Banja Luka school uniform dispute sparks institutional conflict

A dispute has emerged in Banja Luka regarding the introduction of school uniforms, highlighting a conflict between local and regional authorities. The Ministry of Education and Culture of Republika Srpska has stated that it has not granted approval for a pilot project to introduce uniforms, noting that submitted documentation was incomplete.

In response, the City of Banja Luka has called on parents to organize by class and seek unanimous agreement within their respective sections to implement uniforms. This move has been criticized by the Ministry, which maintains that neither parent councils nor local self-government have the authority to make such decisions without official institutional approval.

Adding to the tension, the director of the Borisav Stanković Primary School, Miladin Savić, reported that Mayor Draško Stanivuković photographed himself with students wearing uniforms without the school administration's knowledge or consent. Savić characterized the event as an unauthorized activity organized through certain members of the Parents' Council, emphasizing that the school aims to protect students from political influence.