Minister: Serbia All Set for New School Year

In the class (BETAPHOTO/DRAGAN KARADAREVIC/

Serbian Minister of Education Mladen Sarcevic said on Aug. 31 that Serbia was completely ready for the beginning of a new school year, and that 97 percent of parents wanted their children to attend classes in person as of Sept. 1.

Minister Sarcevic said that splitting class sizes in half with a 15-pupil limit would not be necessary in 38 percent of Serbian schools, largely schools in rural areas and ethnic minority schools. "Twenty-seven percent of schools will employ a partial split, but some 300 large schools in urban areas will have to split classes and respect a 15-pupil limit," Sarcevic said in an interview with the Pink TV.

The minister added that the entire September curriculum had been recorded already, and would be aired by the Serbian Broadcasting Corporation (RTS). Sarcevic had said earlier that 3.7 percent of parents opted for on-line classes.

The education minister had said in an interview with the Blic newspaper that his ministry would communicate with schools on a daily basis, and if a coronavirus outbreak was reported in any, that "specific instance" would be addressed, without closing all the schools. Sarcevic also said that disinfectants had been provided for, along with 10,000 face shields for asthma students or students diagnosed with another illness that made wearing a face mask difficult.