A new school year kicks off in Croatia on Monday for 472,000 elementary and secondary school students, including more than 8,000 enrolled in the revolutionary School for Life reformed programme, to be launched at carefully selected 48 elementary and 26 secondary schools around the country.

A total of 320,000 pupils will enrol at elementary school pupils in the 2018-19 school year, including over 39,000 first graders. Secondary schools will be attended by 152,000 students, including 38,000 freshmen – 11,000 enrolled at gymnasiums, i.e. grammar schools, and 27,000 at vocational schools.

Education Ministry said that the ratio of gymnasium and vocational school students has remained unchanged from last year, although a slight increase of interest in vocational schools for professions which are in short supply on the labour market has been recorded, such as three-year training programmes for cooks and waiters.

The 48 elementary and 26 secondary schools included in the School for Life experimental programme are expected to introduce brand new methods of teaching and evaluation, and test a new approach to education which is intended to put less emphasis on cramming raw data and facts – widely regarded as the main hallmark of the country’s education system – and develop critical thinking and problem-solving skills instead.

Nearly 8,400 students will be enrolled in the new programme, and their textbooks are expected to weight some 30 percent less, as the programme includes more digital teaching tools. On the other hand, some 2,000 teachers enrolled will be allowed more autonomy in teaching.

Another novelty introduced this year is the introduction of computer science as a mandatory subject for all fifth and sixth graders, i.e. for all pupils approximately 11-12 years of age.

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