Until this year only four of Zagreb’s most desirable high schools used the entrance exam – XV. Gymnasium, I. Gymnasium, Tituš Brezovački Gymnasium and Vladimir Prelog School of Natural Sciences. But this July, due to the great interest of students, the admission introduces several more schools in Zagreb. These are the Lucijan Vranjanin High School – Science and Mathematics High School, the 10th Ivan Supek High School – Science and Mathematics High School and the 5th Zagreb High School – Science and Mathematics High School, confirmed the Ministry of Science and Education.
Prof. Željka Frković the principal of the X. Gymnasium, says they had no other choice because they have neither the physical nor the personnel space for the new class.
– Our high school has 11 classes and in each class 26 students, or 286 students in the whole school. When our children come from primary school, I am not talking about admissions but about grades from primary school, if children have the same number of points, we have to enroll them all. We then have the option of asking the ministry to increase our quota per class or open an additional class. Of course, if the ministry approves us – explained Frković, who still points out that they would have avoided the admissions if they could.
Maximum 80
She believes that admissions are an additional stress for children. Especially nowadays, when children have more problems than before.
Principals all these schools are tormented by the same question – how to make a list of students who have the same number of points. Namely, a student enrolling in high school can receive a maximum of 80 points on grades (general success in each of the higher grades and a completed grade in six subjects in 7th and 8th grade). If a student had one or two fours from 5th to 8th grade, he scored a little less than 76 points in total. With the maximum solved entrance exam, he still could not collect enough points as a super-excellent who solves only a fifth of the entrance exam. According to the new regulations, which are still in preparation, the entrance exam will carry 10 points, which will allow students with a lower average to show knowledge. It is also prescribed that, if the students are equal in points, the one who solved the entrance exam better will have the advantage.
Schools that wanted to introduce an entrance exam have so far submitted applications by the end of the first semester. This year the deadline is March 31 of the current year. According to the proposed amendments to the Ordinance on enrollment in secondary schools, schools will be able to conduct tests of special knowledge in Croatian language, mathematics, first foreign language and subjects important for continuing education in certain educational programs.
Let us remind you that last year it was not possible to enroll in the six most sought-after high schools in Zagreb without a 5.0 average. Tituš Brezovački High School has only four classes, and has been conducting admissions for several years.
– At Tituš, the reception helped us a lot due to the great interest of the excellent students. It is not a problem to deploy kids when they are not excellent, but when you have too many students with great results – the principal told us prof. Damir Jelenski whose school has already published the preparatory assignments for the exam.