CroatiaThe article discusses the challenges faced by teaching assistants (pomoćnici u nastavi) in Croatia due to legal ambiguities regarding their employment contracts. Ines Galić, a teaching assistant at Ivo Andrić Primary School in Zagreb, had to leave her position after three years despite positive relationships with students, parents, and colleagues. She was unable to secure a new contract after three consecutive fixed-term agreements. The law from 2023 mandates that employers offer permanent employment after three fixed-term contracts, but this does not apply to teaching assistants. School administrators claim they cannot offer a fourth fixed-term contract without violating labor laws, and they lack the authority to hire permanently without approval from the Ministry of Science, Education, and Youth. This situation forces schools to replace experienced assistants, disrupting student care, especially for children with developmental difficulties who rely on these assistants for consistent support. Parents and educators argue that this system undermines educational quality and calls for policy changes to ensure stable employment for teaching assistants.
Bias read (Progressive): The article frames the issue as a systemic failure in administrative rules that negatively impacts vulnerable children. It emphasizes the human cost of bureaucratic inflexibility and criticizes the current policy framework. While it presents the legal constraints as objective, it highlights the ineq
