Presevo, Bujanovac, Меdvedja – For the time being, schools and faculties will not be closed due to the increase in the number of new cases of COVID-19, said the Minister of Education, Science and Technological Development Mladen Sarcevic and pointed out that educational institutions were ready if the epidemiological situation worsened. .

Minister Šarčević said that online classes had been prepared since the summer, so that pupils and students could smoothly follow the lectures, and stated that the material had been recorded a month in advance.

“We have classes that are broadcast on the RTS planet channel, as well as in Sandzak, in the area of Novi Pazar for the Bosniak minority, in the area of Bujanovac. The  RTV  also broadcasts recorded classes in Vojvodina", stated the Minister.

He added that the Ministry had received from the UNICEF a platform for monitorong the teaching, and that a large amount of material was being recorded.

“We started recording a lot. We have more than 200 classes for the subjects thought in secondary vocational schools ", Minister Sarcevic said.

He pointed out that there was a possibility of closing schools in a certain region, provided there was a significant deterioration of the epidemiological situation in that area, but that it would not affect other schools in the country.

"Why should we close schools in the whole of Serbia because of one region, but the Crisis Staff will decide about that," Minister Sarcevic said.

He stated that currently about two percent of elementary and secondary school students attended online classes and pointed out that there were far fewer new COVID 19 patients in educational institutions than in other institutions.

He stated that about 60 elementary and secondary school students were currently suffering from COVID-19, stating that out of that figure, around 62 percent of elementary school students and 38 percent of secondary school students were positive for the corona virus.

He also said that there was not a single person suffering from the corona virus among the students in the dormitories, and that there were no infected people in the Student Center, which currently housed 7,600 students. Minister Sarcevic pointed out that strict controls of the fight against the spread of the corona virus were conducted in schools.  

“Strict controls are being carried out, but the outings of students outside school institutions cannot be controlled by institutions, "Minister Sarcevic said and underlined that the current system of teaching was functioning well at the moment.

Source: “Tanjug” news agency, “Evening News” daily and Coordination Body