After the delegates in the Assembly of the Central Bosnia Canton supported the initiative for the establishment of a Bosnian language medium school in Jajce, students of the high school “Nikola Šop” and the High Vocational School “Jajce” revolted against that initiative and stated: “We do not want national divisions”.
Students held a meeting at which it was decided that they will fight against such decisions, but also that they will strive towards having diplomas with both coats of arms (Bosnian and Croatian) so that no one’s rights are violated.
“We agreed that we will organize peaceful protests. We learn both Croatian and Bosnian language and we never had any problems, we are just fighting to get diplomas with two coats of arms. That is our only problem, but we do not want to separate. We never argued, fought or had any other problems on nationality basis. That will not lead us to better education,” said I. Jukanović, one of the students.
Jukanović highlighted that 98 percent of the students is against this decision and that, unless the protests yield some positive results, the students will boycott classes in September.
President of the Network of the Councils of Students (mreVUK) in the Central Bosnia Canton Dženad Čakić said that the Network scheduled a meeting in August, when this topic will be discussed. Until then, all information from the field will be gathered.
“My personal attitude, as the President of the Network of the Councils of Students in the Central Bosnia Canton, is that high school students should have the right to vote and as much as I understand this, this is separation of high school students from one another. One of the aims of the Network is to eliminate separation, to eliminate nationalism, to have the right to vote as high school students and, what is the most important, that the country looks at young people as a resource that should be used, not as a problem that should be solved. I just want to highlight that high school students know if they need new educational institutions. This poses a problem for no one, but I am afraid that people who are supposed to reach a decision on whether the school is necessary or not are still under influence of the events from 1992,” Čakić said.
At the session held on June 1, delegates in the Assembly of the Central Bosnia Canton supported the initiative for establishing a high school in Jajce that would operate in accordance with Bosnian curriculum. Minister of Education, Science, Culture and Sports Katica Čerkez highlighted that the establishment of a high school in Jajce that would operate in accordance with the curriculum in Bosnian language has support from the local community and the Government of the canton.
The classes would be held at the premises of the High School “Nikola Šop” or in the annex of the building of the Primary School “Berta Kučera”.
(Source: klix.ba/photo: aren-tours.com)