COUNTRY PROFILE CROATIA

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1 COUNTRY PROFILE CROATIA GENERAL INFORMATION Full name: Republic of Croatia Population: 4.4 million (UN, 2005) Capital: Zagreb Area: 56,594 sq km (21,851 sq km) Major language: Croatian Major religion: Christianity Life expectancy: 71 years (men), 78 years (women) (UN) Monetary unit: 1 kuna = 100 lipa Main exports: Machinery and transport equipment, clothing, chemicals GNI per capita: US $8,060 (World Bank, 2006) TVE SYSTEM 1 General Structure According to its duration, TVET is divided into four-year and three-year programs. According to their type, the three-year programs are divided into crafts and industrial occupations. By their type, the four-year programs are divided into technical programs, programs from the area of the economics, trade, catering, tourism, health care, etc. There are 192 approved teaching plans and programs, and 54 new teaching plans are currently being worked on for two-year programs. 75% of teaching hours are intended for four-year programs (technical programs, programs from the area of economics, trade, catering, tourism and health care), for the general education and technical-theoretical programs with laboratory and workshop practice training, and 25% of the teaching hours are intended for practice training and technical practice. In the three-year vocational programs, 45% of the teaching hours within the existing models of all programs/vocations are, on average, intended for general education and technical-theoretical programs, and 55% of teaching hours are intended for practice training and technical practice. After the completion of four-year programs, it is possible to continue education in the higher education system; however, after the three-year programs, it is possible to continue the education in polytechnics only, depending on a track; but the selection criteria for the enrollment are established by the polytechnics themselves, as they are the autonomous institutions. The Ministry of Science, Education and Sports (MSES) is responsible for the approval of the teaching plans and programs. The vocational part of these plans and programs is developed by the Agency for Vocational Education and Training, while the general education part is developed by the Education Agency. The Ministry of the Economy, Labor and Entrepreneurship passes a program for crafts and industrial schools, however the MSES must agree, on the basis of the established relevant requirements that these programs can be carried out. 1 Source World Bank Country Office in Croatia

2 Financing and Expenditures On July 1st, 2001, the Republic of Croatia has started with the decentralization of the public sector financing, and this also included the decentralized financing of the primary and secondary education. One part of financial resources for material and financial expenses and for the capital investments was devolved to 21 financing agents (21 counties). Every year, the Government of the Republic of Croatia sets, at the proposal of the Ministry of Science, Education and Sports, the minimum standard for primary and secondary schools and monitors the realization of this standard. The minimum financial standard is financed from local and regional self-government budgets, from the revenues earned by these self-governments from the additional personal income tax share. If the revenues from the additional personal income tax share are not sufficient for the financing of the minimum financial standard, the difference is ensured from the State Budget. Commitments according to jurisdictions are stated as follows: STATE BUDGET - (Staff salaries, construction, reconstruction and equipment of school institutions; professional improvement of teachers in the application of new knowledge and technologies; providing the school institutions with a modern equipment; anniversary rewards for the staff of school institutions; financing of projects intended for the development and upgrading of the vocational education and training.) LOCAL GOVERNMENT AND SELF-GOVERNMENT BUDGET - (construction, reconstruction and equipping of school institutions; covering of all material costs of an education institution; own revenues (earned by the sale of products manufactured in own school workshops, by providing over-night accommodation to external persons (students' hostels, especially during the summer months), by adult education and training, by providing services that the institutions are additionally registered for, by donations from parents and various sponsors). OTHER FORMS OF FINANCING - (mandatory compensations paid by employers to students for the students' practical training; scholarships (granted by the County Chamber of Crafts and Trade, by the Ministry of the Economy, Labor and Entrepreneurship (MELE), by the Croatian Chamber of Commerce (HGK), and by individual craftsmen and firms); one-time supports intended for the preservation of traditional occupations and crafts (The Foundation called Izvorno hrvatsko ( Originally Croatian ) granted by the Croatian Chamber of Commerce and by the Croatian Chamber of Crafts). The major indicators in public spending on education for 2005 are given as follows: TVET Expenditure (% of Total Education Expenditure) TVET Expenditure (% of GDP) Total Education Expenditure (% of GDP) 4.8 Per Capita TVET Expenditure (% of GDP Per Capita) Per Capita Secondary Education Expenditure (% of GDP Per Capita) 23.3 Per Capita Tertiary Education Expenditure (% of GDP Per Capita)

3 Quality Assurance The MSES has appointed a Board for Pedagogical Standards and a Board for the National Curriculum for Pre-school, Primary and Secondary Education Systems in the Republic of Croatia. The task of the Board for Pedagogical Standard is to develop pedagogical standards that includes the following assumptions: spatial and architectural assumptions, assumptions related to health protection and hygiene; assumptions related to staff; technical and IT assumptions, and the other assumptions that are relevant for the physical improvement, equipment, organizational structure, ratio between the number of children and staff size, criteria for the number of children and student size, organizational structure of schools on islands and in mountainous areas, as well as for the extended day programs and work in the school, for special educational programs (music, dance and sports education), for the minimum students' requirements and for the organizational structure of adult education institutions. The tasks of the Board for the Development of the Curriculum are: adoption of a concept, strategy and principles for the development and realization of the national curriculum for preschool, primary and secondary education levels; forming of new committees, working groups and other professional bodies that are necessary for the development of the curriculum and for the supervision and coordination of the work on the curriculum development; development of the National Framework of Curriculum; development of educational standards and other components of the national curriculum; amendment and development of legal acts and documentation according to the requirements of the curriculum and its components. During 2006, a working group, which was active within the MSES, developed the initial basis for the Croatian Qualification Framework. The initial basis was adopted by the Republic of Croatia Government, and the work on the establishing of a new committee which will continue the development of the National Qualification Framework is currently underway. The Secondary Education Act lays down the manner in which the secondary schools and the other legal persons may perform the secondary education activities according to the requirements of this Act. The beginning of any secondary school's work must be approved by the Minister in his/her decision. A positive decision will be made if the school in question has ensured: the professional staff required for the performing of teaching plans and programs; premises and equipment in line with the standards established by the teaching plan and program; and resources required for the performing of the curriculum. The manner and procedure of establishing the requirements that a secondary school must meet in order to be allowed to begin with its work are laid down in the Regulations on the Manner and Procedure for the Establishing of Requirements for the Beginning of a Secondary School's Work. The performance of regular students is monitored and assessed during the courses. A student's results and a final grade for each particular subject are determined by a teacher publicly, in the classroom or within the education group, at the end of a school-term (semester) or at the end of the school-year. This is done based on the monitoring and assessment during one semester or during the whole school year. The manner of such monitoring and assessment is laid down by the Regulations on the Manner of Monitoring and Assessment of Primary and Secondary School Students. After the completion of any grade, a student receives a class certificate at the school level. This certificate is a public document. Role of the Private Sector 3

4 The process of including the economy and employers, as well as the other social partners, in the education system is currently in progress. This process is carried out through the activities of the Vocational Education Agency. In 2006, this Agency established 13 sector boards for 13 educational sectors. These boards are representing continuously and professionally the current and future educational requirements of the Croatian education system. These are three-partite bodies, consisting of the representatives of all social partners from the economy (large, medium and small businesses and crafts), from the chambers (Croatian Chamber of Crafts, Croatian Chamber of Commerce), professional associations, trade unions, employers (Croatian Employers' Association), secondary schools, higher education institutions, etc. The Croatian Chamber of Crafts takes care of apprenticeships for students included in crafts programs. It participates in the planning of enrollment in these programs, and delivers the data on the number of places for the apprenticeship. The Students of TVE Systems After the completion of the primary school, all candidates are entitled to enroll at a secondary school under equal conditions, however within the limits of the number established by the decision on the enrollment. Full-time (regular) students may enroll in the first grade of a secondary school at the age of 17, and exceptionally at the age of 18, if this is approved by a relevant school board. The selection of candidates for the enrollment is based on the performance during their previous education, and based on a student's dispositions and competences, depending on the secondary school type. The elements and criteria for the selection of candidates for all secondary school types are defined by MSES. A Decision on the Enrollment, for each school year, is also made by the Minister, at the proposal made by each particular school. By rule, a full-time (regular) student may change the program in which she/he has enrolled after the first grade. The change of a program may be conditioned by passing the differential or additional examinations. The Teachers Council establishes the content, manner and terms for such differential or additional examinations. Any student who has achieved a lower qualification is entitled to secondary education or qualification. A student will make use of this right by continuing his/her education or by passing the required examinations. This entitlement is always conditioned by passing the differential, i.e. bridging courses or additional examinations. Enrollment patterns for 2006 are given as follows: Number of Students in TVET (Total) 130,252 % of Total Enrollment Number of Students in General Secondary Education (Total 1-12 Grades) 438,549 % of Total Enrollment Number of Students in Tertiary Education (Total) 136,129 % of Total Enrollment The professional guidance service is organized and provided by the Croatian Employment Agency and the Ministry of Science, Education and Sports. There are also some private initiatives 4

5 by some tertiary agencies and professional guidance institutions that are providing services of vocational guidance for students of higher primary school grades (7th and 8th grade), as well as the counseling and professional information for the unemployed adults. The professional guidance in education institutions is based on providing information on further education, training and retraining possibilities. In primary schools, these activities are mainly related to the work with students of the final (8th) grade, which means offering information on available secondary schools. Students are sent or taken to the Croatian Employment Agency to use the additional professional guidance services and counseling, particularly the students who have limited possibilities to choose their future occupation due to their psychophysical condition. Public and private secondary and higher education institutions, as well as the adult education institutions, are providing the services of professional guidance and counseling on further education by giving the information on the programs that they are offering. 5