May 8, 2021 - Foreign parents in the Split region are mostly content with Croatian public schools, reveals a survey conducted amongst volunteering expat parents.

The survey conducted amongst volunteering expat parents shows that most families are content or even very happy regarding their experience with public schools in Croatia. The scale went from 5 for perfect to 1 for failure, where the middle ground (3) was that the experience had ups and downs and that families would either recommend others to look for a different school or be prepared for a bumpy ride. The perfect experience meant that the child was happy in school, the teachers gave a good education, and the parents were treated well. A failure meant that the parents felt that the experience was a total disaster, that they either thought about changing the school or actually did, and that child and parents were relieved and happy when that time was over. 

It is not hard to guess that the experience was better the younger the children were when they arrived in Croatia, and the more the family spoke Croatian at home. In general, it looks like there is a very different perspective based on the three schooling systems of lower primary school/ niži razredi osnovna škola (1st-4th grade), higher primary school/ viši razredi osnovna škola also called middle school in many countries (5th-8th grade), and high school/srednje škole also called middle school or secondary school in Croatia (9th-12th grade).

In general, most families felt very well about the schooling in grades 1-4. This is probably not only because the children are still more open to learning a new language but also because the schooling system is still mostly aimed at "entertaining" the children and caring deeply for the well-being of the children rather than focusing on the transfer of knowledge. Also, the peer pressure is more positive as local children at younger ages welcome foreigners and love interacting and playing with anyone regardless of the background or the language barrier. 

However, when children are in grades 5-8, there seems to be a huge discrepancy between newcomers and children who have already been to school in Croatia before or have spoken Croatian at home. The school system changes from a single class teacher in classes 1-4 for most subjects to many specialized teachers in most subjects, while the class teacher is then only a teacher that sees the children in one or two subjects. Also, the general approach to education seems to take its toll on the children. Apart from what happens in school, this is a demanding time for children due to entering adolescence and seeing life and others with different eyes. Peer pressure seems to take on negative aspects that are not being channeled properly.

For this age group, parents who have just arrived with their kids and who have little Croatian language skills have a rather negative or stressful experience, whereas parents who have been living in Croatia for some time or who have been speaking Croatian at home seem to have a mostly positive experience with the public school education in classes 5-8.

This discrepancy in experiences then not only increases even more for grades 9-12, but the number of parents who decide to move to Croatia with children in that age group also shrinks dramatically compared to families who moved to Croatia with younger children. 

Unfortunately, two families had to go through a terrible experience with their children. In both cases, bullying is mentioned explicitly as the encountered problem. In both cases, the families felt that the school (not the same school) could not deal with the problem properly and protect the children. It is unknown if the parents chose to change the school because of such problems, but it is unfortunate to hear that the families felt like the teachers did not do enough to help remedy the situation in both cases.

For further reading about the structure of Croatian public schools, you may want to read:

https://eacea.ec.europa.eu/national-policies/eurydice/content/organisation-single-structure-education-1_bg 

https://www.expatincroatia.com/international-elementary-kindergartens-primary-schools-croatia/ 

About the author:

We moved to Croatia together with our son almost 5 years ago and had some mixed experiences since he started to go to school here in 3rd grade. We built a little web project for the idea of an international school in Split and continue to share our experience happily. The site has been live now for almost 4 years at www.misodis.com. Now we cross-checked ours with the experience of other parents. 

We will soon share with you some more information on what you may want to know and what you can do to get ready for your move to Croatia and to be better prepared to face the challenges of the Croatian public school system.

For more, follow our lifestyle section.

August 23, 2020 - Moving to a new country comes with a world of challenges, and the potential language barrier isn't the only thing you'll have to overcome. Meet Rent A Local, a new online platform launched in Split to facilitate all of your expat needs. 

Croatia is a dream for foreigners thanks to the sun, sparkling Adriatic Sea, untouched nature, UNESCO heritage and laidback lifestyle. For many, it is heaven on earth, that is, until you have to face the beast that is Croatian bureaucracy.

But what if we told you that these obstacles can now be overcome with the help of a new online platform that is here to serve you and all of your expat needs, from hiring a translator or lawyer to having your hand held through the long and painful residency or citizenship process?

And that's not all. 

"We're a group of local experts helping foreign citizens. Rent a local and let him help you with your every need. Whether it is a lawyer, a plumber, to schedule a trip or anything else. Enjoy the best things in Croatia - we'll handle the stressful ones!" 

TCN met up with Andela Prnjak, the brains behind Rent A Local, to find out more. 

"A few years ago, I came up with this entire idea and the name. I mean, Rent A Local is such a simple and cool name that already tells you everything you need to know. I have a lot of friends who are expats, as well as my boyfriend, and I know the troubles they have to go through. After I went through a lot of the processes with my boyfriend, I learned very quickly that this was anything but easy for expats to do alone. 

I am a producer here with 10 years of experience, and I have worked on a lot of documentaries, movies, commercials and series in Croatia, mostly with international companies, which also gave me a lot of knowledge in this field. I have to work through Croatian bureaucracy often, and if I don't know the answer to something, I find people who do. Now, I have an enormous group of people here that I can trust and will get things done," said Prnjak, who added that she could even hire magicians or helicopters for you, should you require such a service. 

"Because my job always required me to push my boundaries, I am now able to take on most of the challenges in Croatia."

When Croatia went on lockdown back in March because of the coronavirus pandemic, Prnjak realized she had a bit more time on her hands - and it was the ideal time to launch Rent A Local. 

"And now, anything you need, from planning a wedding to hiring a boat, or getting your residence permit, we can do. We will link you up with the expert in their field to help you with whatever you need. We won't just set you up with someone doing this for the first time. We have collected experts that we trust, and we promise you won't experience any trouble or encounter any problems," Prnjak added. 

"Everyone we work with is mostly Croatian, though we also know some expats here that are qualified to help you as well. In our first year, we are only going to focus on Croatia, but we plan to expand into other countries in the region. While we are now mostly promoting this service for people in Croatia, because I have worked as a producer in the entire Balkan region, we can potentially help you with your needs in Bosnia or Serbia, too."

Rent A Local will offer a variety of agreements. Whether you want someone to hold your hand through the entire residency process, or just need to consult a lawyer for advice, anything is possible with Rent A Local. 

"Whatever your problem is, you tell us, and we will handle it how we think best!"

Apartment hunting is always a challenging process for expats. If you're clueless about where to live or are worried the landlord will take advantage of you, there is a lot more you'll have to consider than the price. 

"At Rent A Local, our experts will help you find the apartment, our lawyers will look at the contract, and we will protect you in every way we can."

So, what is the craziest thing they'll do for you?

"For now, all of our inquiries have been for one person that has one specific need, but I am really excited about taking on a group that has a lot of specific needs. And we are talking about something even more challenging than Croatian bureaucracy!" Prnjak says with enthusiasm. 

To conclude, Prnjak sends a message to the expats of Croatia.

"What I have to say to expats is that Croatia is a beautiful country with a great quality of life, but there are just some things that are not worth your stress. So, we are here to help you with that! We want you to take the best of Croatia - and don't worry about the rest."

Whether your an expat in Croatia or a local who doesn't want to go through some of these painful processes, Rent A Local is ready to take on your needs. 

You can learn more about Rent A Local on their official website and follow them on Facebook and Instagram! 

For the latest travel info, bookmark our main travel info article, which is updated daily. 

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ingOctober 21, 2018 - So you've decided you want to move to Croatia, but just how does one go about it? An introduction to residence permits In Croatia.

In a sea of depressing and paradoxical sagas about there not being enough job, high enough wages, and even situations in which establishments are forced to close due to a lack of staff, each and every positive story shines like a diamond among rocks.

If you're looking to lend a helping hand in Split this week, here are some ways you can. 

The Split expat community comes together to help those battling the blaze. 

Nothing brings people together like mulled-wine, so what better opportunity to gather a few opinions on Advent in Split this year?

It was, by all accounts, a rather fun evening, as Expats in Split held their first gathering outside the walls of a pub in central Split last night, by taking advantage of the excellent free walking tour offered by the ever-efficient Sinj Tourist Board.

Tourist Board director Jelena Bilic was on hand to greet the sizable group of expats, who arrived by bus from Split, before accompanying them on the tour with various expert guides.

And now that we have managed to break the habit of meeting in the pub every time (something I rather like by the way), how about planning another trip to explore the wonders of the region - a tour to the top of Mount Biokovo perhaps?  

To learn more about the free Sinj walking tour each Thursday at 18:00, click here. 

There has not been an Expats in Split gathering for a while, and rather than the usual practice of damaging brain cells over a beer or twenty at one of Split's fine hospitality establishments, the next proposed event will involve a little culture and a journey out of Split.

The enterprising Sinj Tourist Board starts free walking tours of the historic inland Dalmatian town tonight, which will be conducted every Thursday at 18:00 during the summer. Details of the tour in the flyer below, and it has been suggested that next Thursday, July 2, an Expats in Split trip north of Split in search of culture might make for a fun evening. 

The suggested plan is to take the 16:00 Promet Sinj bus from Split Bus Station, which arrives at 16:55, just in time for a cold one or two on Sinj's impressive main square. Suggested meeting point - on the bus... If you are interested in coming, please send us a message by FB or email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. so that we can inform the Sinj Tourist Board of numbers. The last bus back leaves at 21:00, giving enough time for a nightcap in Split for those who do not have ferries to miss. 

Or if anyone wants to drive of course, that would add a little more flexibility. For today's (and other) tour, some more options from the Sinj Tourist Board:

The best way is to take bus at 5 p.m. from Split (even earlier is fine and they can take a coffee at Pijaca).

If they will take bus at 5 p.m. from Split, they can ask bus driver to stop near the beauty center Makai/Termoklima and they should walk only 2 minutes to Alka Course and they will notice the meeting point: the statue of the Alka Knight.

If they reach the bus station in Sinj (5.45), they should walk 10 min to Alka Course.

If you do plan to go on the tour independently, please contact Sinj on the details below to let them know about numbers.

Sinj is a great little town, and I hope a good crowd decide to come. It would be nice to have an Expats in Split meet which we could all remember in the morning...

Follow the Sinj Tourist Board on Facebook.