“I want to go to university”: How Subhi made his dream come true
Integration of non-native speakers in schools is - crucial
- Hrvatski
- English
When Subhi arrived to Croatia from Syria eight years ago, he only knew how to say: “Good day.” Today, he is studying at the Faculty of Agriculture in Zagreb. His journey from his first school days to graduation and university shows how much support, patience, and togetherness can change a life.
“At the beginning it was hard, but in the end I managed. My friends and teacher Hmura helped me with the Croatian language”, Subhi recalls. At first, he was reserved in class, afraid of making mistakes in front of others:
“I was a little embarrassed. If I made a mistake, I didn’t want to go to the board.”
Some laughed, some corrected him, some supported him—but Subhi never gave up:
“I never had a moment when I stopped or gave up learning Croatian.”
Friends helped him through conversations about sports: “I learned Croatian with a friend through stories about football, sports, or things we like to do.” Football was his favorite topic: “My favorite club is Real Madrid.”
The teacher who believed in him
Anita Hmura, a Croatian language teacher at the Agronomy School Zagreb, remembers his beginnings:
“I’ve known Subhi since his first year of high school. He was quite reserved. He didn’t speak up much, but he listened carefully to everything and was very polite. I gave him the chance to open up slowly. And really, when he reached the fourth year, he opened up and I dare say he was among the best students in the class.”
Their relationship grew gradually: “He opened up slowly, and our cooperation got better and better. When he realized I wanted to help him—that was the most important thing. I told him: ‘Don’t be afraid of anything. I want to help you, and we want you to pass your graduation exam.’ And then he completely relaxed. And the results showed.”
Subhi knew Croatian would be his biggest challenge: “Teacher Hmura helped me a lot with learning Croatian. If we hadn’t studied together, I probably wouldn’t have passed the graduation exam.”
They had extra lessons outside of class: “We met in the classroom and studied Croatian, and everything needed for graduation. We mostly worked on essays and required reading. She explained how to write essays, part by part.”
The teacher adds: “He wanted to succeed, and that was the most important thing to me. Working with him was always wonderful. He was always punctual, always respected what we agreed on.”
From initial discomfort to confidence
The results were visible, not only in exam scores but also in his confidence. “In the fourth year, he spoke up in class the most. Other students were amazed, turning to him and asking: ‘Where did you learn that?’ And he proudly said: ‘I’m preparing, I want to go to university.”
Subhi openly says:
“I didn’t want easier tests or special conditions. I had that in elementary school, and I didn’t like it. Here, I didn’t have that, I was like everyone else.”
The teacher adds: “For the graduation exam, he had the option to get extra time, but he didn’t use it, and despite that, he passed Croatian.”
The day the news came about passing the exam
One moment they especially remember: the morning of the Croatian graduation exam.
“I arrive at 7:45 and see Subhi already sitting together with his classmates. I say: ‘Are you brave, are you ready?’ And Subhi says to me: ‘Teacher, they don’t know what polysyndeton is.’ We laughed, and his friend replied: ‘And the Syrian knows!’ And he really did know!”
“I was in Dubrovnik and called my mom: ‘I passed the graduation exam, I passed Croatian with a D!’ She asked: ‘Why not a B?’ But she was happy,” Subhi laughs. Teacher Hmura adds: “We were all overjoyed because we realized the effort paid off. Subhi deserved it. When I congratulated him, he said: ‘It’s all thanks to you.’ And I thought, it’s primarily thanks to him because he worked so hard.”
His biggest motivation was enrolling in university, and he achieved it: “I always wanted to go to university. When I found out about the Faculty of Agriculture, I decided I would go there.” Today, he follows lectures without any problems: “I understand everything in class.”
In his free time, Subhi loves boxing, hanging out with friends, and exploring Croatia: “I like the people, the company, the good atmosphere.” He has visited Dubrovnik, Split, Krk, Pula… “The most beautiful places for me were Novi Vinodolski and Dubrovnik.”
UNICEF and Switerzland help integrate students who speak other languages
The Agronomy School Zagreb is one of five schools supported by UNICEF and Switzerland in integrating students whose mother tongue is not Croatian. The programme introduced a universal test for assessing Croatian language proficiency developed by the National Center for External Evaluation of Education, textbooks, workshops, and cultural activities.
Teacher Hmura emphasizes: “The programme was more than useful because I had no experience with students who spoke other languages. We received textbooks, learned how to test knowledge, and included students in Zagreb’s cultural life. I still apply the advice I received.”
A very important part of the programme was cultural integration, so students participated in Zagreb’s cultural life, and schools organized various intercultural workshops and other activities.
“As part of this program, we took students to the play ‘Let’s Go Live.’ Subhi laughed a lot. He said he would recommend the play to his friends.”
For him, the Arabic language workshop at Multikulti Fest was especially memorable: “I was glad to see someone learn something about Arabic culture, even a little Arabic. I felt proud.” The teacher adds: “Such activities connected us and showed how important it is to include different cultures in school.”
The importance of integration and belonging
Subhi says he felt accepted from day one: “Like I was in Syria, except for the language, that was my biggest problem.” Today, that problem is behind him. Ahead are new challenges – university, plans for the future: “For now, I want to finish university. We’ll see what comes next.”
His story shows how much support, patience, and togetherness matter. And how can one program open doors, not only to language but to life.
Integration of students who speak other languages is at the heart of activities that UNICEF, in cooperation with the Switzerland, carries out in five schools across Croatia as part of the programme “Supporting protection and integration of children and families in migration in Croatia" funded by the Second Swiss Contribution to selected EU member states.
©UNICEF, 2025 “The information and views set out in this page are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the official opinion of the Schweizerische Eidgenossenschaft, Swiss-Europe Rapid Response Fund or UNICEF. Neither the Schweizerische Eidgenossenschaft, Swiss-Europe Rapid Response Fund or UNICEF nor any person acting on their behalf may be held responsible for the use which may be made of the information contained therein.”
