In accordance with the National Plan for the Development of Education and Training until 2027 for the area of ​​early childhood and school education, the following measures related to quality assurance have been adopted: 

• improve quality assurance procedures in ECEC, 

• improve the system for monitoring the functioning of the education system and the use of available data in shaping education policies and implementing reforms aimed at quality, effectiveness, efficiency and equity,

• improve the quality of management of education institutions,

• establish a coherent quality assurance system in vocational education by identifying quality indicators, developing new tools and mechanisms, and improving the self-evaluation process and linking it with external evaluation.

   

Responsible bodies

• The Education and Teacher Training Agency (ETTA) is a public institution which manages quality assurance in pre-primary, single-structure primary education and general secondary education (ISCED 1 – 3) and performs professional and pedagogical supervision (monitoring the implementation of curricula, organisation and delivery of classes and other forms of educational work of institutions, and the professional and pedagogical work of educators). In order to ensure continuous professional development and acquisition of competencies of educational staff in preschool institutions, primary and secondary schools and student dormitories, ETTA organises and conducts professional development training.

• The Agency for Vocational Education and Training and Adult Education (AVETAE) is a public institution whose scope of work includes participation in evaluation, self-evaluation and external evaluation procedures in the system of vocational education and adult education, which includes visits to schools, quality committees and self-evaluation teams and advisory support and monitoring in the self-evaluation process, professional development trainings for committees and school self-evaluation teams, and reporting on the self-evaluation process. AVETAE participates in the work of the EQAVET network and is the National Reference Point for Quality Assurance in Vocational Education and Training in Croatia (QAVET.HR, www.qavet.hr).

• The National Centre for External Evaluation of Education (NCEEE) was established as a public institution by the National Centre for External Evaluation of Education Act. The NCEEE conducts external evaluation in the pre-tertiary education system of the Republic of Croatia and examinations based on national standards, analyses data collected through external evaluation and prepares reports on the results. The NCEEE also participates in the implementation of international research in education (PISA, TIMSS, TALIS, ICCS, etc.). 

• The Ministry of Science, Education and Youth (MSEY) within its scope of competence performs tasks related to ensuring the implementation of laws and other regulations in the field of education. Among other things, it monitors, proposes and implements measures to improve the situation in the early childhood and preschool, primary and secondary education systems, and participates in the development of strategic frameworks and programme documents related to the development of the education system and adult education. It participates in monitoring, improving and developing the work of agencies responsible for quality assurance in education. The Ministry monitors and evaluates programmes within its sectoral scope and participates in the development of analyses and proposals for public policies that regulate and improve the education system.

• The Education Inspectorate is an independent organisational unit within the Ministry of Science, Education and Youth. It carries out supervision regarding the implementation of laws and other regulations that regulate the organisation and operation of preschool and school system institutions, as well as the conditions and methods of work in preschool institutions, primary and secondary schools, student dormitories and other legal entities that perform educational activities, except for higher education institutions. 

   

Approaches and Methods for Quality Assurance 

Early Childhood Education and Care (ECEC)

In accordance with the Act on Preschool Education, the National Curriculum for Early Childhood Education and Care prescribes values, principles, educational goals and expectations related to the development and key competencies for lifelong learning. It also determines approaches and methods of working with preschool children, as well as forms of evaluation. Based on the National Curriculum, kindergarten curricula are developed, which, among other things, define evaluation procedures. The National Curriculum also states that internal and external (self)evaluation of the quality of ECEC institutions includes:

• the whole (functioning of the institution – legal regulation, application of pedagogical standards, quality of the educational process, etc.)

• individual segments (monitoring of children's progress, respect for the rights of children, parents and other factors, inclusion of children with special needs, training of experts in the institution, etc.)

The internal quality evaluation of the institution is carried out in accordance with the applicable parameters (criteria/indicators/standards), and each institution can also develop its own additional standards.

The National Pedagogical Standards for Preschool Education and Care (OG 63/2008, OG 90/2010) prescribe the obligation to monitor the quality of work in accordance with the relevant regulations. According to the pedagogical standards, internal evaluation is carried out by the ECEC institutions themselves, while external evaluation is carried out by the competent institutions, i.e. the competent ministry and the founder.

The National Plan for the Development of Education and Training until 2027 includes a measure aimed at improving quality assurance procedures in ECEC, with a special emphasis on improving educational outcomes and the quality of management of this system. There is a plan to establish a mechanism for long-term planning, coordination and monitoring of educational policy measures within the ECEC system.

Internal evaluation

The National Pedagogical Standards for Preschool Education and Care (OG 63/08, 90/10) state that internal evaluation is carried out by ECEC institutions, but does not prescribe methods or guidelines on how to carry out internal evaluation. 

External evaluation 

Inspection supervision: in accordance with the Act on Preschool Education and the Act on Education Inspectorate, it is carried out by the Education Inspectorate, in the case of reported irregularities. 

Professional and pedagogical supervision: in accordance with the Act on Preschool Education, it is carried out by the Education and Teacher Training Agency in the case of reported irregularities. Structural quality is mainly assessed – the ratio of core practitioners to children, material conditions, the number of educational staff and other employees, and to some extent also procedural – activities with children (if irregularities relate to work). 

Other types of supervision carried out in ECEC institutions: 

• Health inspection (the ministry responsible for health) – supervision of the implementation of the Health Protection and Health Promotion Programme in kindergartens and schools, especially in the part related to hygiene, proper nutrition and vaccination.

• Sanitary inspectorate – carries out sanitary supervision.

• The Ministry responsible for social welfare supervises professional work in the application of the Law in the part related to social welfare.
   

Primary Education and Secondary Education 

The Act on Primary and Secondary Education (OG 87/08, 86/09, 92/10, 105/10, 90/11, 5/12, 16/12, 86/12, 126/12, 94/13, 152/14, 7/17, 68/18, 98/19, 64/20, 133/20, 151/22, 155/23, 156/23) prescribes the implementation of external evaluation and self-evaluation in order to improve the quality of educational activities, and refers to the implementation of national exams and quality level evaluation of all components of the national curriculum. 

Education quality assurance consists of three approaches: 

• self-evaluation of educational institutions;

• external evaluation of educational institutions;

• evaluation of student learning outcomes.

   

Internal evaluation 

Self-evaluation of educational institutions is a process of systematic and continuous monitoring, analysis and assessment of school work performance. It is an important tool for strengthening school capacities, and for the improvement, development and achievement of success of all participants in the educational process. 

The self-evaluation process is supported by information obtained through external evaluation of educational outcomes, which serve as the basis for establishing an internal system of monitoring and improving quality within schools. One of the key mechanisms in this process are national exams, the results of which are used in school self-evaluation.

External evaluation 

External evaluation contains an expert assessment of relevant areas of school work. The method of implementing external evaluation and using the results is prescribed by the Ordinance on the Method of Conducting External Evaluation and the Use of External Evaluation of School Results (OG 23/2011, 26/2023). 

External evaluation is carried out to determine the achieved level of competencies and the achievement of educational outcomes defined by national and European educational policies and documents, and to provide analytical bases for improving the quality of the education system and systematic planning of training for teachers and professional associates.

According to the regulation, external evaluation implies systematic testing of students' knowledge, skills and abilities (national exams) and testing of other components of the educational process. 

National exams and evaluation of other parts of the educational process are organised and implemented by the National Centre for External Evaluation of Education (NCEEE) in cooperation with schools. NCEEE analyses the data collected through external evaluation and prepares reports on the results. The school is provided with a report containing the summary results of external evaluation at the school level, along with a comparison with the results at the national level. Schools are obliged to use the results of national exams and the State Matura exam and all other indicators of the educational work performance for analysis and self-evaluation for the purpose of continuous improvement of school work quality.

NCEEE informs schools about the implementation plan for external evaluation, informs them of the purpose, goal, method and procedure of evaluation implementation, and prepares and distributes the necessary materials. Schools are obliged to provide the necessary conditions and data for the implementation of external evaluation and to respect the professional and ethical criteria and rules issued by the NCEEE in connection with this process.

Vocational Education and Training (VET)

The evaluation of VET institutions is defined by the  Act on Primary and Secondary Education and the Vocational Education and Training Act and includes self-evaluation and external evaluation procedures.

In accordance with the Vocational Education and Training Act, a quality assurance system is established at the level of vocational education providers and at the level of qualifications. VET institutions are obliged to participate in the external evaluation and self-evaluation process, and must use the results to improve the quality of work and achieve better results. 

The methodology and areas of self-evaluation are adopted by the Agency for Vocational Education and Training and Adult Education (AVETAE). The methodology for external evaluation of VET institutions is adopted by the National Centre for External Evaluation of Education (NCEEE) in cooperation with AVETAE.

VET institutions are obliged to conduct self-evaluation in cooperation with AVETAE, and external evaluation in cooperation with NCEEE.

Internal evaluation 

In VET institutions in the Republic of Croatia, the self-evaluation process is developed based on the recommendations of the European Quality Assurance Reference Framework for Vocational Education and Training (EQAVET), and is implemented in accordance with the Vocational Education and Training Act (OG 30/2009, 25/2018, 69/2022).

Schools assess their level of success in implementing the educational process according to quality criteria. The VET institution prepares a report on the self-evaluation process and uses the results for planning and systematic improvement of its work.

Self-evaluation is carried out in the areas of:

• work planning and programming, 

• teaching and learning support,

• student achievements and learning outcomes, 

• material conditions and human resources and professional development of the institution's employees, 

• cooperation within the VET institution and cooperation with other stakeholders

• promotion of the institution and management (institution and quality).

Each priority area is divided into several quality areas described by quality criteria. 

The school's self-evaluation is monitored and evaluated by the Quality Committee of the VET institution, which consists of five members – the chairman of the Committee (the head of the institution) and four members (representatives of the teaching council, learners, parents and stakeholders at the proposal of the founder).

The school self-evaluation team, appointed by the head of the institution and consisting of three members, teachers and professional associates, is responsible for the operational implementation of the self-evaluation process.

To support VET schools in implementing the self-evaluation process and preparing self-evaluation reports, the e-Quality application was developed, as well as the Self-Evaluation Manual (AVETAE, 2012) and the Self-Evaluation Methodology of VET Institutions (AVETAE, 2020).

External evaluation 

External evaluation of VET institutions is carried out in accordance with the Act on Primary and Secondary Education. It is carried out by the NCEEE, and refers to the implementation of national exams and the evaluation of the quality level of all components of the national curriculum.

Professional and pedagogical supervision

Professional and pedagogical supervision includes monitoring the implementation of curricula, organisation and implementation of classes and other forms of educational work of schools and professional and pedagogical work of teachers. It is conducted by AVETAE in accordance with the Act on Professional and Pedagogical Supervision, the Act on Institutions and the Act on the Agency for Vocational Education and Training and Adult Education. 

It is conducted based on the regular annual plan of professional and pedagogical supervision of AVETAE, based on findings to determine measures taken, based on a written submission from a natural/legal person or based on requests from other bodies for competent action.