UNMIK/PR/436
PRESS RELEASE - 5 December 2000

Students in tents to be relocated for winter

Pristina--Students from 18 schools are being relocated from tents to containers as part of the winterization programme initiated by the Department of Education and Science. These students, who have been studying in tents from last year, will be temporarily located in heated containers while their schools are rebuilt. The programme, deemed urgent because of the approaching winter, will be completed on 9 December.

"The environment for the students in tents is very harsh especially in winter", said Micheal Daxner, international co-head of the Department of Education and Science.  "We have to provide children with normal conditions to pursue their studies because we are committed to the safety and well-being of all the children of Kosovo". An amount of DM 2,788, 300 has been made available by the department for this programme.

The schools are built as two-level container structures and are provided with sanitation facilities. Each classroom is made of two containers without intersecting wall. It is equipped with generator, two heaters, an A/C unit and a fire extinguisher.

More than 4,159 students and school staff will benefit from the containers that will be used especially for winter. The schools are located in the municipalities of Skenderaj, Lipljan, Vushtri, Gllogoc, Podujevo, Stimlje and Obilic. These schools will be provided with permanent structures in 2001. Donors including UNICEF, Swiss Development Co-operation and Islamic Development Bank who have already committed themselves to the rebuilding of schools in Kosovo will continue the construction programme. The life span of the containers is 20 years. After the named schools will be provided with permanent structures, the containers will be used as contingent location for students whose schools are in bad conditions.

Eight hundred schools were destroyed or damaged by the war in Kosovo. More than 200 have been reconstructed or rehabilitated so far. The Department of Education and Science expects to complete rebuilding of schools by the end 2001.