Return to School in the North Questioned

They assess the situation as <x0-complex” and told Radio Free Europe that they are still awaiting instructions from authorities.

Education institutions in the Serb community in Kosovo work according to Serbia's system. Teaching in the four northern Kosovo municipalities -- northern Mitrovica, Zvecan, Zubin Potok and Leposaviq -- was interrupted at the end of May, when tensions rose after the new Albanian mayors entered municipal buildings with the assistance of the Kosovo Police.

Serbian institutions responsible for education did not answer REL questions about parents' concerns about uncertainty about the start of the new school year.

Marina from Leposaviqi has a son who on September 1st must begin first grade. She expresses concern that instead of her son going to school, he will meet the teacher and his friends through the computer.

I'm very worried, it's not clear how he [her son] will learn lessons from the internet. I really don't know what will happen”, Marina tells Radio Free Europe.

However, Maria from Leposaviqi hopes that the children will start their new school year in schools.

I have three kids going to school, most of their teaching was online or didn't even go to school. We do not know what will happen”, she said.

Even Dragan from Northern Mitrovica does not support the idea that children do not go to school on September 1st, but stresses that he is concerned about the large presence of police and uncertainty as regards the security situation.

“As far as parents' point of view, nobody cares when their children should go to school”, he says.

Maja from Zvecan emphasises that children should go to school, but only if Kosovo Police Special Units are withdrawn from the north.

I have a kid who'll start his first year in high school, imagine him starting online. I have three kids going to school, I can't commit myself to anyone. So I think it would be best for the police to withdraw and the children to go to school”, Maya tells Radio Free Europe.

The start of school in northern Kosovo on September 1st is uncertain, as in Zvecan, Leposaviq and Zubin Potok, educational institutions are located near municipal facilities, where Kosovo Police are located. In the face are KFOR members, Kosovo's NATO peacekeeping mission since the end of May.

Tensions escalated 29 May in Zvecan, when Serbs clashed with KFOR members. In that case, dozens were injured by both sides.

One of the reasons for the daily protests is the fact that, so far, parallel Serb municipalities have operated on those facilities. In northern Mitrovica alone, there is a special municipal building operating on the basis of Kosovo's system, and there has been no protest there.

In addition to May, teaching in municipalities in northern Kosovo was cut off on December 12th of 2022 due to the deteriorating “cyst of security”.

The break took place after two days earlier was arrested by former Kosovo Serb police officer Dejan Pantic.

Pantic's arrest prompted Serbs to establish barricades in which employees of Serbian institutions, including those of education, primarily participated. From the barricades, professors held online instruction for high schoolers.

Also, students and school teachers in the north have participated in recent protests in front of municipalities in Zvecan, Leposaviq and Zubin Potok. They, through different performance, have called for reduced tensions.

The REL is addressing the Ministry of Education in Serbia's Government, which is responsible for educational institutions in majority Serb municipalities in Kosovo. This minister was asked what the start of the new school year in the north depends on and why parents have not yet been informed.

Neither the Serbian Ministry of Education nor the Kosovo Education Department in this institution have answered REL questions.