"We are talking with the Croatian Institute of Public Health (HZJZ) to perhaps allow more students to each classroom," Minister Divjak said after a video conference with her European counterparts.
Considering the favourable epidemiological situation, it is up to schools to take over the responsibility for the education of students in lower grades of elementary schools," she said.
In most EU countries, there are up to 15 students in a class. In Austria that number is 18 whereas in Croatia up to nine students can be in one classroom.
Reopening schools for higher grades in elementary schools, secondary schools and all universities is not a priority for now, she underscored.
She said that Croatia's priority is to open kindergartens, lower grades, to conduct the exit exams for school-leavers and for practical classes in secondary vocational schools and higher education facilities to be conducted. "We will need to take steps and look beyond this emergency response and, based on lessons learnt, perhaps consider some innovations that can make our education system more resilient to any potential future crisis.” Divjak said during the third informal video conference of ministers of education on the implications of the COVID-19 for education and training, which the Croatian presidency of the EU Council organised on Monday.
The meeting was chaired by Divjak, with the participation of Margaritis Schinas, Vice-President of the European Commission and Mariya Gabriel, European Commissioner for Innovation, Research, Culture, Education and Youth.
The majority of EU Member States have decided to gradually re-open education and training institutions and return to face-to-face learning and teaching, in some cases only for the selected levels, grades, activities and target groups.
EU education ministers agreed that it was necessary to ensure a combined model of teaching in the future, in schools and faculties as well as remote learning.
Germany, which is to take over the presidency of the EU after Croatia, will give an emphasis on digitising education, underscored Divjak.
Ministers exchanged information on different organisational and safety measures in respect to re-opening of educational institutions. These measures refer to social distancing, including prescribed physical distance and work in smaller, often the same groups, as well as strict hygienic and sanitary standards, according to the information available on the Croatian Presidency's website.