Forty-nine percent of students in Croatia want to enrol at general-education secondary schools, as many prefer vocational schools, while only two percent will opt for art schools, a survey shows.

The survey was conducted by the EduCentar website in August and September on a sample of 385 students.

Over 70 percent of respondents said they made their choice of school based on information found online, nearly 60 percent followed recommendations from their friends or acquaintances, while 35 percent based their decision on word of mouth.

About 30 percent of those interviewed cited as their source of information their teachers and a quarter their parents. Printed materials, radio, television and newspapers were used as sources of information only to a lesser extent.

The chief advantage of general-education secondary schools is that they ensure better preparation for university, said 70 percent of respondents, while broader general knowledge they provide was seen as an advantage by 61 percent of them. Half of those surveyed said that the advantage of such schools is that they can delay their decision on an occupation.

About 80 percent of respondents said they see skill acquisition and good employment prospects as the chief advantages of vocational schools. Only 15 percent think that vocational schools provide better preparation for university.

Respondents who opted for general-education secondary schools cited personal interests and desires and a school’s reputation as the main factors in their choice of school. As many as 62 percent of those who preferred vocational schools mentioned employment prospects, as opposed to only a quarter of students seeking to enrol at general-education schools. Half of those interviewed said that another advantage of vocational schools is specialisation in a certain field.

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