May 2, 2023 - These days, Opatija is full of cheerful and smiling people eager to have a good time and receive quality service, and this is expected for the whole season, Milan Sesar, owner of the Mali Raj Hotel at the junction of Ičići and Opatija, said in Dnevnik N1. However, he warned that the Croatian tourism sector will face one major obstacle.

"I'm afraid we will have a big problem. Our fridges are full of goods - from fish, meat and other foods, but I am afraid that there is no one to serve and prepare them, that is, a certain number of people will not receive adequate service. This is the biggest problem in our profession - workers are leaving us, and new ones are not coming. People who come to work with us are total beginners who have never worked in this profession. Then by the time they are trained, they leave again", said Sesar, emphasizing that the whole society must be concerned about the workforce, especially in tourism, as reported by Poslovni.

"Working in tourism is not easy. You need to speak foreign languages, be able to approach guests, be a good salesperson, and that cannot be someone who arrived yesterday from the street. I'm afraid that this will be our biggest problem this summer - that we won't have anyone to serve, sell, take the euros that the guests are ready to spend", believes Milan.

As the solution to this problem, he sees two different ways: "One would be to pay these people well, and the other for the entire community to find a formula on how to invest and convince young people to stay here and not move away so that they can have a quality existence and be happy with their work."

When asked how much the waiters earn in his hotel, he replied that these are internal matters and added:

"My waiter would earn the same as in Italy, if not more. My staff have been working for 25, 30 years each, which is a sign that they are adequately compensated because otherwise, they would not have stayed so long."

He also said that he personally has no problem with the workforce because their workers have the same salary throughout the year. "When a man knows that he will get an equally good salary and that it is safe, then he will not even think of moving on," he said.

For more, make sure to check out our dedicated News section.

May 2, 2023 - The symbol of Istria, the Istrian goats, which can be found on the Croatian coat of arms, were threatened with extinction. However, the numbers have now well improved. This was confirmed by Igor Merlić, director of the Agency for Rural Development of Istria. Last year there were only 40 Istrian goats, and today the number has reached 130.

There are about forty Istrian goats on Ivan Milohanić's (35) estate near Poreč. Ivan has been goat farming for ten years. And that's after work, as his day job is a bus driver. But his face lights up when he talks about life with this symbol of Istria, writes 24Sata.

He gets up every day around 5:30 a.m. because the goats require milking and grazing, and then he goes to his "real" job. Goats are his life and the life of his family. And his son Luka, who is still in kindergarten, already knows what he needs to do to make the goats listen to him.

"I just lift the stick, and they know how far they can go without going into the olive trees because they would chew everything," five-year-old Luka explains.

His father Ivan added that Istrian goats must have horns. Females have beards, and most have pigment on their skin and a more muscular physique than, for example, Saanen goats. The colour of Istrian goats is white, sometimes slightly beige.

They know Ivan really well

As Ivan stepped on the ground where the goats were, the goats galloped towards him. All of them. Because they know they will get something to eat. They know that Ivan never comes empty-handed. Ivan's herd enjoys 1.5 hectares of fenced land, and each one is given great attention.

"There are forty Istrian goats in my herd, and they are all wonderful. The goats are out grazing every day for 5 to 6 hours. Like other goats, they eat everything and like the bud the most because it is the sweetest. We also prepare what the goats must eat to be healthy and strong, which are cereals we produce ourselves without any additives. There is barley, oats, meadow hay... I have an OPG, so we also have olives, vines, and vegetables; everything is homemade. These days, you are wealthy if you produce your food," he said.

His Istrian goats come first to him. After driving his passengers in the morning, he returns to his goats; in the afternoon, he drives the bus again, and in the evening goes back to the goats.

"Pupica, Belinda, Kolinda (named after the former Croatian president), Maza, Sisi, Šarka... Kolinda is among the older goats; she is nine years old and is a real lady. Goats usually live for about 12 years. We produce cheese, milk, cottage cheese, and whey, as well as goat meat that is extremely tasty and of high quality. All is homemade, and people appreciate that. Everyone is happy to come back again, which makes me happy. After donkey's milk, goat's milk is the closest to mother's milk and is full of vitamins. People who suffer, for example, from bronchitis and other conditions related to the respiratory tract should drink goat's milk. The goat only eats healthy and chooses plant by plant what to eat", says Ivan. 24Sata asked him if he had a favourite in the herd.

"Pupica is my favorite"

My favorite is Pupica because I feel like we somehow understand each other. The goat senses your mood. The goat can sense it and step away if a person is nervous. Leave you alone for a bit. They'll definitely come back to be pet, and these animals are like puppies, only much more timid", Ivan said tenderly while petting Pupica.

There is beauty at every corner of his goat farm. There are currently six herds of Istrian goats in Istria, but the number is growing. Ivan started breeding Istrian goats ten years ago, quite by accident.

"First, I bought five goats when there were 34 of them in all of Istria. That was ten years ago. Now we have selection coming up, and we will only leave goats in the herd that give more milk. We will also start producing goat products. I currently milk about twenty goats, and they give about thirty liters of milk a day. I drive the bus in the morning; I return home around 9.30 to milk the goats, which takes me about two hours. Of course, my family jumps in on the work. Then I take them out to graze, drive the bus again, and milk the goats. Whoever thinks it's easy, let them try it", says Ivan and continues.

"It is still love that will help our Istrian goats to survive rather than profit. The goat is a cuddly animal and, like any real Istrian, very stubborn. In the end, they will always do what they want. I also got the horns a few times, and I can say it's a strong kick. I read that a goat remembers about fifty pictures. When I stand by the olive trees with a stick, as soon as I raise it, the goats don't go in that direction. But as soon as I leave, they will gladly bypass the rules and enjoy some olives", concluded Ivan laughing.

For more, make sure to check out our dedicated News section.

May the 1st, 2023 - If you've ever spent any time around Dubrovnik, you'll have no doubt noticed the enormous, now totally abandoned Kupari hotel. The former hotel has been standing like an eyesore on the southern Dalmatian coast for decades, and the saga surrounding it is almost as long.

As Poslovni Dnevnik/Marija Crnjak writes, on Thursday, the Croatian Government gave its consent to the Ministry of Spatial Planning, Construction and State Property to conclude Annex II to the contract on the implementation of the large Kupari project, with the aim of continuing the implementation and defining new deadlines with the investor, Kupari Luxury Hotels.

Interested parties may recalled that back in 2016, the government signed a contract with a group of bidders for the Kupari project, which foresees the construction of two new hotels at the Kupari location, the revitalisation of other buildings and the eventual renovation of the Grand Hotel.

In the meantime, a new investor, Hotel Properties Limited-HPL from distant Singapore, entered the project, and an urban development plan for the Municipality of Zupa Dubrovacka (the Parish of Dubrovnik) was adopted, and in March, an agreement was signed with Hrvatske vode/Croatian waters for the relocation of the watercourse route.

All of this requires a new contract with the state, which contractually obliged Kupari Luxury Hotels to invest with an extremely long 99-year concession. "With this decision, we oblige the investor to submit data for changes to the UPU within sixty days after signing the annex to the contract.

According to the current plans of the Parish of Dubrovnik, a period of twelve months has been prescribed in which the investor is obliged to obtain a valid building permit, and in a further period of four years to realise the project in Kupari itself,'' explained the Minister of State Property, Branko Bacic.

For more, make sure to check out our dedicated news section.

May the 1st, 2023 - Croatian companies were present exhibiting their fish products at the recently held Seafood Expo Global in Barcelona. The Croatian Chamber of Commerce (HGK) which organised the visit, has stated that it is doing all it can to aid Croatian companies in internationalisation.

As Poslovni Dnevnik writes, just like over the past several years, the Croatian Chamber of Commerce organised the joint presentation of Croatian companies from the fishing sector at the Seafood Expo Global international fair, which was held from April the 25th to the 27th in Barcelona. At the fair, 2,078 exhibitors from 87 countries exhibited on approximately 50,000 m2 of exhibition space.

The following Croatian companies presented their various fishery products at this important fair: Arbacommerce, Conex Trade, Cromaris, Jadran tuna, Mislov, Orada Adriatic, Pelagos Net Farma, PP Orahovica, Sardina and ZMH Horvat. The most important products they presented were white fish, tuna, salted small blue fish, frozen small blue fish, canned food, freshwater fish and various fish-based processed products.

"The fundamental determinants of the Croatian Chamber of Commerce are the strengthening of exports and assistance to Croatian companies in the internationalisation of their business operations. Therefore, I'm particularly pleased that with the help of HGK, ten of our members, who derive a significant part of their income from export sales - 55 to 85 percent to be more precise - exhibited their fishery products at this most important international fair. In the new programme period until 2027, HGK will continue to support the export efforts of our members, and promote the sustainability of Croatian fisheries and the consumption of fish and products from Croatian cultivation and catch through the implementation of the Fish of Croatia Eat what it's worth EU project,'' said HGK president Luka Burilovic.

For PP Orahovica, the largest domestic producer of freshwater fish, this fair was an opportunity to present its products of the Panona Mare brand to business visitors and potential customers.

"We attracted the attention of visitors as the only brand with a ready-to-eat breaded freshwater fish programme. These are products that are adapted to the needs of the modern consumer, simpler to prepare and tastier to consume, and with which we're already present on the domestic market and are preparing for placement on the European and world markets. As one of the most important events in the fishing sector, this fair is an excellent platform for business meetings with target customers in the B2B segment, but also an opportunity to further build the image of our Panona Mare brand,'' said Katica Petkov, the marketing manager of PP Orahovica.

The Mislov company has otherwise been participating in this fair for a number of years now. "We believe that it's the best platform for presenting our products to new customers, but also an opportunity to meet our long-term partners. This fair is important to us because we can learn about the latest trends and innovations in the world of fishing and the opportunity to try to follow them," said Marina Spralja from Mislov.

The very well known Cromaris, as the leading producer of Mediterranean white fish here in Croatia, presented its wide range of products to those present at the Barcelona fair. This year, a special focus was placed on organic fish, so innovations in production were presented. Visitors to the fair were able to taste various delicacies made from Cromaris fish prepared by chef Mladen Krizanovic, and the sushi was especially attractive to those present.

The export of fishery products in 2022 compared to 2021 recorded a growth of 14 percent and amounts to 312.5 million euros, which represents an increase of 38.5 million euros. The surplus last year amounted to 64.7 million euros, and the coverage of imports by exports was 126 percent. In the structure of exports in 2022 by product group, fresh or chilled fish are the most represented, accounting for 51.6 percent of the total export value, fish products and preserves (16.5%) and dried, salted or brined fish and smoked fish (11.1%).

Products from Croatian companies operating within the fisheries sector worth 211.4 million (67.6%) were placed on the market of EU countries last year. Looking at exports individually by country, in 2022, the first export market was Italy with 104 million eutos (33.3%), followed by Japan with 39.7 million euros (12.7%) and Spain with 36.7 million euros (11.7%).

Since way back in 2004, HGK has been sending Croatian companies to the world's largest fish fair, Seafood Expo Global. For a number of years now, the performance of Croatian companies has been financed through the aforementioned EU project which is aimed at promoting fishery products and increasing exports of the Croatian fishing sector.

For more, make sure to check out our dedicated news section.

May the 1st, 2023 - Hvar boat renters want certain permits that tourists must get in order to operate small vessels abolished, and want the Ministry of Maritime Affairs to introduce a different approach.

As Poslovni Dnevnik writes, Hvar boat renters are quite adamant in their demand for the aforementioned ministry to abolish the necessity of obtaining permits for tourists to operate boats up to five metres in length and with an engine power up to five kilowatts. They claim that in the European Union, with the exception of the Republic of Croatia, the only other country which seeks permits for the smallest vessels is Portugal. They propose that the Ministry allow Hvar boat renters to provide the training and issue the one-day permits themselves, as reported by HRT.

Zeljko Kustera of the Split Port Authority told HRT Dnevnik that the initiative had already started and that it was going to a public hearing.

"We deal more with security, and we deal with the economy. It's legitimate for people to ask for their work to be simplified and for them. We recognise 53 licenses from various countries, from Australia, Canada, America, Brazil... so these licenses can be used," he added.

Safety in navigation

"In order to be able to assess whether the initiative will threaten the safety of navigation, an accurate projection is needed. We must have an accurate projection. We have to take into account all the reasons for and against. The time to change the rules isn't just before the summer season. We work on navigation safety all year round, not just in the summer. As soon as the number of vessels increases, the possibility of maritime accidents also naturally increases," Kustera said.

Boat rentals are popular on the island of Hvar, as there are many islets and coves that can only be reached by boat

"They rent a boat to themselves for the whole day from 09:00 to 18:00, and during that period they're alone on that boat, they don't have any skipper, they have their privacy and enjoy themselves on that boat," said Ljudevit Karkovic from Hvar for HRT Dnevnik, who believes it's ridiculous to expect that a tourist will spend a day getting a permit for a one-day boat trip.

"Boats that go five miles per hour are very slow and in all these 40 to 50 years of renting them out, there has never been an accident with a major consequence, or an injury, let alone a death," said Mate Novak from the Association of Craftsmen of the Island of Hvar.

Permits for the smallest category of vessels are obtained anyway without the need for any practical training, only with a short oral exam. "When a man comes and tells me that he has a license, I have to show him everything again, how to start the engine, how to drop the anchor, how to tie the boat up," said Prosper Barbaric from Hvar.

One-day permits could be a practical solution for all

"There's a possibility, if there is a will, to open a branch so that these people themselves can bear responsibility for all the consequences of the vessels, and that they take a short course," explained Damir Visic, a court expert for maritime accidents.

Minister Oleg Butkovic does not support this initiative in principle because Croatian entry into Schengen will further increase the number of vessels in the coastal zone.

"It opens up the possibility for an increased number of accidents on the coast, so this decision is very delicate, I know, I'm familiar with it all and we will see, my position is not firm, I am always in favour of conversation and compromise,'' said Oleg Butkovic, Minister of Maritime Affairs, Transport and Infrastructure.

For more, check out our news section.

April 30, 2023 - With a 0-0 draw against Hajduk at Poljud, Dinamo becomes the 2022/23 Croatian football champion, defending the title four rounds before the end of the 2022/23 SuperSport HNL season. 

Dinamo currently has 71 points, 12 more than the second-placed Hajduk, who cannot theoretically reach Dinamo this season. Dinamo has thus secured their sixth consecutive and 24th overall national championship title.

A draw at Poljud was enough for Dinamo to become the Croatian champion once again. Dinamo maintained a 12-point advantage over second-placed Hajduk four rounds before the end, and since they have a better head-to-head this season, it is unattainable for Hajduk to catch them. 

Two of the best Croatian clubs played an even game at a packed Poljud, though both teams were left without a serious chance to score.

The biggest excitement happened in the 23rd minute when Melnjak snatched the ball from Špikić about 30 meters from Dinamo's goal and then brilliantly played past Mlakar, who was at the top of the penalty area. Mlakar beat Livaković with an excellent shot into the back of the net, putting Poljud into a trance. However, the ref took his time and decided to consult VAR, which ultimately ruled the goal offside, and the game stayed 0-0. 

Hajduk had more chances in the second half and was hungrier, while Dinamo was happy to play for a draw, knowing it would bring them the title. Hajduk had 47% possession compared to Dinamo's 53%, both teams had only one shot on target, with 5 total attempts for Hajduk and 8 for Dinamo. 

Dinamo thus secured the Croatian Championship title with 71 points. Hajduk is safe in second place with 59 points, given that they have 14 points more than Osijek in third and 15 more than Rijeka in fourth. 

The 32nd round still features Rijeka-Slaven Belupo and Lokomotiva-Gorica, who will play tomorrow. On Saturday, Istra beat Sibenik 3-0 and Osijek beat Varazdin 3-1. 

To follow the latest sports news in Croatia, follow TCN's dedicated page.

April 30, 2023 - Feliks Lukas, the sports manager and leader of the WTA tournament in Makarska has received a prestigious personal award, reports Dalmatinski Portal.

Feliks Lukas, known to the public as a successful sports manager and director of the WTA tournament in Makarska, is a new knight of the Order of St. George. This order was founded in the 14th century by the Austrian Habsburg dynasty and Pope Paul II, with the aim of preserving the traditions of the countries of Central Europe, most of which were part of the Habsburg Monarchy. At the head of the Order of St. George, which is based on the idea of Central Europe as a Christian, cultural, intellectual and ethical center, is still today the direct heir of that line of Karl von Habsburg-Lothringen.

The solemn ceremony of announcing the new knights of the Order of St. George was held on April 22nd in Vienna, and after swearing to act in accordance with the principles, values and goals of the Order, Feliks Lukas was personally knighted by Archduke Karl von Habsburg-Lothringen himself. Particularly attractive was the parade of knights through the streets of Vienna to the most beautiful baroque cathedral Karlskirche, where the ceremony took place.

"In Croatia, there are about twenty members of the Order of St. George, while there are only about 700 of them in the world. Being a part of this order that works humanitarian and supports a number of activities in the field of economy and culture is a matter of prestige. Not everyone can approach him, but the future knight must be proposed by one of the respected members,' says Lukas, and he was recommended by two well-known noble families, Count Markus Paar from Austria and Count Mario Festetics de Tolna originally from Hungary. After the initiation process and the final decision to enter their Order, the knight title was officially confirmed at a solemn ceremony.

By the way, Lukas, in addition to successfully leading the WTA tennis tournament for years, which was moved from Bol to Makarska last year, is also highly respected outside sports circles. So recently, as the only sports manager from Europe, he participated in the National Prayer Breakfast in Washington with US President Biden.

Appointment as a knight of the Order of St. George is another valuable personal recognition for him on the eve of the WTA spectacle, which will be held in Makarska from June 5 to 11 and will gather around forty of the best female tennis players from Sweden, the Netherlands, Belgium, Slovakia, Montenegro, Italy, China, Luxembourg, and Serbia, Slovenia, and Croatia.

You can learn more about this year's Makarska Open WTA tennis tournament on the tournament website.

April 30, 2023 - The relationship between teachers and parents has certainly changed over the last few decades. Some worrying findings by Matea Celebija of Index.hr.

After the first major survey in Croatia on the relationship between parents and teachers showed that more than 93 percent of educators encountered inappropriate behaviour from the parents of their students, we spoke to primary and secondary school teachers who told us about their unpleasant experiences with parents.

All of them experienced some kind of accusation or threat from their parents, and some both. They say that parents often yell at them, accuse them of their children's bad grades, and often threaten them with calling for an inspection and even firing them. Given that the inspection has so far not found any irregularities in their work with students, the teachers we talked to believe that, as in other countries, there should be penalties for unfounded and false reports by teachers.

Author of the study: "There are no longer norms of behaviour in the relationship between parents and teachers"

The research in which 2,811 teachers participated was carried out as part of the Pulse of the School project, which was jointly initiated by a team of scientists from the Faculty of Philosophy of the University of Zagreb and the textbook publisher Profil Klett with the support of the Croatian Teachers' Union (SHU) and the Independent Union of Secondary School Employees ( NSZSŠ). Among other things, the research showed that 93.5 respondents encountered at least one inappropriate behaviour or action by the parents of their students in the last 12 months.

The results showed that in one year, the surveyed teachers experienced, on average, almost nine different forms of inappropriate behaviour or actions by parents towards teachers or teachers or in relation to the child's school obligations.

Research leader prof. Ph.D. Dragan Bagić said on that occasion that the relationship between parents and teachers has changed significantly and that there are no longer clear norms and rules of conduct.

"School is a complex system in which there are numerous social relationships. Some of these relationships are quite strictly regulated, even by formal acts, such as teacher-student relationships, but for some of these relationships there are no norms of behaviour, or they have changed over time or been lost.

This research shows that the relationship between parents and teachers is just such a relationship, which has changed and today there are no longer clear norms and rules of behaviour in that relationship. Given that the traditional norms that regulated that relationship are clearly no longer valid, it is necessary to develop new norms of behaviour in that relationship," commented Bagić.

The research showed that 29.7 percent of teachers experienced violent, physical or verbal behavior from parents, and 85 percent of respondents considered such situations to be the biggest problem in their relationship with parents.

In addition, 40 percent of teachers experienced pressure to increase grades, and even 72 percent of them encountered parents who put an inappropriate amount of pressure on their child because of grades, and 52.4 percent of them with parents who expect teachers to be constantly available.

Below we present several confessions of teachers who were threatened by parents of students or behaved inappropriately in other ways.

"The son of the principal at the school where I work stole glue, which I reported. His father threatened to get me fired."

"We had workshops in the library and four students misplaced glues during the break. I saw this and went after them and asked them to return the glues or else I will write a note in their e-diary. Three students returned it, while one did not. He pretended not to know what it was about. After that I wrote him a note in which I wrote that he did not comply with my request, thus he showed me disrespect.

After that, chaos ensued. One day I was not at school and upon my return the student came to me and said that he demanded that I delete the note, to which I told him that I would not because it was not right according to the three students who listened to me and that everything was up to the class teacher.

After that he asked me once more to wipe it, I said I wouldn't and then he told me: 'You'll see, we'll go all the way.' By the way, this is the son of the director of the school where I work. She was not at school at the time, and I explained everything to her in an e-mail because she was on a business trip at the time. To this day, I have not received an answer from her.

In the meantime, a letter from the father arrived in which he claims that his son did not steal the glue, that I am falsely accusing him, and that if I do not delete the note and write a public apology in the e-diary, he will activate his lawyer and the ombudsman.

He threatened me that they would work to get me fired. By the way, this is not the first problem with that student. He normally brags around the school, as witnessed by other teachers, and in elementary school he blew up a toilet bowl with a firecracker. Considering that his mom is the principal, everything was covered up."

"The student filmed me and threatened me with death. He has the support of his parents."

"This school year, we got a new student. To him, the school means nothing, he has all the units, but the situation did not culminate because of that, but because of his cell phone. He was constantly making problems and going to the teacher. He was filming me, putting his cell phone in my face, refused to put it down, and his parents supported him in this.

They were interviewed at school, but their attitude is that their son has no reason to take a mobile phone, that it is his property. According to them, the whole school should adapt to their son. In the last lesson, I took his cell phone and took it to the teacher, at which he got angry.

He was with the teacher for a while, and then he returned to class to get cigarettes. After that, he calmly came to class and said in front of the class that he was going to shoot me. What worried me the most was that he didn't say it in an affected way, but completely calm. I later found out that he hit a student that day, and earlier he stole 50 euros from the janitor, which his mom returned and begged the janitor not to sue her son.

Meanwhile, the student continued to steal. He also stole a large amount of money from a female professor's bag. I reported my case to the police. I asked for protection and a restraining order. However, I was told that the school is powerless there, that he cannot be removed from the school and that it is not possible for me not to teach him anymore because another teacher refuses to teach him.

The parents had an interview with the pedagogue and the principal. They justify and fully support their son. They asked for a special approach towards him, i.e. to let him out of class whenever he wants, so that he asks to leave every class, and an unjustified class cannot be written to him because he leaves at the beginning of the class and comes back at the very end.

He is not in class at the moment, but he will come to take the exam. I was told that I won't get a restraining order because the State Attorney's Office didn't even ask for it, even though they said they would."

"The student had all the units, and after he failed the class, the mother came to the school for the first time and insisted that I give him a pass"

"I teach a vocational subject and one student had all the units from it for the whole year. Therefore, the average is 1.0. He had to fail the class and complained about the unit that I concluded for him. I questioned him in front of the committee and I asked him questions at the elementary school level.

He answered every question with 'I don't know'. The committee agreed that this grade was insufficient and the student failed the class. The next day, his mom came to school, asked for an interview and insisted on concluding a positive grade, but the committee's grade was final.

I told her that according to the law, she can come to school for an interview with the teacher until June 1st. Classes had long ended, and during the school year she never came for a conversation, information or parents' meeting, even though the student had units throughout the year, and they live a hundred meters from the school. After that, she sent an inspection to my school, which found no irregularities."

"The mother does not want to accept the fact that her child has a problem, so she accuses me of abuse"

"At school, we have a student who has developmental difficulties that his mother does not want to face. The mother first sent inappropriate e-mails to the professional service and then to me. She insulted my expertise.

At my insistence, she came to school, where she shouted at me and insulted me again. She thought that I was not doing my job well, that is, that I was abusing her child. She told me on several occasions that I am not normal, that I work outside the law, that I am not a teacher, that I am arrogant and cold.

She explicitly emphasized that I was to blame for every unit of her son and for every failure of his homework. She told me that her son doesn't come to remedial classes because I insult him there, which is a complete lie.

The principal and everyone else who was at the meeting were appalled by what they heard. It is clear to everyone what kind of situation we are in, but nobody can do anything about it. So far we have not had such a case. The child has various difficulties that the mother does not want to accept.

She threatened me with an inspection, and she knows that she can send as many inspections here as she wants, because in Croatia, unlike other countries, there is no penalty for falsely accusing teachers. She was extremely aggressive towards me and was not interested in my explanation. She told me she didn't want to hear my explanation because she studied my profession and knows everything about it."

"The student's father yelled at me because she had all the units"

"The parents came for information and at first everything was normal. After I showed them their daughter's tests and grades, all of which were units, the father started to get angry with me. In the meantime, we also called his daughter until she came from class and explain your complete lack of interest in school.

She explicitly emphasized that I was to blame for every unit of her son and for every failure of his homework. She told me that her son doesn't come to remedial classes because I insult him there, which is a complete lie.

The principal and everyone else who was at the meeting were appalled by what they heard. It is clear to everyone what kind of situation we are in, but nobody can do anything about it. So far we have not had such a case. The child has various difficulties that the mother does not want to accept.

She threatened me with an inspection, and she knows that she can send as many inspections here as she wants, because in Croatia, unlike other countries, there is no penalty for falsely accusing teachers. She was extremely aggressive towards me and was not interested in my explanation. She told me she didn't want to hear my explanation because she studied my profession and knows everything about it."

The student was correct, she admitted that she did not study for any test and that she never wrote any homework. However, my father did not like it and at one point he snapped and vented his anger on me.

He towered over me and roared. I got up and went to the choir room, whereupon he ran towards me and started shouting that no one would turn their back on him, insulted me and said that I would see my own. The whole school heard him. He threatened me with an inspection and said that in the future he would talk to me through the court. In the end he just left, and I was in shock and under a lot of stress."