Sarajevo: Classes in Primary and Secondary Schools Will Be Shortened and Must End by 5 PM

An unusually large number of citizen calls have been sent to the Ministry of Education, Science and Youth and the Government of Sarajevo Canton, regarding the possibility of suspending classes in primary and secondary schools in Sarajevo Canton.

We remind that the current laws in the field of primary and secondary education stipulate that educational work may only be interrupted in the event of a natural disaster, epidemic, or similar justified reasons.

According to information from the Ministry of Spatial Planning, Construction and Environmental Protection, an alert episode has been declared, which requires the implementation of measures prescribed by the Plan of Intervention Measures in Cases of Excessive Air Pollution in Sarajevo Canton. As the current values of parameters significant for determining the level of air pollution have increased to a level requiring measures from the declared alert episode, the Ministry of Education, Science and Youth has decided that classes in primary and secondary schools in Sarajevo Canton will not be suspended.

The following measures will be implemented:

1. The teaching process will be adjusted so that regular classes end by 5:00 PM;

2. Extracurricular activities will not be carried out;

3. Children with health issues will be allowed to be absent from classes; and

4. Students will not spend free time between classes in open school areas.

We call on all citizens of Sarajevo Canton to adhere to the measures prescribed by the Government of Sarajevo Canton's Plan for episodic situations.