Mašić: Damage to educational facilities estimated at 7.6 million KM

According to estimates from cantonal ministries of education, the estimated damage to educational institutions after floods and landslides amounts to around 7.6 million KM, said Damir Mašić, Minister of Education and Science of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina for the Bosnian news agency Patria.

- Through the budget rebalance, one million KM has been secured and will be distributed to four cantons within the next seven to ten days: Tuzla, Zenica-Doboj, Posavina, and Una-Sana cantons. The greatest damage is in Tuzla Canton, Zenica-Doboj Canton, and Posavina Canton, and the funds have been secured by redirecting resources from other programs – said Mašić.

According to lists submitted to the Federal Ministry of Education and Science, in Tuzla Canton, 21 schools were damaged due to floods and landslides (Kalesija, Srebrenik, Banovići, Brijesnica, Lukavac, Tuzla, Živinice, Kladanj), in Zenica-Doboj Canton, 13 facilities were damaged (Olovo, Ozimica, Kakanj, Maglaj, Zenica, Zavidovići, Žepče), Una-Sana Canton seven schools (Sanski Most and Ključ), Posavina Canton four schools (Odžak, Vidovice, Tolisa and Domaljevac). While in Sarajevo Canton, four facilities suffered damage from rain.

- Reconstruction and repair of facilities will be financed and co-financed from various sources. Based on the number of facilities and the degree of damage, funds will be distributed to these four cantons. There will also be other sources of funding, both from the fund that will be established and from other levels of government – emphasizes Mašić.

He also stated that he is in constant contact with cantonal ministers in charge, and that for now there is no information that any school will be unsuitable for the teaching process and the new school year.

- There are several branch schools that are completely cut off due to landslides. It is difficult to expect that reconstruction will be completed in the near future. But these are small schools with 10 to 20 students who were already reassigned to other nearby schools during the floods – said Mašić.

He emphasized that the plan is to welcome the new school year with as few consequences as possible.

- There are also foreign donors who have expressed a desire to renovate certain facilities, but the cantonal ministries of education are taking care of all of that – states Mašić, noting that this morning 700,000 KM was released for the procurement of free textbooks in ten cantons for children in need, as well as for those in areas affected by floods and landslides, writes Patria.