September means back to school for children across Croatia – and a useful opportunity for Croatian language learners to brush up on some school vocabulary too.

The Croatian school year generally begins in early September, after the long summer holidays, and is divided into two polugodišta – terms or semesters (literally half-years).

Children attend eight years of compulsory primary education (osnovna škola), usually starting at the age of six or seven. After that, most continue to secondary school (srednja škola), choosing between different types of academic or vocational education.

As in the UK, the beginning of a new school year means new timetables, books and school supplies – and perhaps a mixture of excitement and reluctance as the summer holidays come to an end!

Some useful Croatian school vocabulary

škola – school
učenik / učenica – pupil/student (male/female)
učitelj / učiteljica – primary school teacher (male/female)
nastavnik / nastavnica – teacher (male/female)
razred – class / year group
učionica – classroom
školska godina – school year
školski praznici– school holidays
raspored – timetable
udžbenik – textbook
bilježnica – exercise book / notebook
olovka – pencil
domaća zadaća – homework
odmor – break

And one very useful September phrase:

Sretno u novoj školskoj godini!

Good luck in the new school year!