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.

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ZAGREB, July 20, 2020 - Former prime ministerial adviser on education Radovan Fuchs confirmed on Monday, after meeting with Prime Minister-designate Andrej Plenkovic, that he had accepted the position of Minister of Science and Education in the new cabinet.

"I have agreed to be the new minister, that's all I can tell you," Fuchs told reporters after the meeting.

Asked what his first moves would be, he said that organising school classes in the autumn were "the absolute priority".

"We want to see if it will be possible for students to return to their classes, observing the epidemiological rules of course. We'll see what happens. That's the first thing that needs to be done," Fuchs said.

Should that be impossible, Fuchs said that classes would be organised online. "We will try to do our best, in cooperation with all the stakeholders, including local government and epidemiologists, to ensure that students can return to their classrooms," Fuchs said.