ZAGREB, June 12, 2019 - The 11th annual Luka Ritz awards for the promotion of tolerance and violence-free schools were presented on Wednesday to elementary schooler Nika Rusijan of Pazin and high schooler Magdalena Dakić of Vinkovci, with both saying no one had to be an A student but that everyone could be a good person if they thought a little about themselves and others.
Special certificates were given to elementary schoolers Darija Vusić, Doroteja Horvat and Nada Stjepanović, and high schoolers Patricija Ivanković and Ljiljana Beljan.
Speaking at the award ceremony at the Science and Education Ministry, Minister Blaženka Divjak said this was a day of combating violence and that today's winners were heroes just like Luka Ritz, who she said would have been a grown man in his prime today had there been no violence.
Divjak thanked the parents, families and schools of the recipients. We need such beacons for spreading tolerance, humanitarian work and non-violent conflict resolution, she said, adding that the ministry would give 26 schools HRK 10,000 each for developing non-violent conflict resolution programmes.
The minister also underlined the need to raise one's voice against verbal violence and tolerance of hate speech.
An action plan for preventing violence in schools in the 2019-24 period was presented at the ceremony and put up for public consultation today, with Divjak announcing more state funds for the prevention of school violence.
A report shows that crisis team had to intervene in schools 24 times in 2016, 19 in 2017 and 52 in 2018, for which 218,000 kuna was spent in 2016, 104,000 kuna in 2017 and 418,000 kuna in 2018.
The number of prevention programmes rose from eight (8) in 2016 to 38 last year, it was said at the action plan presentation.
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