Croatian Association of Teaching Assistants Asks for President Milanović’s Support to Improve Their Status

The President of the Republic Zoran Milanović met today at the Office of the President with the representatives of the Croatian Association of Teaching Assistants, Association President Iva Tadić, Steering Committee member Ivana Andrić Penava and Supervisory Board representative Bojana Marjanović.

The Croatian Association of Teaching Assistants is working to improve the status of more than 4,500 teaching assistants in Croatia and to protect their labour rights. Teaching assistants, together with teachers and professional services, have been an integral part of the school system for more than a decade. They have provided direct support to pupils with developmental and learning disabilities, but their rights and status are not regulated, the Association representatives warned at the meeting. Moreover, they said that teaching assistants are not part of the system and there are still disparities in their status and labour rights at the national level, which continually makes their violation possible.

To exemplify this, the delegation mentioned that it is not clear for whom the teaching assistants actually work. Their unclear status is also reflected in the financing of their work, which comes from various sources at local and EU level. Although they addressed a letter to the Ministry of Science and Education – in which they asked for their status to be regulated through full-time working hours, expert associate-level coefficients, indefinite contracts, past service costs, payment of daily allowances and other rights – they did not receive a reply. Consequently, the representatives of the Croatian Association of Teaching Assistants decided to contact the President of the Republic and ask for his help.

President Milanović expressed his understanding for their difficulties and confirmed that they would have his support in efforts to improve their status.

Adviser to the President of the Republic for Education Jadranka Žarković was alongside President Milanović at the meeting with the representatives of the Croatian Association of Teaching Assistants. 

PHOTO: Office of the President of the Republic of Croatia / Tomislav Bušljeta