E. SLAVONIA SERBS WANT THEIR OWN SCHOOLS, BUT CROATIAN FUNDING

OSIJEK, July 2 (Hina) - A Council of Europe delegation for culture and education on Tuesday visited the Osijek-based Croatian government Office of the Temporary Administration for the Establishment of Croatian Authority in the Croatian occupied area. Before their arrival in Osijek, the delegation visited the occupied Vukovar. Council of Europe High Education Department Chief, Gabriele Mazza, said that the delegation had held talks with UNTAES representatives about the ways in which the Council of Europe and the UNTAES could assist a speedier implementation of the Dayton peace accords. He added that the Council of Europe and the UNTAES would be included in the programme of reconstructing the cultural heritage. Croatian Office representative Ksenija Zbozil told reporters that the Office representatives had informed the delegation about their talks with the Serb side about education and schooling in the area under the control if the UN Transitional Administration. She said that Croatian Office representatives had held several meetings with the Serb side, but without significant results. The basic problem was that "the Serbs do not want to be an ethnic minority as other ethnic minorities that live in the region," Zbozil said, adding that the Serbs wanted separate schooling from that of Croatia. Their idea was that Croatia ensure and finance the schools which should not have any common features with Croatian schools except that their location would be in Croatia, she added. The government Office for the establishment of Croatian authority had been suggesting to the Serb side to join in the drafting of school plans and curriculums, Zbozil said. Croatia was flexible in the negotiations, but would not accept any unrealistic demands for some "special status sector," Zbozil said. (hina) lm jn 021636 MET jul 96