World Teacher's Day

More than a hundred countries around the world will mark World Teachersā€™ Day on October 5th, which UNESCO has declared in 1994. Celebration is an opportunity to highlight the teaching profession as one of the most important for development of society and the important role that teachers have.

According to the Croatian Bureau of Statistics data in the Republic of Croatia at the beginning of the 2009/2010 school year there were total amount of 31 235 teachers, out of which 25 240 were women. Out of the total amount of teachers, 24 955 teachers were teaching full- time, while 6 280 teachers were teaching part- time. The number of teachers in basic schools, presented by the full- time equivalent, was 27 820. There were 11 540 teachers teaching in lower grades, 16 155 teachers teaching in upper grades and 3 540 teachers teaching both, in lower and upper grades. Teacher/pupil ratio in regular education was 1:11.5 and in education of disabled children and youth it was 1:2.3.

Concerning upper secondary schools, at the beginning of the 2009/2010 school year there were total amount of 23 565 teachers, out of which 15 394 were women. The number of teachers teaching full- time was 11 655, while the number of those teaching part- time was 11 910. The number of teachers in upper secondary schools, presented by the full- time equivalent, was 16 428.

In the 2009/2010 academic year, there were 15 863 members of academic staff working at higher education institutions on employment contract or contractual agreement basis. Presented by the full-time equivalent, the total number of members of academic staff amounted to 11 459.5, out of which the share of those working on the employment contract basis was 80.3% and of those working on the contractual agreement basis was 19.7%. Out of the total number of academic staff working on the employment contract basis, there were 51.1% of doctors of science and 14.5% of masters of science and masters/specialists. The share of women in the total number of academic staff working on the employment contract basis was 41.6%, providing that 42.8% of them were doctors of science and 16.3% masters of science and masters/specialists.

In the winter semester of the 2009/2010 academic year, the total of 1 041 students enrolled on the Faculty of Teacher Education in Zagreb, out of which 1 012 female students, on the Faculty of Teacher Education in Rijeka total of 257 students, out of which 253 female students and on the Faculty of Teacher Education in Osijek total of 66 students, all female students.

During 2009 there were 685 students who graduated on the Faculty of Teacher Education in Zagreb, while on the Faculty of Teacher Education in Osijek graduated 127 students and on the Faculty of Teacher Education in Rijeka graduated 23 students.