12/09/2007
Acting Ombudsperson visited Stapanica Village

“Is it better having educated children, or keeping children alive?” This was among the questions that an old man of Stapanicë village posed to Acting Ombudsperson Mr. Hilmi Jashari, who was visiting this area to hear the villagers concerns.
Due to the risk to life, the inhabitants of Stapanicë village in Malishevë/Mališevo Municipality have decided to discontinue the education of their kids. The primary school located two km from this village is on the other side of the Prishtinë/Priština-Pejë/Peć highway; since 2000, six pupils have lost their lives whilst others have been seriously injured.
Taking into account the importance of children’s education, the inhabitants of Stapanicë village improvised a school in the village over the last few years, in which 120 pupils attended. For no obvious reason, the containers in which the lectures were being conducted were closed down by municipal authorities.
Responding to the villagers’ concerns, the Acting Ombudsperson will send an urgent letter to the Kosovo Prime Minister and appropriate ministries calling on the swift resolution to this problem within the village and in other parts of Kosovo.
The village inhabitants are determined to block the Prishtinë/Priština-Pejë/Peć highway until the fulfilment of their requests, which include: allowing them to attend their school in the previous containers as well as speeding up the construction of the school that had been promised by the Ministry of Education, Science and Technology.
According to statistics obtained from the Kosovo Police Service, 37 pedestrians have lost their lives this year, 16 of whom are under the age of 18 years, whilst 758 people have suffered bodily injuries in the same period. The total number of pedestrians killed since 2002 has reached 190, whilst 2669 pedestrians have been injured.
Actinng Ombudsperson Mr Hilmi Jashari meeting with inhabitants of Stapanica Village
The main road which has taken the lives of six children while they were going to school.
The Containers which had been used as improvised schools, until they were closed by the Municipal Authorities