Delegation of Croatian Centre in Vienna Presents Project of Bilingual Croatian-German Education System in Vienna to President of the Republic
The President of the Republic Zoran Milanović received today representatives from the Croatian Centre for Culture, Education and Politics in Vienna. The Centre’s secretary-general and president of the Burgenland Croats “Kolo-Slavuj” folklore society Gabriela Novak Karali, and the curator of the Croatian Centre in Vienna and editor of the Burgenland Croats’ main newsletter “Hrvatske novine” Petar Tyran, informed President Milanović of the Centre’s activities, and in particular of the project of a bilingual Croatian-German education system in Vienna.
The Croatian Centre is striving to realize a project of a bilingual Croatian-German education system in Vienna that would encompass upbringing and education for pre-school children to the end of the secondary school. Representatives of the Croatian Centre noted that the Croats in Vienna have no comprehensive education institution except one bilingual Croatian-German nursery school. In their view, the Austrian government is trying to restrict the right of Croatian minority education to the Burgenland region despite the fact that the majority of Croats live in Vienna.
They told President Milanović that their goal is to assure education to Croatian children in Vienna from pre-school to the “State matura exam” in the Croatian language. Aware that this is a very complex issue concerning relations between the two states, which calls for the attention of Croatian state institutions, representatives of the Croatian Centre in Vienna have resolved to expose the problem to the President of the Republic. President Milanović supports their activities related to the project of a bilingual Croatian-German education system in Vienna, and feels that the Croatian state through its institutions should help in its realization.
Alongside President Milanović were the Special Adviser to the President for Culture Zdravko Zima and the Adviser to the President for Foreign and European Policy Neven Pelicarić.
PHOTO: Office of the President of the Republic of Croatia / Dario Andrišek