Fuchs: Schools Won't Function Normally Until Sufficient Number of People Vaccinated
ZAGREB, 29 Oct 2021 - Science and Education Minister Radovan Fuchs warned on Friday that life would not return to normal and schools would not be able to function normally until a sufficient number of citizens got vaccinated against COVID-19, noting that his ministry was carefully following the situation in schools.
"There will always be someone in self-isolation unless a sufficient number of citizens get vaccinated," Fuchs said during a visit to Župa Dubrovačka.
Asked about the situation after the school break next week, Fuchs said that he would be able to answer the question only if he knew how the epidemiological situation would unfold but that nonetheless it seemed that "something has changed in citizens' attitude" as more were willing to get vaccinated.
He dismissed the remark that the quality of education could be compromised, stressing that the experience of last year showed that the distribution of online classes was even and that his ministry was following decisions made by local COVID-19 response teams and had a very good data base on the number of students and teachers currently ill or in self-isolation.
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Education Minister Says Focus on Organisation of Classes in Quake-Hit Area
ZAGREB, 4 January, 2021 - Science and Education Minister Radovan Fuchs said on Monday that around 50% of education facilities in the earthquake-hit areas of Sisak-Moslavina County were unusable and that work was under way to organise classes.
"There are 58 educational institutions in the area and there are 5,658 pupils in Glina, Petrinja and Sisak. So far 42 buildings have been inspected and nine are unusable, 11 are temporarily unusable, 22 are usable, so roughly 50% of the facilities are out of service," Fuchs said.
He said his ministry's activities in the coming period would be directed towards organising classes for pupils and students, noting that some children and education workers had to leave their homes due to damage caused by the December 29 earthquake.
An analysis is underway of the needs for computer equipment and it will be replaced, he said, adding that the ministry would take over a part of the cost of accommodation in dormitories for all students with permanent residence in the quake-hit area.
He noted that the ministry has secured HRK 4.5 million from its budget to buy 20 sets of seismographs and 20 sets of accelerographs for the Faculty of Science seismological service.
Minister says team formed to planned restoration of historical buildings
Culture and Media Minister Nina Obuljen Korzinek said that the historical centres of Sisak, Petrinja, Glina and Hrvatska Kostajnica as well as some 50 sacral buildings, including the Sisak cathedral, had been damaged in the earthquake.
She noted that a team had been formed to plan the reconstruction of the historical centres, notably in Petrinja, and that movable cultural heritage would be evacuated.
Obuljen Korzinek said that secular movable heritage would be stored at the Sisak Museum while the building of the Sisak Diocese would be used to store movable religious heritage.
The minister said that the systematic listing of damage would start on January 11 and last a week.
As for the local media, she said that buildings that used to house Radio Sisak and Radio Petrinja were not usable and that the two broadcasters had been given containers and had started to broadcast.
Education Minister: Some Schools Affected by Earthquake Have to Be Rebuilt
December 31, 2020 – After visiting schools in Sisak-Moslavina County on Wednesday, Science and Education Minister Radovan Fuchs estimated that some schools would have to be rebuilt.
Besides, as Hina reports, minister Fuchs said that some schools would be able to be restored.
"The situation in schools is bad. In Petrinja, some schools will have to be completely demolished, and some will be rebuilt. I don't know how fast schools will be rebuilt. A good part will have to be built anew," said the Minister.
More schools require complete construction
In the Sisak-Moslavina County, there are 53 schools (37 primary, 13 secondary, and three music) attended by a total of 14,705 students, and 21 kindergartens attended by 3,489 children. Due to the earthquake, five schools required complete construction, nine were significantly damaged, and 13 schools could be used with repairs.
The earthquake damaged the First Primary School in Petrinja and the High School located next to it. There have been significant collapses there, and they will, therefore, need to be rebuilt.
Although it was first assumed that five schools in the Sisak-Moslavina County would need to be rebuilt, the number is slightly higher. Namely, in addition to the two mentioned Petrinja schools, more schools also require complete construction: the Fran Lhotka Music School Sisak, the Sisak Vocational School, the Farkašić and Letovanić Regional Schools of the Mladost Primary School from Lekenik, the Ivan Goran Kovačić Primary School from Gora, and the Nebojan Regional School.
Students in Sisak won't be able to attend college
The Minister also visited the Glina High School, where the energy renovation has started from the outside, which will most likely be renovated.
In addition to that school, the schools that have significant damage are: the Sisak Gymnasium, Katarina Zrinska Mečenčani Primary School, both Viktorovac Primary and High School, Ivan Kukuljević Primary School, Sisak School of Economics, Budaševo-Topolovac-Gušće Primary School (Topolovac), Dragutin Tadijanović Primary School (Mošćenica Regional School), and Mate Lovrak Primary School in Petrinja.
Many other schools are damaged but have mostly cracked glass, smaller cracks, and broken furniture.
At the Faculty of Metallurgy in Sisak, the University of Zagreb, which is attended by 141 students, the estimated damage is eight million kunas. The estimated damage at the Faculty of Teacher Education, the University of Zagreb, which is attended by 600 students, is 1.5 million kunas. Teaching at both faculties will not be possible until the end of the summer semester.
Fuchs said funds for school reconstruction would be withdrawn from the European Solidarity Fund.
"Preparations need to start immediately so that the reconstruction can begin as soon as the funds are approved," he stressed.
'Luckily there were no children in schools'
When it comes to involving students in teaching, the Minister points out that all options will be examined.
"We will try to see all the options that are most acceptable and best, primarily for students. We will know that when everything is consolidated in a few days," the Minister said, adding that now, it must be identified where the students are.
"Luckily, in the accident, there were no children in the school. Now we will see where they will be accommodated," the Minister said.
Minister Fuchs visited the earthquake-stricken Petrinja, Sisak, and Glina with the County Head of Education Darian Vlahov, Petrinja High School Principal Milan Orlić, Dragutun Tadijanović Primary School Principal Davor Miholjević, Faculty of Teacher Education Dean Siniša Opić, the Vice-Dean Marko Badrić, and Glina High School Principal Marija Novosel.
Follow our live updates on the situation in Croatia's earthquake-hit areas here; find out how you can donate here.
Minister: For Now, Situation in Schools Is Good
ZAGREB, Sept 16, 2020 - Education Minister Radovan Fuchs said on Wednesday that the situation in schools, after the start of the new school year last week, was relatively good and that they were dealing well with the challenges that the corona crisis has brought.
For now, the situation is relatively good and of the 27,000 grades only 10 are attending online classes from 2,300 schools, Minister Fuchs told MP Vesna Bedekovic (HDZ) in parliament on Wednesday, during Question Time.
He underscored that everything has been done so that this school and academic year flows as best possible considering the circumstances.
Croatia to hire over 5,000 specialists in healthcare in the next five years
Replying to MP Andreja Maric (SDP), who warned that Croatia had a shortage of health personnel, Health Minister Vili Beros underscored that this week, he had signed a five-year plan for specialist courses.
We will employ 5,092 specialists in the next five years, he said and added that this was not a wish list but an attempt to prepare a realistic reflection of the needs in Croatia's health system.
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