Academic grading in Croatia is regulated by the Ministry of Science, Education and Sports.
Grading scale (numerical and descriptive)
editIn Croatia the following official grade scale applies to elementary school, high school and university students:
| 1 (0–49%) | Insufficient (nedovoljan) |
|---|---|
| 2 (50–59%) | Sufficient (dovoljan) |
| 3 (60–74%) | Good (dobar) |
| 4 (75–89%) | Very good (vrlo dobar) |
| 5 (90–100%) | Excellent (odličan in schools, izvrstan at universities) |
The grade 1 (nedovoljan) is a failing grade, while grades 2 through 5 are passing grades.
Many teachers use minus and plus symbols as grade modifiers. For example, "−5" denotes a grade slightly lower than "excellent", while "+4" denotes a grade slightly higher than "very good". Half-grades such as "4/5" are also used. These modifiers are unofficial and do not appear in final grade reports.
Conduct grading
editConduct (vladanje) is graded on a 3-point descriptive scale:
- Poor (loše)
- Good (dobro)
- Exemplary (uzorno)
In practice, most students receive "exemplary" conduct grades. Conduct grade does not count towards the grade point average.
Grade point average
editGrade point average (GPA) is calculated as the arithmetic mean of all numerical grades:
- 1.00–1.99 Insufficient
- 2.00–2.49 Sufficient
- 2.50–3.49 Good
- 3.50–4.49 Very good
- 4.50–5.00 Excellent
Grade inflation
editA significant grade inflation has been observed in primary education and, to a lesser degree, in secondary education. In the 2008/09 school year, almost 168,000 out of 365,000 elementary school students were graded "excellent" by their grade point average. Parent pressure on teachers has been identified as a major cause.[1] In the school year 2023/2024, 46% of elementary school students passed with a GPA in the range of "excellent". Although the country has seen a drop in students passing with a GPA of 5.0, the steady increase of high-grade students has put pressure on more prestigious highschools (especially in the capital of Zagreb) to further restrict enrollment by introducing preliminary exams.[2]
A national exam was introduced in 2022 for all students to take in year 8, throughout March. These exams were then expanded to include year 4 students in 2024. Although national exams have been viewed as a solution to grade inflation, the exams do not impact grade averages or highschool enrollment as of 2024, which they have been criticised for by teachers.[3]
References
edit- ^ Kustura, Irena (17 September 2009). "Inflacija petica: U osnovnim školama odlikaša je više od 50 posto". Večernji list (in Croatian). Retrieved 2024-11-15.
- ^ Vištica, Sanja (11 September 2024). "Superodlikaši postali problem, stvaraju pritisak na srednje škole: "Profesori su popuštali učenicima koji su to pričali..."". Dnevnik.hr (in Croatian). Retrieved 2024-11-15.
- ^ Plantak, Katarina (2024-03-01). "Nacionalni ispiti za četvrtaše i osmaše su na vratima, istražili smo sve o njima". Net.hr (in Croatian). Retrieved 2024-11-15.
Sources
edit- Pravilnik o načinu praćenja i ocjenjivanja učenika u osnovnoj i srednjoj školi (in Croatian)
- Zakon o odgoju i obrazovanju u osnovnoj i srednjoj školi (in Croatian)
- Različiti sustavi ocjenjivanja i usporedne ljestvice (in Croatian)
- Neopravdan sat »ruši« uzorno vladanje (in Croatian)
- Inflacija petica: U osnovnim školama odlikaša je više od 50 posto (in Croatian)
- Inflacija petica: više od 80 posto đaka je odlično (in Croatian)
- Umjesto talenata, odlikaši bez znanja pune gimnazije Archived 2016-03-03 at the Wayback Machine (in Croatian)