Education Minister Radovan Fuchs said on Tuesday that second semester of school would start on 18 January, and only first, second, third and fourth graders of primary schools and graduation pupils in secondary schools would have face to face classes, while others would switch to online lessons.

Addressing the press after a video conference with Prime Minister Andrej Plenković and the task force dealing with the aftermath of the 29 December quake, the minister said that the talks were still underway on whether it was possible to organise classes at all or whether classes would have be postponed in the quake-affected Sisak-Moslavina County.

That primarily depends on information from the field, said Fuchs and added that nine schools in the county were totally devastated and that about 20% of school children had left the area in the aftermath of the recent earthquake.

Fuchs said that the ministry representatives were on the ground in the quake-hit region and that it had been assessed that it would not be a bad idea to provide psychological help for children there.

Secondary school seniors will start face to face classes so that they can be prepared for graduation exams that will be conducted throughout Croatia at the same time, as planned, he said.

These classes will be held in compliance with more stringent epidemiological rules such as keeping a sufficient distance between students which should be possible as other grades will switch to online lessons.

The national COVID-19 response team has also suggested that all school competitions be postponed for several weeks until the epidemiological situation improves which should be possible thanks to vaccination, said Fuchs and added that teachers were in the second priority group for vaccination.

Fuchs added that the ministry would cover the costs of accommodation in dormitories for students from earthquake-struck areas. The Ministry has written to universities suggesting that students from these areas be exempt from paying fees for ECTS points they do not manage to acquire this year.