For the third and final part of her report from Bosnia T&A reporter Joanne Earp, pictured, reports on how British soldiers are helping to educate children in Bosnia about the dangers of land mines and how schools in the Bradford district can help.

Before the civil war youngsters at Cadavica school in Bosnia were able to catch up on the latest developments in the national curriculum simply by choosing a programme from their video library.

Now they rely on countries like ours to supply basic reading and writing materials, and have been reduced to copying down notes from a chalkboard which has been peppered with bullet holes.

For teachers like Boja Miskovic, herself a refugee, it is a constant struggle against a lack of resources.

"This used to be just like any other school with maps, televisions and videos. Now we need simple things like chalk, pencils and paper. And the building itself was hit during the war, so now our roof leaks," she said.

Despite the problems about 40 children, aged between five and 16, make the six-mile trek to the school each day - setting off from what remains of the nearby towns and villages.

For them the typical school day consists of three hours of teaching covering subjects ranging from maths, languages and physical education to art, the environment and people.

It is a list which would not look out of place in most English schools, but for the children of Bosnia there is one subject taught by the soldiers of the Stabilisation Force (SFOR) which stands out - mines safety.

Sergeant David Holland is one of a team of three British soldiers based at the Army base in Mrkonjic Grad which makes regular visits to ten schools in the region.

None of the children speak English so the soldiers are accompanied by an interpreter. During the lectures a range of mines are laid out on the table and the children are taught how to spot a mine-field.

The majority of metal SFOR signs are taken down by locals who need the wire for a new washing line or the wooden stakes for new fencing. Replacement warning signs include crossed sticks, red rags, wooden crates and a pile of white rocks.

Apart from giving advice about mines safety the team organises other activities. The latest is a poster competition in which children have been asked to draw a picture depicting the dangers of mines.

Although the best entry will win a prize, the main aim of the competition is to raise awareness of the problem. There are estimated to be as many as two million mines in the region. Clearing them could take at least 50 years, and even then the area will only be 99 per cent mine free.

Sgt Holland said: "Some of the posters these kids draw are amazing, I saw one which was a picture of a man in a wheelchair. Others show drawings of mines which are almost as detailed as anything an engineer could come up with."

I asked seven-year-old Mariella, who makes the long walk to Cadavica each day, whether she had seen any of the anti-tank or anti-personnel mines she and her classmates have been taught about.

"Of course. My mines poster is a drawing of two girls - one of them has been given a mines lecture and she is warning her friend not to wander into the field," she said.

The children are certainly no strangers to the weapons of war. Before the hostilities weapons training was part of the curriculum. Pupils were even taught how to make booby traps.

Apart from getting the message across about the dangers of mines the soldiers use the SFOR lectures to ask youngsters whether they know of any mined areas.

Sergeant Holland said: "Some of the anti-tank mines are packed with 5kg of explosives, so it is vital we find them. If the kids have seen anything we can send out a patrol and get the engineers in to clear the area."

Having set up the lectures Sergeant Holland is keen to develop links between the Bosnian schools and their English counterparts.

"We want to get as many schools from the Bradford district involved as possible. All we need is for each pupil to fill a shoe box with as many pens, colouring pencils, paper and other learning materials as they can."

Sergeant Holland is also anxious to hear from transport firms in the district who can offer help in delivering the goods to Bosnia.

"The biggest problem is getting the stuff from England to here, but with the help of your readers I am sure we can deliver these vital resources and really make a difference to these schools and the children," he said.

Converted for the new archive on 30 June 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.