It’s very difficult to keep the children away from the debris. It’s no surprise – for them it’s the most interesting, yet the most dangerous playground they’ve seen. There is always a teacher watching them.

“Working here is dangerous. The building is in an emergency commission. I like working at school, but not in one like this. Children are the greatest treasure and I worry about them,” says teacher Nelly Margieva.

The education minister of the republic Anatoly Kusraev has commented:

“Our internal commission has ruled that the part of the building where the children are is safe, but an official investigation is necessary,” he said.

Another school in the center of South Ossetian capital Tskhinval – the only one in the whole republic with central heating – looks brand new, but it’s not. It was quickly rebuilt last August to be ready by September 1 – the beginning of the academic year.

“When kids run around the floor shutters and tiles come off,” teacher Liana Gobozova complains.

There are about 70 schools in South Ossetia. Three of them are closed. Others are partly destroyed and have to take more children than they can accommodate. Local officials are working on the reconstruction plan, but it’s hard to say if the war scars will ever be completely healed.

The Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe is expected to discuss the situation in South Ossetia at its spring session.

On Friday, Corien Jonker from the PACE committee for migration, refugees and population is coming to the country's capital Tskhinval for an inspection.