Page 24 - Šolsko polje, XXX, 2019, št. 5-6: Civic, citizenship and rhetorical education in a rapidly changing world, eds. Janja Žmavc and Plamen Mirazchiyski
P. 24
šolsko polje, letnik xxx, številka 5–6
that would be consequently introduced to all levels. This CCE curriculum
had programed four cycles, within three functional dimensions – knowl-
edge and understanding, skills and competences, attitudes and values –
and six structural dimensions – culture, ecology, economy, human rights,
politics and society. Coincidently, as soon as Health Education was no
longer an issue (and not implemented) conservative powers were focused
to “win the battle” over CCE and in the year 2014 this curriculum was
also abandoned and some additional changes in content and structure
were ordered. At this point, the authorities proposed the new document:
Programe of Cross-Curricular and Interdisciplinary Contents of Citizen-
ship Education for Primary and Secondary Schools (Ministry of Science,
Education and Sports, 2014). By this decision, CCE was implemented in
all primary and secondary schools as cross-curricular theme in all subjects
and on all levels, with no solid structure and/or monitoring procedure. In
parallel, 34 schools (approximately 3% of elementary schools) answered
the opened public call to be a part of experimental implementation of
CCE as a separate subject in grade 8 but with no additional support in
terms of materials or trainings. As school years went by, the number of
schools fell to 20 and then still. The next phase of changes started with the
second major reform process in Croatia – Comprehensive Curricular Re-
form (hrv. “Cjelovita kurikularna reforma” or CKR). This reform started
in 2015 and is still undergoing with major (political) disruptions all along
the way. Nevertheless, in the first half of 2019, all subject curriculums and
cross-curriculum content had undergone thorough revisions and new ver-
sions were published and put into power. After some disruptions caused
by governmental instabilities and having four different ministers lead-
ing the way, the reform processes restarted in 2018 with a very ambitious
schedule. By that time, teachers felt somewhat overwhelmed with all new
training contents and especially with majority of them being moved to the
digital environment in the first year of implementation (online platforms
and/or webinars). CCE, as well as other cross-curricular contents11, was
part of this new package in which mainly old proposals were offered. The
multifaceted approach of the 2012 curriculum and two experimental pro-
grams from 2014 were abandoned in favour of a more simplistic structure
and content focusing on only three domains – Human rights, Democra-
11 Very similarly as before, since the introduction of Key Competences for Lifelong Learn-
ing (2007), the new framework planned for seven important cross-curriculum areas: Civic
and Citizenship Education, Entrepreneurship, Health, Learn how to learn, Personal and
Social Development, Sustainable Development, Usage of Information and Communica-
tion Technology.
22
that would be consequently introduced to all levels. This CCE curriculum
had programed four cycles, within three functional dimensions – knowl-
edge and understanding, skills and competences, attitudes and values –
and six structural dimensions – culture, ecology, economy, human rights,
politics and society. Coincidently, as soon as Health Education was no
longer an issue (and not implemented) conservative powers were focused
to “win the battle” over CCE and in the year 2014 this curriculum was
also abandoned and some additional changes in content and structure
were ordered. At this point, the authorities proposed the new document:
Programe of Cross-Curricular and Interdisciplinary Contents of Citizen-
ship Education for Primary and Secondary Schools (Ministry of Science,
Education and Sports, 2014). By this decision, CCE was implemented in
all primary and secondary schools as cross-curricular theme in all subjects
and on all levels, with no solid structure and/or monitoring procedure. In
parallel, 34 schools (approximately 3% of elementary schools) answered
the opened public call to be a part of experimental implementation of
CCE as a separate subject in grade 8 but with no additional support in
terms of materials or trainings. As school years went by, the number of
schools fell to 20 and then still. The next phase of changes started with the
second major reform process in Croatia – Comprehensive Curricular Re-
form (hrv. “Cjelovita kurikularna reforma” or CKR). This reform started
in 2015 and is still undergoing with major (political) disruptions all along
the way. Nevertheless, in the first half of 2019, all subject curriculums and
cross-curriculum content had undergone thorough revisions and new ver-
sions were published and put into power. After some disruptions caused
by governmental instabilities and having four different ministers lead-
ing the way, the reform processes restarted in 2018 with a very ambitious
schedule. By that time, teachers felt somewhat overwhelmed with all new
training contents and especially with majority of them being moved to the
digital environment in the first year of implementation (online platforms
and/or webinars). CCE, as well as other cross-curricular contents11, was
part of this new package in which mainly old proposals were offered. The
multifaceted approach of the 2012 curriculum and two experimental pro-
grams from 2014 were abandoned in favour of a more simplistic structure
and content focusing on only three domains – Human rights, Democra-
11 Very similarly as before, since the introduction of Key Competences for Lifelong Learn-
ing (2007), the new framework planned for seven important cross-curriculum areas: Civic
and Citizenship Education, Entrepreneurship, Health, Learn how to learn, Personal and
Social Development, Sustainable Development, Usage of Information and Communica-
tion Technology.
22
