Bitola Municipality Boasts of 24 School Sports Courts and Four Halls: How Many Are Actually Finished, the Press Release Doesn't Say

Bitola Municipality is marking this year with the construction and reconstruction of 24 school sports courts and four standard sports halls. So says the press release. Right after that comes the part worth reading twice: some of the projects are finished, and the rest are in the implementation phase.

How many are finished, it doesn't say. It names the schools Gjorgji Sugarev, Goce Delčev, Elpida Karamandi and Kliment Ohridski, the school in Gorno Orizari and the Strelište neighbourhood, with work continuing at Dame Gruev. The list in the press release is far shorter than 24. What the courts cost and when the remaining ones will be done, the press release doesn't say.

Of the halls, the Boxing Hall is in its final phase, and in Bistrica a building that sat out of use for decades is being restored. That is real news for the people of Bistrica and nearby villages, who should get a place for sport and recreation. When a hall stands empty for decades, bringing it back is no small thing.

A schoolyard with a new court is something every parent will welcome. That's exactly why the number deserves to be accurate: 24 tells you how many are covered by projects, not how many children are already playing on. How many of the 24 are done today?