ZAGREB, October 22, 2019 – Vukovar Mayor Ivan Penava said on Tuesday that the model of segregated schools and pre-school institutions in Vukovar was implemented pursuant to the law and it remained to be seen whether or when the time would come to take steps to change that model.
“The model of segregated schools and a similar model, although a little less stricter, in kindergartens, are not my personal choice. In my opinion, children should go together and be able to learn their own language, history, culture regardless of which minority they belong to. That (learning the language of one’s own ethnic group) should be after regular (school) programmes,” Penava said on Tuesday during a visit of the recently reconstructed kindergarten in the Borovo Naselje suburb of Vukovar.
He added that children should play together, make friends and share their time.
The energy reconstruction of the kindergarten cost 1.5 million kuna with 1.1 million kuna secured by the Ministry for Demography, the Family, Youth and Social Policy and the remainder from the Vukovar Reconstruction and Development Fund.
The kindergarten’s heating bills before the reconstruction amounted to HRK 40,000 a month and the reconstruction is expected to help cut the bills by 60%.
Children at the kindergarten attend separate programmes – Croatian and Serbian and are divided into separate rooms.
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