Page 28 - Šolsko polje, XXX, 2019, št. 5-6: Civic, citizenship and rhetorical education in a rapidly changing world, eds. Janja Žmavc and Plamen Mirazchiyski
P. 28
šolsko polje, letnik xxx, številka 5–6
Another research was conducted in 2009 by the Centre for Hu-
man Rights (an NGO from Zagreb) aimed at assessing the implementa-
tion of HRE and EDC in Croatian elementary schools, using the sample
of grade 8 students, their parents, teachers and principals that in gener-
al confirmed previously stated conclusions, but revealed many new prob-
lems on national and institutional levels (Batarelo et al., 2010). Although a
large majority of respondents confirmed that preparing students for dem-
ocratic citizenship is one of the most important tasks of schooling, about
one half of the teachers and principals was not able to evaluate if HRE
and EDC is implemented in Croatian schools or whether these contents
are getting the appropriate treatment within the new national framework.
By applying an instrument for the measurement of democratic school cul-
ture, five types of predominant school cultures were identified: democrat-
ic, egalitarian, traditional, responsive and authoritarian. Based on these
results, the authors concluded that the main problem in modern educa-
tion in Croatia is a crisis of institutional identity and that schools are not
promoting democratic values nor national awareness enough. This is con-
cluded to be the main cause for the failure of schooling in the area of up-
bringing (and not only educating) students regarding their adoption of
values and attitudes that are crucial for the development of emancipat-
ed citizens.
Somewhat comparable results are found in the study from 2010 on
political literacy that was organized jointly by GONG14 and Faculty of Po-
litical Sciences, University of Zagreb, on the sample of 1000 students at-
tending the final grades of all school types in secondary education (Bagić
and Šalaj, 2011). Political literacy was assessed through informativeness
and knowledge on the most important political concepts and events as
well as on attitudes important for democratic political culture. This study
once more confirmed that students are not knowledgeable and do not un-
derstand basic political concepts (on average 2,8 correct answers to 8 ques-
tions), characteristics of constitutional political order (on average 3,6 cor-
rect answers to 6 questions) and are not informed about recent political
events in Croatia (on average 2,1 correct answers on 5 questions). The re-
sults on political attitudes were also worrying due to the fact that not a
small number of respondents had opinions opposite to democratic politi-
cal culture. They were oriented towards the authoritarian political option,
banning political activities for particular parties and individuals, deny-
ing rights of culturally different groups, nationalism and ethnocentrism,
14 GONG acronym means “citizens organized to oversee the voting” (hrv. Građani organ-
izirano nadgledaju glasanje) and was funded in 1997.
26
Another research was conducted in 2009 by the Centre for Hu-
man Rights (an NGO from Zagreb) aimed at assessing the implementa-
tion of HRE and EDC in Croatian elementary schools, using the sample
of grade 8 students, their parents, teachers and principals that in gener-
al confirmed previously stated conclusions, but revealed many new prob-
lems on national and institutional levels (Batarelo et al., 2010). Although a
large majority of respondents confirmed that preparing students for dem-
ocratic citizenship is one of the most important tasks of schooling, about
one half of the teachers and principals was not able to evaluate if HRE
and EDC is implemented in Croatian schools or whether these contents
are getting the appropriate treatment within the new national framework.
By applying an instrument for the measurement of democratic school cul-
ture, five types of predominant school cultures were identified: democrat-
ic, egalitarian, traditional, responsive and authoritarian. Based on these
results, the authors concluded that the main problem in modern educa-
tion in Croatia is a crisis of institutional identity and that schools are not
promoting democratic values nor national awareness enough. This is con-
cluded to be the main cause for the failure of schooling in the area of up-
bringing (and not only educating) students regarding their adoption of
values and attitudes that are crucial for the development of emancipat-
ed citizens.
Somewhat comparable results are found in the study from 2010 on
political literacy that was organized jointly by GONG14 and Faculty of Po-
litical Sciences, University of Zagreb, on the sample of 1000 students at-
tending the final grades of all school types in secondary education (Bagić
and Šalaj, 2011). Political literacy was assessed through informativeness
and knowledge on the most important political concepts and events as
well as on attitudes important for democratic political culture. This study
once more confirmed that students are not knowledgeable and do not un-
derstand basic political concepts (on average 2,8 correct answers to 8 ques-
tions), characteristics of constitutional political order (on average 3,6 cor-
rect answers to 6 questions) and are not informed about recent political
events in Croatia (on average 2,1 correct answers on 5 questions). The re-
sults on political attitudes were also worrying due to the fact that not a
small number of respondents had opinions opposite to democratic politi-
cal culture. They were oriented towards the authoritarian political option,
banning political activities for particular parties and individuals, deny-
ing rights of culturally different groups, nationalism and ethnocentrism,
14 GONG acronym means “citizens organized to oversee the voting” (hrv. Građani organ-
izirano nadgledaju glasanje) and was funded in 1997.
26
