TWENTY CROATIAN SCHOOLS DECLARED ECO-SCHOOLS

ZAGREB, March 14 (Hina) - Twenty primary and secondary schools from Croatia were declared European eco-schools and given a green flag and European eco-school charters at a ceremony in Zagreb on Wednesday. Attending the ceremony were Croatia's Education and Sports Minister Vladimir Strugar and European Eco-School Coordinator Sergio Santos. Eco-schools are part of a European programme of environmental education which includes 21 European countries, said the president of the Croatian Commission of the European Environmental Education Trust, Ante Kutle. The purpose of the programme is to adjust environmental education in all European countries-members of the Trust. Apart from education, eco-schools pay special attention to waste reduction and management, economic usage of energy and water and to tending school areas, Santos said. The programme enables every eco-school to access national and European networks of eco-schools, exchange experience via the Internet and promote its activities in the country and abroad, he said. The eco-school programme in Croatia is conducted by the Movement of Nature Friends "Lijepa nasa" in cooperation with the Education and Sports Ministry. So far, 150 primary and secondary schools have joined the programme. Green flags have been given mostly to schools from northern and eastern Croatia, and one school each from Split, Rijeka and Opatija. (hina) rml