Schools in Serbia to shut early as student protests spread over station roof collapse

Schools across Serbia will close for the winter holidays a week earlier than planned as the government of the nationalist president, Aleksandar Vučić, seeks to stop anti-corruption protests that have gripped universities from spreading to the secondary education sector.

- Philip Oltermann

The education minister, Slavica Đukić Dejanović, announced on Friday that primary and secondary schools across the country would close from Tuesday, rather than Monday 30 December, citing concerns over the safety and quality of children's education amid the "stop, Serbia" protests.

The majority of Serbia's population are members of the Orthodox church, which follows the Julian calendar, and Christmas is officially celebrated on 7 January.

Earlier on Friday, teachers from four education unions announced they would go on strike in solidarity with students who had taken to the streets after a deadly canopy collapse last month.

On 1 November, 14 people aged between six and 74 were killed when the concrete canopy of the main railway station in Novi Sad, northern Serbia, collapsed on to a busy pavement, just months before the completion of a major renovation of the station. A 15th person later died in hospital.