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Croatian state matura exam reforms

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2026-10-13 08:02 UTC → 2026-10-21 23:23 UTC · added ~~removed~~

The National Center for External Evaluation of Education (NCVVO) announced reforms to the Croatian state matura exams intended to improve standardization and benefit students. Proposed changes include reducing passing thresholds from nine to two, implementing more lenient sanctions for mobile phone use, and adjusting signature requirements. A significant part of the reform involves the Croatian language exam, which would allow students to choose between an interpretive essay based on mandatory literature or a discursive essay on a general topic. In response, Croatian language teachers have launched an online petition titled ‘Appeal for a Book at the Matura’. Critics argue that allowing discursive essays may discourage reading and diminish the role of literature in education. Educators expressed concern that literary works might only be assessed through multiple-choice questions, potentially failing to measure critical thinking and deep text interpretation. The opposition has expanded into a broader movement involving cultural institutions. The Croatian Academy of Sciences and Arts (HAZU), Matica hrvatska, and the Society of Croatian Writers have joined the protest, arguing that the change threatens national cultural heritage and the development of complex expression in the mother tongue. The petition, ‘Appeal for the Book on the Graduation Exam’, initiated by teachers Alma Majcenović and Marina Katinić Pleić, has gathered over 1,700 signatures and received support from the University of Zagreb’s Department of Croatian Studies.

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