As of today, the cities of Varaždin, Zagreb, Osijek, Rijeka, and Split have been enriched with Regional Training Centers (ROC). The Centers were opened by the Croatian Academic and Research Network – CARNET as part of the implementation of the pilot project „e-Schools: Establishment of a Development System for Digitally Mature Schools,“ with a total investment value of 3.6 million HRK.
All five training centers were simultaneously opened with videoconferencing sessions, and the main ceremony was held in the First Gymnasium in Varaždin in the presence of CARNET executives and the Minister of Science and Education, Prof. Dr. Sc. Blaženka Divjak.
„In this era of the fourth industrial revolution, we need to take a digital leap in our schools. We've already seen major breakthroughs in education, particularly in digital transformation. The First Gymnasium in Varaždin is a pioneer in this field, which is why it was chosen as the Training Center. A modern approach to education, international collaborations, project-based learning, and learning from best practices will help us prepare our students not just for the 21st century, but for the 22nd century as well. Divjak, who expressed her satisfaction at opening the Training Center in a school she herself attended and worked in during the early stages of her career, also announced that the second phase of the “e-Schools“ project will include all primary and secondary schools in Croatia.
The Regional Training Centers opened in the aforementioned cities are multifunctional and technologically innovative spaces intended for the educational purposes of schools, as well as for educational events organized by local communities. Each center is equipped with an ICT infrastructure and equipment that follows the latest trends and teaching methods. Alongside wired and wireless networks, the centers are equipped with 30 laptops, 30 tablets with keyboards, two touchscreens, and a teaching management system. Each ROC is also equipped with multifunctional modular furniture that allows for rapid changes in classroom layout, depending on the type of education.
„The establishment and equipping of the Training Centers contributes to the systematic training of school staff and the strengthening of their digital competence. Various training activities, which will henceforth be organized on the Training Centers“ premises, not only for the purpose of the e-Schools project, are an added value that the e-Schools pilot project brings to local communities," said Andrijana Prskalo Maček, the e-Schools project leader and CARNET Assistant CEO.
Goran Kezunović, CARNET CEO, emphasized that the e-Schools project is entering its final stage and that preparations for the second phase are underway. „With the major project from 2019 to 2022, we plan to digitally transform teaching and business processes in the remaining 1200 primary and secondary schools in Croatia. The project follows international trends in applying ICT in education and relies on best practices in the development and improvement of education available worldwide,“ added Kezunović.
As part of the opening ceremony, each regional training center presented the use of ICT in teaching. This allowed guests to understand the significance and possibilities of technology in modern and innovative teaching.
More information on Regional Training Centers
The Regional Training Centers were selected based on the Call for Expression of Interest for the Establishment of Regional Training Centers. Out of the total of 72 schools that applied, the following have been selected:
- The Trades and Crafts School in Split
- The Franje Krežme Primary School in Osijek
- Primary School Gornja Vežica in Rijeka
- The Vladimir Prelog Science School in Zagreb
- The First Gymnasium in Varaždin
The equipping of the Regional Training Centers was fully financed from the resources of the e-Schools project, 85% of which was funded by EU funds.