OSCE organizes first multilateral meeting on Serb minority education

VUKOVAR, 7 December 1999 - The first multilateral meeting on Serb minority education issues took place on 7 December 1999 in the premises of the OSCE Co-ordination Centre Vukovar. Among the participants were representatives of the Prefects of Osijek-Baranja and Vukovar-Sirmium Counties, Heads of the County Offices of Education and Sport, the JCM Chairman and the Head of the JCM Education Board and a representative of the Governmental Office for Co-operation with OSCE. The Head of the OSCE Co-ordination Centre in Vukovar chaired the meeting.

The OSCE assessed that progress had been achieved with regard to the future integration of education issues in line with national laws and international agreements regarding minority education, but that several specific problems have still to be addressed. This opinion was shared by all participants.

Compared to last year, fewer incidents and less tension have been noted in schools since the beginning of the scholastic 1999-2000 year. The role of the JCM as consultative body under the Erdut Agreement and Letter of Intent was underlined. In view of the growing responsibility of counties in education matters, the need of having regular dialogue and co-operation between the county education offices and the JCM was stressed. It was agreed that regular working meetings at this level should be held in future, the first taking place before the end of this year, to positively resolve outstanding matters in a constructive framework. It was agreed to address the pending issues of textbooks, the employment of teachers in the Danube Region, the functioning of Trust Boards in ethnically mixed schools, school statutes, etc., at the first working session.

The outstanding role of education in the development of reconciliation was among topics also discussed.