Where did Konaković get minors' correspondence amidst an investigation? If Katica and Hota-Muminović weren't from NIP, resignations would have been demanded long ago

By Amra Vrabac

Hundreds of false bomb threats, violence and caning in schools, students shooting in the schoolyard are news stories that have been in the media in recent weeks. Not even the arrests of minors, detention measures, or other sanctions have stopped the false threats, which continued today.

Just one 16-year-old sent 49 false bomb threat reports to multiple high schools in 11 days, sending threatening messages to their email addresses. This minor was placed in temporary accommodation at the JU Educational Center of Sarajevo Canton. This morning, new reports of explosive devices, as well as shootings involving minors, occurred.

This is an unprecedented case of minors being so persistent in committing criminal offenses, and not being deterred by the potential consequences for themselves and the sanctions for their parents.

Since this crisis, which burdens the entire society, and especially the security and educational apparatus, began, the government has been acting as if nothing is happening.

Two ministers from People and Justice, who head the Ministry of Internal Affairs and the Ministry of Education and Upbringing, are dealing with definitions and theories, which clearly yield no results in practice.

However, it is evident that the situation is serious, and it is only a matter of time before this problem leads to a complete collapse and distrust in a system that cannot cope with minors. How then can we expect the same government to deal with much larger problems such as organized crime, corruption, terrorism...

If People and Justice were not in power by chance, or if their ministers were not in these positions, resignations would have been demanded long ago, and the ministers would have been declared incompetent.

And the fact that something is wrong in this case is also shown by the head of NIP and the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Elmedin Konaković. He publicly admitted on Monday that he had access to correspondence between students who were coordinating false threats.

"The situation is very serious. This is a big social problem. This is a story that we must respond to as a society, together, primarily our security agencies and the MUP and FUP and other investigative agencies, especially OSA. We must also strengthen communication with parents through the educational segment. I read those correspondences, there are groups of children who are coordinating, these are our youth, we need to take care of them, who are coordinating, who are paying some students to make certain reports. I think the sanctions must be different, because the current ones are minor. We need to go towards parents with some kind of sanction. Governments must lead, but without the help of parents, teachers, and the media, this problem cannot be eradicated," Konaković said as a guest on Polis on TVSA.

I was just waiting for him to take out his mobile phone and start showing those correspondences. However, this raises several questions. First, why would the Minister of Foreign Affairs have correspondence from minors? Second, the minister revealed the content of the correspondence in the midst of an ongoing investigation. Third, who provided him with the correspondence and for what purpose? He is neither a security expert, nor a psychologist, nor a sociologist, but a "sports manager" and the MVP.

However, let those who provided him with the correspondence think about that and be held accountable for it.

Do you remember the last press conference at the NIP premises? You don't. I don't remember either, and I attended almost every one because it was the only opportunity to directly ask the NIP members everything you were interested in. Since they became part of the government at the FBiH and state level, the NIP premises have been locked to the public and the media. Everything they have to announce is done through social networks, or at joint press conferences of the 'trojka' in the SDP building, or the sports manager/MVP does it at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs premises.

However, in this case, when Sarajevo Canton, the police and educational systems are facing a serious crisis, there is suddenly no interest in calling the media. Only because they are in power and cannot shift the responsibility for the anomalies in the system, which have been warned about for years, to anyone else.

Konaković admitted that the focus in this particular case is on the police-investigative bodies and the educational system.

And how the responsible minister Naida Hota-Muminović views this morning's shooting is shown by the statement sent to the media. Along with wishing the injured student a speedy recovery and condemning the violence, Hota-Muminović will also investigate the following:

"The Ministry will receive detailed information from the school to determine whether all necessary measures have been taken to prevent unacceptable forms of behavior and protect students. In addition, the effectiveness of existing security protocols will be examined, and if necessary, additional measures will be implemented to improve security.

The issue of unacceptable forms of behavior requires a multi-sectoral approach, including the support of all referral mechanisms in the community, and in this case, actions will be taken in accordance with the best interests of the students.

The Ministry appeals to the media to protect the identity of the minor students involved. Parents are also urged to talk to their children about the importance of safety and non-violent conflict resolution, and to seek help and support from professionals at school in resolving the challenges they face in parenting," the Ministry stated.

So, it is important to the minister whether her regulation was used in these schools or not. And the regulation, which most teachers, parents, and children resist, was not even created with the knowledge of the parents. This was confirmed by the KS Parents' Council. However, after parents and teachers publicly rebelled against the controversial regulation, Hota-Muminović assembled a team that defended it on her behalf. However, numerous teachers still refuse to use the controversial regulation, which further stigmatizes children.

While Hota-Muminović burdens education with some regulations, matrices, forms, and turns teachers into scribes, the question is how much these teachers can dedicate themselves to their students.

Treatises could be written about the burden on students with subjects and curriculum. But true educational reform in the best interest of students does not interest this government.

It is easiest to blame social networks, parents, and even the children/students themselves for everything bad, but neither Katica nor Hota-Muminović will ask themselves if there is anything wrong with what they are doing.