{"id":30356,"date":"2021-04-24T09:56:08","date_gmt":"2021-04-24T07:56:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.cins.rs\/?p=30356"},"modified":"2021-09-29T12:59:55","modified_gmt":"2021-09-29T10:59:55","slug":"run-down-toilets-in-elementary-schools-not-a-priority-for-the-authorities","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.cins.rs\/en\/run-down-toilets-in-elementary-schools-not-a-priority-for-the-authorities\/","title":{"rendered":"Run-Down Toilets in Elementary Schools Not a Priority for the Authorities"},"content":{"rendered":"

Squat toilets, poor hygiene, occasional unpleasant smells and inoperative water tanks \u2013 this is how the parent of a student at the Vuk Karad\u017ei\u0107 Elementary School <\/em>in Crvenka, near Vrbas, describes the state of the school toilet. Some 850 students go to that school.<\/p>

\u201cAbsolutely everything needs to be changed \u2013 yesterday,\u201d adds the parent, speaking on condition of anonymity.<\/p>

Doctor Jelena Zeli\u0107 <\/strong>of the Sombor Public Health Institute <\/em>earlier<\/a>\u00a0explained to the Center for Investigative Journalism of Serbia <\/em>(CINS) that this toilet needed to be reconstructed:<\/p>

\u201cThere are no doors, the pipes are rusty, they\u2019re squat toilets. A squat toilet is a hygienic form of toilet, but this one is rusty, run-down. Disinfectant can be poured there infinitely, but it\u2019s basically pointless. Some reconstruction simply has to be carried out.\u201d Although Zeli\u0107 did not say what school she was referring to, CINS found out that it is Vuk Karad\u017ei\u0107 <\/em>in Crvenka.<\/p>

Where reconstruction is concerned, schools first and foremost apply for competitions with the Ministry of Education, Science and Technological Development <\/em>and the Public Investment Management Office, <\/em>whereas for smaller projects, such as painting or replacing lighting, the funds can be provided by the local self-government, too. Schools in the territory of Vojvodina can also request money from the Provincial Secretariat for Education, Regulations, Administration and National Minorities \u2013 National Communities. <\/em>In 2018 and 2019, the Province <\/em>had an annual budget of between 186 million and 204 million dinars for school projects, followed by the Ministry <\/em>with roughly 90 million dinars.<\/p>

CINS\u2019 research shows that before and during the coronavirus pandemic, hygiene in schools was not a priority for the Ministry <\/em>and the Provincial Secretariat <\/em>when it comes to reconstruction of schools, and that certain schools have had their requests denied for years. Over the course of three years, from 2018 to the end of 2020, funds were requested from these two institutions for the reconstruction, building or adaptation of school toilets 182 times. Twenty projects were approved. In that period, the Province <\/em>invested 8.4% of the total allocated money in these projects, while the Ministry <\/em>invested 3.3%.<\/p>