State Secretary Mužinić Bikić opened the two-day international PISA conference in Dubrovnik

The Ministry of Science, Education and Youth of the Republic of Croatia, in collaboration with the PISA Governing Board’s Analysis and Dissemination Group and the OECD Secretariat, organized a two-day international PISA conference in Dubrovnik from November 29 to 30, 2024. 

The main theme of the conference was the effective use of results and indicators gathered through the PISA assessment to inform the development of educational policies and practices. The conference aimed to foster discussions and knowledge exchange among education policymakers, researchers, and practitioners.

The conference was opened by Zrinka Mužinić Bikić, State Secretary of the Ministry of Science, Education and Youth; Andreas Schleicher, Director for Education and Skills at the OECD; Stefaan Hermans, Director in the Directorate-General for Education, Youth, Sport, and Culture at the European Commission; and Camil Würgler, Chair of the PISA Governing Board’s Analysis and Dissemination Group. In her opening speech, State Secretary Mužinić Bikić highlighted how PISA has helped raise awareness in Croatia of the importance of collecting independent and objective indicators on the quality and effectiveness of the education system as well as the need for continuous evaluation and adjustment of curricula to meet changing educational demands and global standards. 

As a result, with the introduction of the State Matura exams at the end of secondary education in 2010 and national exams at various stages of primary education in 2022, Croatia has developed a powerful tool for collecting national data needed to create policies that contribute to the quality of the education system and better alignment with international and European standards. 

Insights derived from PISA data have helped us in designing the ongoing “Whole Day School” reform launched in 2023 as part of broader educational reforms in Croatia.

PISA (Programme for International Student Assessment) is the world's largest educational survey, collecting comparable data on the knowledge and skills of 15-year-old students in key subject areas and providing relevant indicators on various aspects of educational quality and equity. The assessment is conducted by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) in over 90 countries worldwide.

More than 150 researchers and education experts from around the world presented their work at the conference. Key topics included the role of PISA data in mobilizing national knowledge, educational reforms and policy changes based on PISA data, and using PISA insights to improve school and teaching practices.

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