Dragovic: Normal classes for 300 students from the Roma community in North Mitrovica jeopardized due to the ban on building a new school

Despite the efforts of the Office for Kosovo and Metohija and the local self-government, students of the "Vlado Cetkovic" and "Veljko Banasevic" primary schools in North Mitrovica will not receive new school premises this year.

The Head of the School Administration of Kosovska Mitrovica, Blazo Dragovic, emphasizes in an interview with Kosovo Online that almost 300 students will continue to acquire their knowledge at the "Branko Radicevic" primary school, where classes are organized in two shifts due to limited space to ensure the best possible educational conditions for all students.

"Construction works for the new school that was supposed to accommodate the 'Vlado Cetkovic' and 'Veljko Banasevic' primary schools in Kosovska Mitrovica were halted by the so-called Kosovo institutions on July 20, 2023. The mentioned schools currently use the premises of the 'Branko Radicevic' primary school in Kosovska Mitrovica, where teaching is greatly hindered due to limited capacity. It should be noted that these schools currently have 295 students from the Roma national minority," Dragovic said.

He added that building the new school would significantly improve the quality of education for the Roma community.

"By suspending the construction, they have jeopardized education, existence, and the equality of national minorities among the Roma children," Dragovic said.

Construction of this facility started this year but was stopped by the municipal inspection without any explanation of the reasons.

These two primary schools were once located in the southern part of Mitrovica, but after the war, there are no longer any Serbs in South Mitrovica except for the family of a priest who lives in the church's residence, in the churchyard of Saint Sava's temple.