Croatia is a nation at the very heart of Europe, both socially and politically. Its natural beauty and cultural diversity have always attracted large number of tourists. Croatia is a stable democracy with a functioning market economy and low inflation. The total population is 4.5 million, of which 28 per cent lives in urban areas. The main cities are Zagreb, Split, Rijeka and Osijek. The capital city, Zagreb, has 973,667 inhabitants (2005); the national language is Croatian; and the national currency is the Kuna (HRK), with about HRK 7.2 to EUR 1 and GRK 9.5 to GBP 1.
The economy emerged from a mild recession in 2000, with tourism, banking, and public investments leading the way. The unemployment remains high at 14.3 per cent (2007). While macroeconomic stabilisation has largely been achieved, structural reforms lag because of deep resistance on the part of the public and lack of strong support from politicians. Growth, while impressive at about three to four per cent for the last several years, has been stimulated, in part, through high fiscal deficits and rapid credit growth. The EU accession process should accelerate fiscal and structural reform.
Croatia’s foreign policy priorities remain securing membership of both the EU and NATO. Croatia was accepted as a candidate for EU membership in June 2004 and EU accession negotiations were opened in October 2005. As of January 2008, Croatia had opened 14 chapters in the negotiations, and provisionally closed two. Croatia hopes to join the EU by 2010.
The Croatian education system is under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Science, Education and Sports on all levels.
Pre school education takes place in nursery schools and kindergartens until a child is six or seven years old. Attendance at pre-school education is not a prerequisite for enrolment at a primary school. Pre-school education has adopted some of the world-renowned concepts, such as Montessori, Waldorf, etc. It also includes education of national minorities’ children, children with special needs, as well as gifted children, for whom special educational and developmental programmes have been developed.
The first four-year education cycle is one-teacher education only with compulsory foreign language learning in year one. In the second four-year cycle, subject teaching is introduced. The Croatian National Education Standard (CNES) has been created as a basis for changes in the teaching programme and work methods in the primary school system and for the purpose of developing the ‘school tailored to pupils’. The purpose of the CNES is to introduce modern teaching methods based on research-based classes.
There are three types of secondary schools in Croatia, depending on the type of curriculum they follow: grammar schools, art schools and vocational schools. The new National Curriculum guidelines for secondary education, which will be completed by 2010, will define the duration and content of secondary school education in-line with labour market needs, higher education and lifelong learning requirements.
The new State Matura examination, which will be introduced in 2009 in grammar schools and 2010 in vocational schools, represents a standardised external examination at the end of a four-year secondary education.
CroatiaSkills is a national, non-profit and non-government association that actively promotes careers in VET (Vocational and Education Training system) for young people across Croatia. CroatiaSkills was set up in 2005 and has a national responsibility for organising competitions for promoting vocational education and training in Croatia.
Higher education in Croatia is performed through university and professional studies. University studies are carried out at universities, while professional studies are performed at polytechnics and schools of professional higher education. University studies include three levels: undergraduate (leading to Bachelor's degrees), graduate (leading to Master's degrees) and postgraduate studies (leading to doctoral degrees).
Admission to higher education in Croatia is currently on the basis of the Matura examination (secondary school leaving examination) and a competitive entrance examination operated by the relevant individual university faculty.
There are six publicly funded universities in Croatia, the University of Zagreb being the oldest and the University of Dubrovnik the newest. Other university towns in Croatia include Split, Rijeka, Osijek and Zadar. Around 32 per cent of the young Croatian population go to universities, and the majority of them are currently on government subsidized places.
Croatia signed the Bologna Declaration in May 2001 and the first phase of the Bologna process was completed in 2005, introducing a unified three-cycle system of studying at undergraduate, graduate and postgraduate level. The European Credit Transfer System, mobility of students, national monitoring and quality assurance, legal integration of the universities and a binary system are key elements to be incorporated by 2010.
With Croatia's preparations for accession to the EU, there is growing recognition of the importance of obtaining a higher degree qualification. The market for overseas study is concentrated at the higher education level, in particular the postgraduate level. The UK is one of the most popular study destinations and the quality of its higher education institutions, especially the top ranking ones, is widely recognised. Interest is generally spread over a wide range of disciplines, and the most popular subject areas include business studies, economy and law, performing arts and the environment.
However, the UK's fees for international students still remain an obstacle for many Croatian students and most of the education enquiries British Council Croatia receives revolve around funding opportunities. We anticipate that the number of students studying in the UK will increase significantly once Croatia joins the EU, and our education promotion work is steered by this goal. In the meantime, distance learning opportunities seem to be an increasingly attractive alternative option; the number of people taking distance learning examinations at the British Council has, for example, more than doubled in the last couple of years.
British Council Croatia is perceived as a key foreign cultural institution in the country and has high profile amongst students, academics and the intellectually minded. We support the Ministry of Education and Science of Croatia with its education reform programme through the provision of UK expertise. From April 2006, we have managed a two-year project for head teachers, teacher trainers and advisors. We are also involved in the regional Vocational Education and Training project.
British Council Croatia also provides information on all levels of education in the UK. On behalf of the FCO, we manage and promote the prestigious Chevening scholarships programme, which enables around 30 young people to follow their postgraduate studies in the UK.
British Council Croatia also administers examinations in English as a Foreign Language for Cambridge English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL). More than 2,000 candidates take Cambridge examinations every year with a success rate of over 80 per cent. The Examinations Unit also administers the International English Language Testing System (IELTS) and International Legal English Certificate (ILEC) exams, as well as examinations for a range of international professional bodies, universities and colleges. In 2006, we saw a significant rise in the number of education and professional examinations. In the 2007 / 2008 academic year, we administered over 900 such examinations.
British Council Croatia supports the English language teachers' network and Croatian Association of Teachers of English – HUPE.
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