On June 1, 2016, 50,000 Croatians took to the streets of Zagreb, demanding educational reforms under the slogan “Croatia can do better.”
On the first anniversary of the protest, organizers say they'll be mobilizing once again to ask for accountability in education. The initiative will gather more than 250 different organizations, trade unions, teachers, and other individuals interested in raising the quality of education.
Last year, authorities tried to minimize the importance of the demonstration, deemed “a party” by the then-Minister of Education Predraga Šustar. Protesters didn't consider his remark funny. The description of the Facebook event for the anniversary protest
Organizers invested what was left over of the money raised for the 2016 protests into a scholarship for a student who is also the parent of a small child; Leonarda Špiranec, 25, won. Previously, they published a detailed financial report on the spending.
The follow-up protest is scheduled for June 1 in Zagreb's main square, and will include a march towards the main train station. The goal is to remind authorities about the demands of their movement. Organizers say when it comes to shaping education policy in Croatia, political and private interests outweigh the constructive proposals put forward by educators, and as a result, Croatia continues to experience massive brain drain.
Current Minister of Education Pavo Barišić echoed the quip of his predecessor by remarking that this protest is not a protest, drawing criticism by the citizens.
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