PRELIMINARY ACTIVITIES FOR SCHOOL YEAR IN CRO DANUBE REGION PROCEED SM

PROCEED SM $ OOTHLY VINKOVCI, Sept 5 (Hina) - A news school year will for 6,791 pupils of 16 elementary schools and one high school in the UN-administered territory of the eastern Croatian Vukovar-Srijem County begin on 8 September. On the basis of a letter of agreement the Croatian Education and Sports Ministry signed with the Education System under UN's transitional administration, all preliminary activities had been carried out on time and lessons should begin without difficulties, the head of the County's Office for Education, Zdenka Buljan, told reporters in Vinkovci. Buljan said all school managers had been appointed on time and that, despite minor difficulties, they took office by preparing for the forthcoming school year on 1 September. According to data of the Vukovar-Srijem County's Office for Education, 4,451 pupils were registered with 16 elementary schools in the County's UN-administered part. Of those, 4,213 would attend lessons in the Serbian language, and 216 in the Croatian. Eighteen pupils opted for lessons in the Slovakian, three for lessons in the Ruthenian and one for lessons in the Hungarian language. Buljan said 2,340 pupils were registered with the Vukovar High School. Of them 30 are foreign citizens. Of the total number of pupils, 646 will attend the first grade of high school. Buljan pointed out that every pupil whose parents want them to attend lessons in the Croatian language would be able to have lessons in the Croatian regardless of their number in a school. Transport and religious education for members of all religions would duly be organized, Buljan concluded. (hina) ha jn 051749 MET sep 97