Article on yesterday’s protests in support of curricular reform is trending on Reuters news agency.
Yesterday’s protests in support of comprehensive curricular reform have been featured in international media, and social networks are full of photographs and videos of the events. An article that was published about protests by Reuters is currently the most widely read on its site, reports Index.hr on June 2, 2016.
In the article written by Igor Ilić, Reuters explained what happened.
“At least 25,000 Croatians demonstrated in the main square of the capital Zagreb on Wednesday accusing the government of political meddling in an education reform meant to help improve the country’s weak economy. Smaller protests by civic groups and teachers unions took place in 12 other Croatian cities, organizers said.
The protests, held under the slogan ‘Croatia can do better’, came after an expert group organising the reform withdrew from the project, complaining that the new centre-right government was interfering too much in the planning. The experts were appointed 16 months ago by the previous centre-left government and wanted to modernise schools to give pupils more marketable skills.
The experts did not detail the alleged interference, but it appeared a staunchly conservative group in the government wanted its views reflected in teaching materials about controversial social issues. The protest is a blow to an already fragile government that might collapse after fewer than five months due to a row within the coalition over an alleged conflict of interest involving Deputy Prime Minister Tomislav Karamarko”, reported Reuters.
It is quite obvious that political developments in Croatia are getting more attention from abroad. One of the consequences was yesterday’s decision by the Finance Ministry not to issue new round of Eurobonds on the international markets, because interest rates would be too high due to current political instability. All this is a proof that current political situation simply cannot continue and that a way out has to be found.
