Prof. Vjera Brković Participated in the National HUROŠ Professional Conference

Vjera Brković, lecturer at the Department of History, participated in the National Professional Conference organized by the Croatian Association of Croatian Principals (HUROŠ) titled “School Rhythm – A Conference on Emotional Resilience and Leadership”, held in Brela from 19 to 22 October 2025. The conference was co-organized by the Ministry of Science, Education and Youth and CARNET. HUROŠ focuses on improving the quality of primary education in the Republic of Croatia and provides support to schools by organizing seminars and professional gatherings.

The conference was dedicated to one of the most important yet often overlooked aspects of school life – the mental health of all participants in the educational process: children, principals, teachers, and the adults who support them. It brought together 550 primary school principals from across Croatia and featured presentations from thirteen speakers representing various professional backgrounds.
 

The thematic focus included how to build a school environment that listens to and understands children, how to create a climate resilient to challenges yet sensitive to human needs, and how to nurture one’s own mental health in order to care for others. Through their contributions, the speakers enriched the conference content and inspired new ideas and reflections on mental health and leadership in schools – a key driver of positive change in education.

In her presentation titled “Teacher Education and Leadership That Listens to People, Not Just the System”, Prof. Brković addressed issues within the current concept of teacher education and provided a historical overview of its development in Croatia. She highlighted challenges such as the lack of admission criteria for teacher education programmes, inconsistency in curricula, ambiguities in regulations on pedagogical and psychological training, and the need for clearer definitions of occupational standards and qualification frameworks.
 

The impressive number and engagement of participants at this professional gathering offer hope for the advancement of the educational system – one that must be a place of safety and protection for our children. We are proud that our University contributed to this excellently designed and organized conference.