Discussion on the education system for seamen

Croatian education system for seamen proved more than good for our sailors who are appreciated world wide, but should be left the possibility of an alternative system to acquire the highest rank in the Marine that took place at institutions of higher education and was open only to sailors swagger profession and certain navigational years of service, said cap. MARIO BABIC, State Secretary for the Sea, at today's hearing on the education system of sailors in Croatia held in Split.

The new model of education with more attention would be care of  sailor's practice and would be designed for those sailors that the navigation may also obtain trough the largest naval vocations, explained Babic.

The introduction of a parallel system of education of seamen in the debate supported a number of organizations of seamen, agents in the employment and the Union of Croatian Sailors, while it opposed the Association of Maritime Colleges and the Association of Rivers Captain and the "Queen of the sea" Captain Assosiation.

Dean of Maritime Faculty in Rijeka, Ph.D. Pavao Komadina said that such system should not be introduced for now in Croatian education system of seamen , due to the fact that Croatia has the lowest number of the high-educaated in Europe, and we have at least the minnimum of the university graduates. However, leaving the possibility that the highest rank in the Marine can acquire through lifelong education, only those sailors who have sailed for many years.

In the opinion Svetka Perkovic, director of the Maritime School of Zadar, an alternative model of education would be appropriate for only 10% of the sailors. Parallel system could ensure dynamic advancement in the maritime profession through education, training sailors to navigate more easily track changes and technology continue to have free choice in the way of achieving the highest rank, Perkovic said.

Maja Markovcic-Kostelac, acting Director of the Management Board of Maritime Transport, Ports and Maritime Property, presented a model education of sailors with a special emphasis on maritime academie Warsash, in the Program that allows acquisition positions through a combination of theoretical and practical module.

Attendees reported that the ongoing amendments to the STCW Convention, which regulates standards and training seamen, and will be adopted in late June at the Diplomatic Conference in Manila.

Babic announced that the operational Ministry is about to design a model to stimulate Croatian shipping for our boarding cadets based on a Great Britain model, and that in turn the shipment-managment will be exempt from certain tax benefits. Also announced that it will be introduced AVC experience for sailors.

He also said that the Government will continue to support the shipping companies, investments in infrastructure construction in ports and state grants students of maritime schools and colleges.

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