ZAGREB, April 9, 2018 – Science and Education Minister Blaženka Divjak on Monday declined to comment on speculations that former Education Minister Radovan Fuchs of the Croatian Democratic Union (HDZ) party would be the new head of the Expert Task Force for the implementation of the curricular reform, saying that the Expert Task Force was an important advisory body, but it could not be a parallel command line, stressing that she would not allow the obstruction of the entire process.
“I will not comment on media headlines. We must complete the procedure involving the election of the head of the Expert Task Force and we have another two days to do that. The procedure is practically nearing completion, given that there is a high level of consensus about 12 members of the Expert Task Force that are elected following a public bid. As for the head of the task force, a motion will be put forward after which members of the Special Expert Commission (for the Implementation of the Education, Science and Technology Strategy) will discuss it and vote on it. Only then we can move forward,” Divjak told the press. “I expect a constructive debate and a team that will support the Education Ministry in this process,” Divjak said.
Asked to comment on a possibility of a rotating head of the Expert Task Force, and speculations that a public competition for that position would be repeated, the minister said the public competition needed to be completed first and only then other options could be discussed, if necessary. Fuchs has not applied to the current competition.
Asked if one of the six candidates who were already interviewed would be the new Expert Task Force head, the minister said this decision was to be made by the Special Expert Commission and not her.
