New School Year Begins in Serbia, Face Coverings Mandatory

In the class (BETAPHOTO/DRAGAN KARADAREVIC/

A new school year for pupils and high school students started on Sept. 1, under special circumstances due to the epidemiological situation, which include fewer scholars in classes and abiding by Covid-19 countermeasures.

According to an earlier statement by Education Minister Mladen Sarcevic, watch hours will be extended to ensure the implementation of the prescribed countermeasures, scholars will have to wear face coverings and keep physical distance, while classrooms will be disinfected frequently.

On Sept. 1, Prime Minister Ana Brnabic said that the state would not tolerate any breach of the measures prescribed to combat the coronavirus spread, particularly over the next two weeks due to the beginning of the school year.

Commenting on the start of the new school year, Brnabic told public broadcaster RTS that the fact that more than 96% of scholars had opted for school attendance posed “a big challenge,” adding a special team had been set up to monitor the situation on a daily basis.  

Brnabic said that considering that an emergency situation was not in force, no one could order anyone to implement anything, but stressed that the citizens should consider recommendations as mandatory for to contain virus spread. She noted that the children who had returned from abroad only a few days before the start of school should stay at home for two weeks.