Teacher education in Croatia: current issues and future perspectives

The complexity of the Croatian teacher education system lies in its traditional fragmentation into teacher education courses carried out at different higher education institutions. Thus, class teachers, who teach at lower primary school level, are educated at Teacher Colleges/Academies, whilst subject specialists, who teach at upper-primary school level and secondary schools, are educated at specific faculties within the university system. This fragmentation raises many issues regarding the status of teachers at different educational levels, their educational backgrounds, as well as further education and training. This article discusses issues surrounding the teacher education system in Croatia in light of exogenous and endogenous factors pushing for reform and offers an overview of pertinent questions to be considered in the Croatian context as well as in comparative perspectives