Protest as Pupil Transfers Amid Tensions in Zagreb School

Learner News | 04/10/2024

In today’s Croatian Learner News, find out about the concerns sparking a peaceful protest by parents in Novi Zagreb, and the crucial conversations they’re having over a new pupil’s arrival at the local school.

Protest as Pupil Transfers Amid Tensions in Zagreb School

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The news in Croatian

U Novom Zagrebu, nakon dolaska novog učenika, roditelji su zabrinuti1 . Organizirali su miran prosvjed2 jer je učenik bio problematičan3 u prijašnjoj školi. Roditelji su razgovarali s ravnateljem4 o problemu. Boje se za sigurnost5 druge djece, iako učenik ima asistenta. Ravnatelj čeka upute od obrazovnih vlasti6 .

 

  1. zabrinuti
    osjećati strah ili tjeskobu zbog nečega ↩︎
  2. prosvjed (m.)
    izražavanje neslaganja s nečim ili zahtjev za promjenom ↩︎
  3. problematičan
    koji uzrokuje poteškoće ili prepreke ↩︎
  4. ravnatelj (m.)
    osoba koja vodi i upravlja školom ↩︎
  5. sigurnost (f.)
    stanje bez opasnosti ili rizika ↩︎
  6. vlast (f.)
    organizacije ili tijela koja vrše upravne ili političke funkcije ↩︎

Translation

In New Zagreb, after the arrival of a new pupil, parents are concerned. They organised a peaceful protest because the pupil had been problematic at his previous school. Parents have spoken with the headteacher about the issue. They fear for the safety of the other children, even though the pupil has an assistant. The headteacher is waiting for guidance from the educational authorities.

Text Comprehension

Question: Why did the parents organize a protest?

The parents organized a protest because the new pupil had been problematic in their previous school.

Question: Who did the parents speak with about the new pupil?

The parents spoke with the principal about the new pupil.

Vocabulary

CroatianEnglish
zabrinuticoncerned
prosvjed (m.)protest
problematičanproblematic
ravnatelj (m.)principal
sigurnost (f.)safety
vlast (f.)authorities

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Read the full story

A controversial situation has arisen at a school in New Zagreb after a pupil, previously causing disruption at another institution, was transferred there earlier this week. The relocation of this student, whose presence reportedly led to an entire class withdrawing from a previous school, has provoked severe concern among parents.

On the day following the pupil’s arrival, a group of parents from the school organised a peaceful protest in front of the school buildings. Their decision to withhold their children from attending classes highlights the tension surrounding the student’s controversial enrolment. Approximately 30 parents assembled at the school early on Friday and subsequently attended a meeting with the headteacher to express their grievances.

Protest as Pupil Transfers Amid Tensions in Zagreb School
Protest as Pupil Transfers Amid Tensions in Zagreb School

The parents argue that their concerns stem not from the individual child but rather from a broader systemic failure to address behavioural issues effectively. According to them, the student has already begun exhibiting disruptive behaviour, including verbal abuse, during their brief time at the new school.

One parent expressed disbelief at how a child, previously deemed problematic, was transferred to one of Croatia’s most crowded schools without prior notice. “The child’s past behaviour forced 14 students to leave their former school,” the parent stated. “Now, our children and teachers face similar challenges again.”

Despite being accompanied by a teaching assistant, the transfer has stirred considerable unrest among the school community. Parents express doubt regarding the efficacy of school officials’ actions, with some indicating that previous interactions with educational authorities resulted in no satisfactory solutions.

The headteacher, during a recent parent’s council meeting, acknowledged the ongoing challenges and noted that more definitive guidance from local educational authorities is awaited. Moreover, the headteacher disclosed that unresolved matters from the boy’s previous school continue to linger, with uncertainty about whether the withdrawn students might return.

This situation has been unfolding since March, following the initial reports of bullying emanating from the boy’s previous school. These reports, highlighting that several of the protagonist’s classmates required psychological counseling, led to multiple appeals to educational bodies, which appeared unresolved until now.

Info: ‘Croatian Learner News’ is a service from ‘Let’s Learn Croatian’, a Croatian language school. We offer a variety of online courses to help students effectively master the Croatian language.


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