Education system in Croatia

Primary school BOLSplit, May 2014

The aims• To increase the quality of education that will

meet the needs of local culture, economy and knowledge-based society in line with democratic principles

• To encourage and continuously improve intelectual, physical, social, moral and spiritual developmetnt of each student according to his/her needs, skills and abilities

• To ensure the right to education for everyone• To train students how to learn and help them to

learn• To prepare students for different life possibilities

and temptations• To teach them values of life and dignity

The values

• independence• exploring spirit• creativity• communication• decency• self-confidence

• respect• tolerance • responisibilty• equality• solidarity• cooperation

Qualifications of Teachers

All teachers should have Graduate level of educational studies

Each teacher is obliged to attend workshops and meetings organized by MZOS (on the County and State- level)

Teachers can be promoted in teacher-mentor or teacher-advisor according to their effort and accomplishment (min. 6 years of experience in the classroom needed)

Headmasters should have min. Graduate level of educational studies and 5 years of work experience in the classroom

School funding

From the central government through the local municipalities.

School directors are responsible for the financial management in cooperation with a municipal committee

Teachers are civil servants, paid by the government.

Croatian education systemAge Type of education

1-6 Pre-school institutions

nurseries and kindergartens

7-14 Primary school Regular, all-day, special needs

15-18 Secondary school - Grammar schools (general, language, science, classical and sports grammar schools)

- Vocational schools (commercial, medical, technical, art, dance, ballet, agricultural etc.)

- Industrial and craftsmanship schools (3 years)

19-24 Higher education - Universities- Public polytechnics - Schools of professional higher education

Primary school

Lasts for eight years from age 6 or 7 14 or 15 Compulsory education Article 65 of the Constitution states:

„Primary education shall be compulsory and free”

Organisation Number of students in the class: up to 28 8 grades

Lower level or classroom teaching (Year 1 to 4) – one teacher except for Foreign Language and Religious Education

Higher level or subject teaching (Year 5 to 8) – each subject taught by a particular teacher

Year 1-4

COMPULSORY SUBJECTS: Croatian, Maths, Science, Art, Music, English, PE

OPTIONAL SUBJECTS: Religion, Second foreign language

After school classes Extracurricular activities Homeroom class

English language is compulsory from Year 1

Year 5-8 COMPULSORY SUBJECTS

OPTIONAL SUBJECTS - Religion, Sedond foreign language (German, Italian, French), ICT, football

After school classes Extracurricular activities Homeroom class

Year 5-6 Year 7-8Croatian, Maths, Science, Art, Music, English, PE, Technic, History, Geography

Croatian, Maths, Science, Art, Music, English, PE, Technic, History, GeographyBiology, Chemistry, Physics

Grading system 5 – excellent 4 – very good 3 – good 2 – sufficient 1 – insufficient / FAIL

No marks during the half term in Year 1

School time

The school year lasts 175 days Schools run 5 days a week, 35 weeks a year Lesson lasts: 45 minutes

Weekly timetable: Year 1 – 4: 20 hrs a weekYear 5-6: 24 hrs a week + optional subjects (2-6 hrs)Year 7-8: 28 hrs a week + optional subjects (2-6 hrs)

TIMETABLE

Year 1-4 – in shifts (Morning/afternoon)

Compulsory subjects: 8 am – 1.10pm / 2pm - 7.10pm

Optional subjects: in opposite shift

Year 5-8– in the morning

Compulsory subjects and Religion: 8 am – 1.10pm

Optional subjects and PE: 1.10pm-7.10pm

Secondary schools Not compulsory Article 65 of the Constitution states:Secondary and higher education shall

be made equally accessible to all, on the basis of capacity

Last for three or four years

Universities Institutions of higher education that organise

and implement university studies in at least two scientific and/or artistic areas in a larger number of fields.

Universities of Zagreb, Osijek, Split, Rijeka, Pula, Dubrovnik and Zadar

Universities include components that are legal persons and are called faculties or art academies.

They carry out university study programmes and conduct research

Private institutions of higher education

In Croatia there are: private polytechnics (e.g. Polytechnic in Velika

Gorica, VERN Business College, Polytechnic for media, business and management)

25 private schools of professional higher education (e.g. American College of Management and Technology, International Graduate School for Management in Zagreb, RRiF School of Financial Management, etc.)

University studies Undergraduate Graduate Postgraduate (doctoral study)

Exception: integrated undergraduate and graduate study (Law)

Undergraduate university study

The first level normally lasts for three years during which students earn 180 ECTS

A smaller number of undergraduate studies in Croatia are administered as four-year studies during which students earn 240 ECTS (e.g. Social Work)

University degree: bachelor

Graduate university study

The second level normally lasts for two years during which students earn 120 ECTS.

A smaller number of graduate studies in Croatia are administered as one-year studies in which students earn 60 ECTS.

After the completion of the studies, students receive the diploma and the academic title of master with the indication of the profession.

Postgraduate university study (doctoral study)

The third level normally lasts for three years.

After its completion, students receive the diploma and the academic title of the doctor of science with the indication of the scientific or art field.

Universities autonomously regulate the usage of ECTS in postgraduate university studies.

Polytechnics Public polytechnics and schools of

professional higher education are institutions of higher education that implement professional studies.

These two types of higher education institutions differ in the scope of their curriculum: polytechnics are the institutions of higher education that organise and implement at least three different studies from at least three different scientific fields.

Their mission is to provide professional education to students, with the emphasis on practical application and they commonly include practical work.