Trifunović: No New Damage, and the School Year Starts in September

In the Zenica-Doboj Canton area, during the May floods, thirteen central and ten branch schools were damaged, and three branch schools in Šerići, Kolići and Kovanići are in poor condition, but after the August floods we had no new damage, said Mirko Trifunović, Minister of Education, Science, Culture and Sports of ZDC. The reconstruction process has begun in all central schools.

- UNDP is working on projects in all damaged schools in three phases. The first is to do as much as possible on the schools so that the new school year can start on time. The second phase is the energy efficiency of school buildings, which is being implemented together with the Federal Environmental Protection Fund. And the third phase is the repair of all boiler rooms, i.e. heating systems, before the start of the heating season – Trifunović states.

Although the situation for the residents of Željezno Polje is extremely difficult, Trifunović points out that the Elementary School "Abdulvehab Ilhamija" can operate within existing capacities.

- Road communications are a big problem, just as in the Nemila area. And students depend on them because they travel from their places of residence to schools in Zenica and Žepče. One of the important conditions is the passability of roads, especially Nemila – Šerići, Žepče – Željezno Polje – Trifunović states, adding that these floods have undone all road works from the past two and a half months.

Trifunović emphasized that although attention is now focused on central schools, students from branch schools will be reassigned to other nearest schools, but there is an agreement with UNDP that they will also be taken into account.

- Schools made several options back in June on how to welcome the new school year. We can expect that in the largest percentage, the school year will start in September in a somewhat altered regime due to the reception of students from branch schools. If there are any delays, we have enough time in the school calendar, given that the next year ends on June 12, which means about 20 days of time that we can use where construction work is not finished – says Trifunović.

The reconstruction of school facilities is taking place with the help of foreign donors, organizations, and the Federal Ministry of Education and Science.

- UNICEF is donating furniture, and that is already underway, with most of it delivered. There are also World Vision, Save the Children, an Italian organization that is building a chemistry lab in a high school in Maglaj. There are many projects, and everything is being done so that the school year starts on time – concluded Trifunović.