March
The building of the Secondary School “Lukijan Mušicki” in Temerin was built in 1796 and is in a very bad condition. According to the principal Milomir Radić, The Provincial Institute for the Protection of Cultural Monuments issued consent for the façade repair and the necessary project documentation was competed. In addition, it is necessary to build the fence around the sports grounds in the park and to asphalt the terrain. After touring the school, the Under-secretary of the Provincial Secretariat for Education, Regulations, Administration and National Minorities - National Communities Žolt Sakalaš advised the management to look at the future calls for proposals of the Secretariat which relate to programmes and projects as well as to address the Public Investment Management Office so as to receive funds for the school’s façade repair. The schools were also reminded to submit the request for verification of the new profile of the Grammar School for gifted students for computer science and information science.
The building of the Primary School “Petar Kočić” is neatly organised, the halls and the school yard are clean. According to the principal Aleksandra Mišković,, the roof of the central building should be repaired in the upcoming period as well as the sports hall. The Under-secretary Žolt Sakalaš underlined how important it is for school representatives to monitor the launching of future relevant calls for proposals of the Secretariat. When asked how to replace the school car, the school was suggested to address the competent authority of the local self-government unit.
Although the building of the Primary School "Servo Mihalj" from Mužlja is old, it is nicely decorated and well maintained. The school has been in existence for 125 years and the teaching is done in two buildings, which complicates its work (procurement of equipment, scheduling classes for teachers). The teaching is conducted in both Serbian and Hungarian. During the discussions with the Assistant Provincial Secretary Livia Korponai, the principal Atila Molnar pointed out that the specific problem of the school is the property rights that are not regulated for the second building, and that it is necessary to hire lawyers in order to solve them. Also, the school work is hindered by the structure of families of children, as almost 25% of pupils are from families living from Financial Assistance to Families. At the end of the meeting, it was noted that in the last 15 years the AP Vojvodina invested the most in the school.
The Primary School "Bratstvo jedinstvo" from Belo Blato, although old, is nicely decorated, just like its yard. Vlatko Ćorović, the school principal, said that the teaching in the school is conducted in three teaching languages, and that there are many pupils from the extremely poor category of population. The big problem for school is also that the school building is on the land that has many groundwater, and it is difficult to prevent the outburst of moisture from the walls. Also, the school does not have a gym. On this occasion, the Assistant Provincial Secretary for education Livia Korponai noted that the school management can receive funds for technical documentation through a call for proposal. What is positive is that there is no violence in the school, regardless of language and other differences. This school has a registered expanded activity (ethnic house and the organization of visits and excursions).
The building of the Agricultural School in Bač is exceptionally large. It houses the secondary and primary school. The school lacks IT equipment the most. The secondary school cultivates a good cooperation with cooperatives and private companies in a system of the exchange of goods and services. According to the principal Dragan Novaković, the biggest issue are the property rights that have not been regulated because the school has not been entered into the cadastre register, i.e. It is not registered as the owner of the building nor the land. That is why the school was blocked to apply to numerous calls for proposal.
The employees in the Primary School “Jan Kolar” in Selenča are dedicated to the socialisation of Roma children. The school principal Katarina Vrabčenjak stressed the lack of funds for the purchase of music instruments for the school orchestra and funds for the trips to competitions. The Assistant Provincial Secretary Milinka Hrćan, proposed the principal to appoint persons who would look for calls for proposals and cooperate with other institutions which could help with the provision of additional funds for the functioning of the orchestra.
The primary school "Ivo Lola Ribar" in Plavna is a small school with only eight grades. The equipment, primarily, the furniture in the classrooms, is quite deteriorated and unsafe for use. The school does not have basic teaching tools, such as a ruler and callipers for boards, and microscopes. The school principal, Dragan Medić, said that the school is in the process of legalization, and that their biggest problem is solving the heating issue. Assistant Provincial Secretary for Education Milinka Hrćan suggested that the school's staff regularly look for the calls for proposals, not only of this Secretariat, but also of other provincial secretariats, as well as the calls for proposals of other institutions.
The building of the primary school "Servo Mihalj” in Padej is tidy and relatively well equipped. The issue is the building next to the school which has not been legalised. Acting principal Ljiljana Milovanov stressed that the school could use the three classrooms which are in that building but that they do not have enough funds to complete the legalisation process. Another issue is the old and outdated boiler room which heats the school and the kindergarten. The Provincial Secretary Mihály Nyilas said that the property issues of the school must be solved as soon as possible so that they could apply for the calls for proposals. He also explained how the school should prepare the documentation for the calls for proposals to receive funds for the repair of the boiler room.
The Primary school "Dože Đerđ” in Gunaroš is tidy and in good condition. According to the principal Hermina Čikoš, the biggest problem is the outdated roof construction of the school and heating. Also, they need the equipment for the gym. The school applied for funds for the roof repair. The Provincial Secretary Mihály Nyilas suggested to the management to look at the calls for proposals of the Provincial Secretariat for Sport and Youth (for the procurement of sport equipment). The principal mentioned the problem with the textbooks for the children with the Individual Educational Plan, because these textbooks do not exist in the Hungarian language. Also, the Provincial Secretary suggested to management to send applications to calls for proposals for programmes and projects to improve teaching.
The building of the Primary School "Dr. Tihomir Ostojić" from Ostojić is tidy, the school yard is exceptionally beautiful and has 357 different types of trees. The adaptation of the sanitary block is nearly completed, for which the school received funds at the Secretariat's call for proposal last year. According to the principal Antonije Cicmil, next year they will apply for funds for the heating repair, the renovation of installations and the roof repair. This year, they are applying for programmes and projects as well as the call for proposal for the official use of languages. Namely, since there are interested children in studying languages with elements of national culture (for Hungarian and Polish, 25-30 children per language), the Provincial Secretary Nyilas proposed that the school send a letter to the Secretariat for technical support in this regard.
The building of the Chemistry-Food Processing Secondary School in Čoka requires little repair, as well as solving the problem of legalization of the gym and the added part, where the hairdresser's salon for student practice is located. Jozef Bata, the school principal, informed the delegation of the Provincial Secretariat for Education, led by Secretary Mihály Nyilas, on the enrolment plan for the 2018/19 school year, and also that the class for the profile iron founder and smelter will begin (without dual education). There is still a lot of interest in the hairdressing profile. In terms of personnel issues, the competent Secretariat will help the school to solve them.
The Primary School “Jovan Popović” in Čoka has a separate classroom in Sanad, and the roof on that facility is in bad condition. Zorica Bugarčić Čeleketić, the school principal, also said that the school computer equipment is outdated and therefore they cannot use the e-diary. The Provincial Secretary suggested the school to monitor the future calls for proposals for the sake of digitalisation and the mentioned necessary roof repair.
The Primary School “Žarko Zrenjanin” in Kikinda is well organised, roomy, well equipped with experienced school personnel. According to the principal Tihomira Farkaš, the school participates in many competitions and has won first awards. Biljana Kašerić, Assistant Provincial Secretary for Education, praised the work of the staff and their collaboration with the Social Welfare Centre. Namely, within this collaboration twenty children of migrants attend school systematically once a week and the activities are then adjusted according to their needs. When it comes to peer violence, the school is united in terms of the need for more work on prevention.
The building of the Primary School "Vuk Karadžić" in Kikinda is tidy and under state protection. According to the principal Olivera Lazić, it is necessary to renovate the school yard, because it has not been renovated since 1950. Furthermore, the replacement or repair of the roof is also required. Biljana Kašerić, Assistant Provincial Secretary for Education, suggested to school to monitor the calls for proposals not only of the Provincial Secretariat for Education but also of other Secretariats in order to receive necessary funds for the mentioned works.
The primary School “Jovan Popović” in Kikinda is extremely well organised, and the school activities are at the highest level. The school is tidy, roomy and its work atmosphere is very stimulating. The school principal Jelena Krvopić said that they participate in many pilot projects and they are building the organic garden in the school, as part of the entrepreneurial school project. She emphasised that the works on the school façade should be completed. She also mentioned that the school is interested in the introduction of bilingual teaching. Biljana Kašerić, Assistant Provincial Secretary for Education, suggested to the school management to monitor the calls for proposals in the future in order to receive funds for the completion of the school façade. In regard to the bilingual teaching, they are advised to address the Ministry of Education.
Primary school "Jovan Sterija Popović” from Vršac is the ninth largest school in Banat, according to the number of pupils. Creativeness of its staff is obvious - the school leaves impression of a nicely decorated and successful institution. According to the principal Ljiljana Bešlin, as regards the necessary works, the priority would be to resolve problems with the school's fence wall, for security purposes. This school can be proud of its gifted pupils, which has been proved by the results the pupils have achieved in the competitions in various areas. Biljana Kašerić, Assistant to the Provincial Secretary for Education, has suggested that a visit to the Assembly of the AP Vojvodina should be organised for the successful pupils and their teachers.
According to Jonel Buga, principal of primary school "Olga Petrov Radišić” from Vršac, one whole part of the school building requires rehabilitation - since it is over two hundred years old. The mezzanine construction has caved in, thus that part of the building has been closed as well, due to the lack of safety. Assistant to the Provincial Secretary for Education, Biljana Kašerić, has suggested to the school staff to turn to the Capital Investments Office for help. As regards the equipment procurement for the purpose of improvement of educational work, Ms Kašerić has mentioned the fact that the school had missed the opportunity to apply for the funds that had been allocated through calls for proposals by the competent secretariat.
Mihály Nyilas, Provincial Secretary for Education, Regulations, Administration and National Minorities - National Communities, together with his associates, visited primary school "Petefi Šandor” in Hajdukovo. He had an opportunity to see the final school roof repair works, which was one of the largest and the most important investments for this school. The school's principal Ana Sič thanked the Secretariat for the financial support it had provided, for that way better condition for work, both for pupils and the staff has been created. The next bigger investment would be reconstruction of roof in the school facility in Bački Vinogradi. According to the principal, the school needed computer equipment, since the existing one was extremely old and useless. The Secretary Nyilas stated that - following the revision of the Provincial Government budget - another Call for Proposals for Furnishing of the AP Vojvodina Educational Institutions would probably be announced, and they should certainly follow the Secretariat's website to be timely informed on it.
A delegation of the competent Secretariat for education, headed by Secretary Mihály Nyilas, visited Grammar school "Deže Kostolanji” in Subotica. The school's building is nicely decorated and provides cosy environment for learning. According to the school's principal Atila Karolj Novak, the grammar school is not a competition to the general grammar school Svetozar Marković in Subotica, for this school attend the talented students, who have opted for the grammar school specialised for languages. Some of the teachers have worked in the both grammar schools. The issue with this grammar school is that it houses children from the whole of Vojvodina, who need accommodation in the school dorm, the capacity of which is limited. Even though the school has good cooperation with the student dorm in Subotica, the students’ accommodation issue has been present for years now. There is also a lack of teachers for some subjects (e.g. German and Spanish languages), since the school cannot employ full time teachers. Furthermore, even though the school is relatively new, surveillance cameras are old. As regards the equipment, they also need computers. It's necessary to replace desks and chairs, which are also worn - out. Secretary Nyilas has mentioned here as well that the school should follow information on the Call for Proposals which would be issued after the budget revision, provided there would be sufficient funds for that purpose.
Building of the primary school "Tomaš G. Masarik" In Janošik (Alibunar) is old, however it is well preserved, clean and nicely decorated, thus providing extremely pleasant stay. Many extracurricular activities are implemented in the school. At the very beginning of the meeting, the school principal, Zuzana Halabrin pointed out the issue of survival of the small schools, that is, the schools with classes in minority languages which have had small number of pupils. The representatives of the Secretariat, headed by Assistant to the Provincial Secretary for Education, Milinka Hrćan, emphasised that the Secretariat was paying extra attention to the education in the languages of national minorities, and that - according to its competencies - it supported those schools and classes and had been doing its best to enable their survival, regardless of the small number of pupils. It has all been done with a view to preserving the minority national communities in the AP of Vojvodina, and improving the life in the small communities. Although the classrooms’ floors are in very poor condition, due to the unresolved property relations over the school building, the school could not apply for the Call for Proposals for investment maintenance, since it did not receive approval from the local self - government. The Assistant Hrćan proposed the issue of the unresolved property relations to be resolved as soon as possible to enable the school to apply for the Calls issued by the competent Provincial Secretariat.
Building of the primary school "Bratstvo i jedinstvo” in Alibunar is in poor condition, the walls are visibly dilapidated. The building's surrounding is also quite disarranged. The school's principal Olivera Dadić pointed out several issues the school had been facing: Very poor condition of the building, which was built in 1970, lack of a gym, as well as the lack of professional staff. Despite the above listed issues, the principal was proud to say that the school had successfully implemented the Individual Education Plan; it had been among the first ones to initial, and continued with its successful implementation. Following the visit to the school, Milinka Hrćan, Assistant to the Provincial Secretary for Education, concluded that it was not adequately equipped and it lacked modern teaching resources. She suggested to the school's management to be more active in applying for funds for the procurement of equipment, as well as to follow the Calls for Proposals of other institutions, in addition to the Call of the competent Provincial Secretariat.
Building of the primary school "3. Oktobar” in Lokve (Alibunar) is old, but well preserved and nicely arranged. According to the principal Jon Sfere, the school's employees worried about the survival of the schools in minority languages with small number of pupils. They have also stated that for many years then, they had had problems with textbooks in Romanian language, as well as there was a lack of professional staff. The Assistant, Milinka Hrćan, promised this school's staff as well, that the competent secretariat would continue its activities that aimed to support and preserve the schools with classes in the languages of minority national communities. The textbooks’ issue should be addressed together with the representatives of the Ministry of Education and the National Council of Romanians, with a view to finding the best solution as soon as possible.
The Primary School "Milica Stojadinović Srpkinja" in Vrdnik is in poor condition, but that could be improved with better organization. Otherwise, the school and the gym are pretty well equipped. The Principal Goran Žutić pointed out to the need for professional training of employees, as well as the big problem of non-payment of travel expenses. Tijana Pavlov, the Assistant Provincial Secretary for Education, Regulations, Administration and National Minorities - National Communities, suggested that the school contact the municipality regarding the problem of non-payment of travel expenses.
The delegation of the Provincial Secretariat for Education, led by the Assistant Tijana Pavlov, visited the Primary School "Dositej Obradovic" in Irig. The school is small and is undergoing reconstruction of the building. The staff is hard-working, motivated, with lots of ideas for work. According to the Principal of the school, Sanja Nikolić, the biggest problem for them is that the same building is used by the primary school students and secondary school students. She also emphasised the problem of a large number of students in grades (especially in the sixth grades), because the classrooms are small for such a large number of students. Many students attend the school according to the individual educational plan. The school needs new furniture and new equipment for the gym.
The Primary School "Miloš Crnjanski" in Žabalj is located partly in the old, and partly in a newer building, which are in good condition and regularly maintained. This school is attended by 860 students in 36 classes. According to the Principal Miodrag Radišić, teaching is conducted in the Serbian language, and the Roma language with elements of national culture is studied. This school is also attended by many students who attend school according to the individual educational plan 1 but also individual educational plan 2. The school is involved in many projects, students participate in many competitions and win prizes in various disciplines. Slađana Jovetić, the Assistant Provincial Secretary for Education, suggested that the school continue to monitor the calls for proposals of the Secretariat regularly and apply for the purchase of necessary computers, as the school is included in the project E-diary.
The primary school "Bratstvo" in Aradac is located in a building that was built for the needs of preschool and primary education of this settlement and was housed in 1979. The building is beautiful, maintained, but - as Dragan Valeri, school Principal said - the big problem is the dilapidated windows that need to be replaced urgently, in order to raise energy efficiency to a higher level and thus save significant funds spent on heating. In addition, the next urgent issue is the purchase of computers for classrooms, laboratories, but also for the needs of school administration. Slađana Jovetić, the Assistant to the Provincial Secretary for Education, encouraged the school management to apply for funds at the next call for proposal, in order to succeed in realizing the projects for which the school is interested.
The Secondary Vocational School “Borislav Mihajlović Mihiz” in Irig is well organised; it is admirable how much is achieved with such a limited number of staff. According to Principal Isidora Birinji, this is the only secondary school in the municipality, and in order to survive it needs a dormitory. Also, they need more employees to satisfy the school’s needs - for handling machinery and field work since this is the only secondary vocational school in AP Vojvodina that has the profile - wine producer - winemaker. Tijana Pavlov, the Assistant Provincial Secretary for Education, supported this proposal and said that they should insist on building a dormitory. She also agreed that a new building is needed, to be demarcated and separated from the primary school that is currently located in the same building.
The Primary School "Žarko Zrenjanin" in Gospođinci is located in an object built in 1860. In addition to the old building, in 1990, a new part was added, which still does not have a use permit and is not legalized. The process of legalization has been initiated and by the end of the school year a decision is expected, so that the school can apply to the calls for proposals for funds for solving the necessary construction work on the building. According to the Principal of the school, Darko Vranešević, this school is attended by 301 pupils, and it also teaches Ruthenian language with elements of national culture. In addition to the computer room, the school lacks other equipment and teaching aid. Assistant Provincial Secretary Slađana Jovetić suggested that these problems could be partially solved by the funds from the call for proposal announced by the competent Secretariat, but also by means from other sources (e.g. donations). If a call for proposal is announced after the revision of the provincial budget, Ms. Jovetić gave the school instructions for applying.
The Primary School "Desanka Maksimović" in Bačka Palanka is relatively new and well organized, but there are still many unresolved property and legal issues that the school is trying to solve- in accordance with its possibilities and in cooperation with the local self-government. According to the school Principal, Miroslava Perak, because of the current situation, the school was denied the opportunity to apply for many public calls for proposals for the allocation of funds. The Principal also informed the Provincial Secretary for Education Mihály Nyilas about the lack of computer equipment, which is why the school is not included in the system of keeping E-diary, as well as problems related to the outdated video surveillance system. The Provincial Secretary suggested that the school draw up a letter on these needs and contact the Secretariat in order to consider the problems and find possible solutions within future calls for proposals.
The Primary School "Ruža Đurđević Crna" in Čortanovci shares the building with a preschool institution and therefore is open only on one shift. According to the Principal Stanislava Jovanović, besides the connection to the city water supply, the school's biggest problem is the reconstruction of the façade. Tijana Pavlov, Assistant of the Provincial Secretary for Education, presented them with the possibility to apply for calls for proposals and projects. In addition to the Secretariat responsible for education, due to the possibility of applying for funding for project documentation, they can also contact the Capital Investment Administration.
The Primary School "23. October "in Sremski Karlovci is in the project of open schools, with a nice summer classroom, where ambient teaching is conducted. They are engaged in eco-gardening, and all projects are sustainable and are done in cooperation with the Ecological Association. The school participates in the project E-diary, and hence the emphasis on the necessity of purchasing a computer. Assistant Provincial Secretary for Education Tijana Pavlov presented to the school management the possibility to apply for calls for proposals and Secretariat projects.
The delegation of the Provincial Secretariat for Education, Regulations, Administration and National Minorities - National Communities, led by the Assistant Tijana Pavlov, visited the oldest Serbian Grammar School- the Karlovci Grammar School in Sremski Karlovci. It is a school with a nice ambience and functional ideas that are in the interests of students, professors, and the entire community. Radovan Kovačević, Principal of the Grammar School, said that he was very satisfied with the cooperation with the local self-government, as well as with the Secretariat competent for education and that he was in talks with the Ministry of Education for the assistance to build a student's dormitory. He introduced the possibility of opening new classes (e.g. Norwegian language), as well as expanding cooperation through various projects of professors (e.g. Chinese, Japanese languages), in which they are connected with various institutes and cultural centres. Regarding the lack of a gym, the Principal was given the option to address, in cooperation with local self-government, the Capital Investment Administration. When the Secretariat is in question, schools have been given the opportunity to apply for calls for proposals and projects.
The building of the Economic-Commerce School in Bečej is nicely decorated, although it is old and it needs to be constantly maintained. Principal Gordana Kovačev emphasized that the Secretariat for Education always provided great support to the school (financial support for installations, infrastructure works, ICT equipment, and the school yard that currently being reconstructed). There are a number of teams in this school, many projects are planned and implemented in cooperation with the foundations from the Republic of Hungary and the Pestaloci Foundation. The school lacks the gym. Livia Korponai, Assistant Provincial Secretary for Education, presented to the school management the possibility to apply for the calls for proposals of the Secretariat and supported them in their efforts to maximize the participation of schools in obtaining funds for creating optimal conditions for the realization of educational work.
The building of the Primary School "Šamu Mihalj" in Bačko Petrovo Selo is maintained and employees' efforts to make the time spent in the school pleasant is noticeable. Principal Ferenc Beretka pointed out that this was a small school, and thanked for the financial support of the Secretariat. Construction works on the old building are in progress. The structure of school students is very complex, about 80% of students are members of the Hungarian national community, and 20% are members of the Serbian community. Of the total number of students, about 25% are at the same time members of the Roma national community. There is a large fluctuation of students in the school and therefore they are difficult to fit into classes, and the big problem is their assessment as well. Since the school has a problem with property and legal issues, Assistant Provincial Secretary for Education Livia Korponai suggested the next steps to the school management in order to solve the mentioned problems.