engleski

At the End of the First Bologna Cycle in Croatia (2005-2008)

The paper describes a general national picture regarding higher education curricular reforms and their impact on student life and study-results in Croatia. A short survey of university and government activities implementing the Bologna process is given. National policies on competence-based learning, flexible learning paths, recognition and mobility has been formally regulated by The Act on Scientific Activity and Higher Education of 2003 which ordered new study programmes compatible with Bologna process to be implemented in the academic year 2005/2006. Students’ impressions on performance and results of 3-year undergraduate studies and also on The Act on Recognition of Foreign Education Qualifications are shown. Special attention was given to both research and teacher chemistry study programmes. In 2005 universities were partially ready for the implementation of the Bologna process since already from 1997 to 2003 they were analyzing the transition issues ; unfortunately without any financial or human resources support from the government. After the Ministry announcement in 2003, faculties enthusiastically created new study programmes, but real reorganization of teaching and examination methods remained unchanged, and sometimes unrealistic workload has been charged to reformatted study programmes. At faculty level the middle management expected that a number of system questions and regulations would be clarified either on the state level or at the university level. Neither ever happened. As a result, it appeared that on the individual level everybody was doing his best, and on the faculty level the result was that the criteria were not unified ; sometimes not even across the same study programme. At the university level the result was that the rationalization of only some study programmes has been achieved and the number of relatively rigid study programmes increased instead the number of entries and exits. Validation of prior learning is mostly neglected. High dropping rate remained, as well as open questions about the recognition of periods of study not only for incoming students, but even for in-house students. The new national degree structure has been organized in two/three cycles according to Bologna process, but open questions remained concerning the equivalency to the previous degree structures. Even though the Act envisaged merging faculties into universities still all faculties remain independent institutions and legal entities. No changes in governance have occurred at faculty level. The Law recognizes and distinguishes vocational from university education. In practice the higher education system is insufficiently differentiated. Such irrational system could lead to other programmes being under-funded. At the end of the first Bologna year (2005/2006) students’ public opinion was analysed. Similar inquiry was executed in May 2008 before the end of the first Croatian 3-year Bologna cycle. The students’ public opinion did not change much in 2008 compared to 2006. Moreover, biology students of the University of Zagreb organized a public protest in April 2008 and students from different study programmes including chemistry students participated. They demanded clear study regulations and fair practice of Bologna process.

Boogna process; first cycle

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