| Education System in Croatia |
Education in Croatia is a constitutional right in terms of which primary education is free and all other education is available to all. Elementary education lasts for 8 years of which the first 4 are characterized by unitary class teachers. Thereafter the curriculum widens to include specialist teachers and additional scientific subjects.
There are two main types of secondary schools in Croatia, namely gymnasiums and vocational schools. The former schools offer 4 separate four-year tracks, namely maths / informatics / science, languages, classics and general education, while the latter focus on producing entry-level employees.
The Croatian government has introduced a program to align vocational training with the european union model that includes occupational standards and listed qualifications. Progress is being made with mutual recognition too. This should soon see the nation’s youth free to develop their careers in the wider European context which can only be good for national development.
There are two broad types of tertiary institutions, namely universities and polytechnic schools. These days distinctions are blurring although university graduates are still regarded as superior. At university level, individual faculties form separate colleges with own administrative facilities, and may be located some distance apart or even in different towns.
The University of Zagreb was established as a Jesuit Academy in 1669. Its faculties include sciences, engineering, bio-medical sciences, bio-technology, social sciences, humanities and arts.
