and the return of refugees and displaced persons, at an initiative of the Independent Serb Democratic Party's Vukovar City Committee. The Trust Establishment Committee in particular discussed anti- Croatian excesses registered in two Vukovar schools. In one primary school a pupil of Serb nationality insulted Croatian pupils and spat on the Croatian coat-of-arms, while in a secondary school someone desecrated Croatia's state coats-of-arms. To prevent further incidents, the Committee called on schools to intensify teacher interaction with the pupils and to organise talks with parents. A representative of the Serb national minority on the Committee, Djordje Macut, blamed the difficult situation in schooling on the city committees of the SDSS and the Croatian Democratic Union who, he said, "have not felt the need to convene and discuss these issues". Vukovar Mayor Vladimir Stengl pointed out to the fact that secondary schools in Vukovar are also attended by a large number of pupils living in places which tend to gravitate to other major eastern Croatian towns, such as Vinkovci and Osijek. He assessed this too was a contributing factor to the difficult situation in Vukovar's schooling system. Were they to attend secondary schools in Vinkovci and Osijek, tension would decrease, said Stengl. A total of 3,463 pupils are currently attending Vukovar's primary and secondary schools, including 381 pupils of Croatian nationality. (hina) ha jn 122112 MET oct 98