Definition of the target group

Gifted children and pupils

Gifted children in preschool education and gifted pupils in school education have the right to special care and adapted educational programmes that encourage their development and progress.

In preschool institutions, individualized curricula are provided based on their abilities, interests, and needs, and early identification of giftedness is carried out by a psychologist in cooperation with a professional team. Gifted children may attend regular programmes with a certain level of enrichment or special programmes with an individualized approach, including work in small groups and mentoring.

In schools, gifted pupils are systematically identified and monitored, and schools organize additional instruction, extracurricular and out-of-school excellence programmes, mentoring, and competitions for them. Gifted pupils have the right to acceleration, that is, completing a grade or the entire school in a shorter period of time, in accordance with the prescribed procedure and school decisions. The individualized approach includes adapting content, teaching methods, and the learning environment to their abilities and interests.

Children and pupils with disabilities

Children with more severe disabilities, such as blindness, deafness, complete lack of speech communication, motor impairments requiring assistance, significantly reduced intellectual abilities, autism and multiple disabilities, may be included in special classes with special programmes. Special classes are intended for pupils with major developmental disabilities who cannot follow the regular programme even with adjustments.

Special classes can be established for pupils who have been identified as gifted and have developmental disabilities.

Admission requirements and choice of school

Gifted children and pupils

Children with disabilities whose type and degree of disability are determined according to social welfare regulations are included in educational groups with a special programme in kindergarten. These children, in accordance with their abilities, needs and interests, have the right to be included in regular, special and alternative programmes with other children. 

Special institutions for implementing programmes for working with children with disabilities from the age of six months until they start school are:

• kindergartens established for working with children with disabilities 
• educational institutions 
• social welfare institutions 
• health institutions.

The assessment is made by a team of experts (expert associates, senior nurse and director) of the kindergarten. Parents of children with developmental disabilities have the right to enrol their child in a kindergarten and to choose the kindergarten in which the child will attend the preschool education programme. 

Parents of children with disabilities do not have special legal restrictions on the right to choose a kindergarten, but enrolment may be conditioned by capacity and the need for special programmes, whereby priority and adapted conditions are provided for children with disabilities.

The National Pedagogical Standards for Preschool Education and Care stipulate that the implementation of special preschool education programmes is ensured for gifted children in kindergarten. Early detection and identification of gifted children is carried out by a psychologist in cooperation with other expert associates of the kindergarten. 

According to the Primary and Secondary Education Act, the Minister prescribes the types of disabilities on the basis of which a pupil exercises the right to appropriate educational programmes and forms of assistance, as well as special curricula and programmes for pupils with developmental disabilities. For each individual pupil, the type of disability, appropriate educational programme and form of assistance are determined by the school's expert committee, or the competent administrative body of the county or city office.

For pupils with developmental disabilities, the appropriate school programme and form of assistance are determined by the school's expert committee with the consent of the parents. The expert committee can propose an appropriate school programme only with the consent of the parents, which means that parents have a key role in selecting and adjusting the school programme for a child with disabilities.

According to the Ordinance on the Education of Gifted Children and Pupils, special classes for pupils identified as gifted and those having developmental disabilities are organised if the pupils hold a decision on an appropriate primary or secondary education programme for pupils with developmental disabilities and a decision confirming the gifted status of the child/pupil, with the prior consent of the ministry responsible for education.

Age levels and grouping of pupils

Gifted children and pupils

According to the Ordinance, gifted children and pupils are grouped and organized according to age levels and educational stages within the preschool and school system. In preschool institutions, gifted children may be included in regular programmes with a certain level of enrichment or in special programmes with an individualized curriculum based on their abilities, interests, and needs. Smaller homogeneous groups of children with similar intellectual abilities may also be organized, optimally up to 15 children in playgroups or up to five pupils in special educational groups for gifted children with developmental difficulties.

In primary and secondary education, gifted pupils are organized through individualized curricula developed by the Gifted Education Team, and they may be included in special class departments or educational groups, especially if they also have developmental difficulties. Special class departments for gifted pupils with developmental difficulties optimally include up to five pupils and may be organized as combined class departments from the first to the eighth grade of primary school or from the first to the final grade of secondary school, with the approval of the competent ministry.

Children and pupils with disabilities

According to the Primary and Secondary Education Act, teaching is organised by grade level: for pupils from the first to the fourth grade of primary school, instruction is organised as class teaching, while for pupils from the fifth to the eighth grade it is organised as subject-based teaching. Exceptionally, class teaching can be organised for pupils with disabilities from the fifth to the eighth grade of primary school, so that the organisation of teaching for pupils with disabilities is adjusted to their needs, which may result in a different division of classes compared to the regular programme.

The maximum number of pupils with disabilities in a special class is determined according to the type of disability and the regulations governing special education programmes. A class with a special programme can have a maximum of:

• 7 pupils with visual impairment, hearing impairment, voice-speech-language difficulties, motor disorders or organically conditioned behavioural disorders and pupils with behavioural disorders who are placed in educational institutions 
• 9 pupils with reduced intellectual abilities 
• 3 to 5 pupils with autism and significantly reduced intellectual abilities.

According to the Ordinance on Primary and Secondary Education of Students with Developmental Difficulties (OG 24/15), when there are three to five pupils in a specific enrolment area who have been assigned to a special class, with the consent of the Ministry, special classes may be organised as combined classes for primary school (from grades I to IV or from V to VIII) and for secondary school (from I to the final grade). With the prior consent of the ministry responsible for education, special classes may be organised as combined classes for grades I to VIII of primary school.

According to the Ordinance on the Education of Gifted Children and Pupils (OG 71/25), an educational group consists of up to five gifted pupils of the same educational level. Special classes may be established as combined classes for primary school (from grades I to IV or from grades V to VIII) and for secondary school (from grades I to the final grade). With the prior consent of the ministry responsible for education, special classes may be organised as combined classes for grades I to VIII of primary school.

Curriculum, subjects

Gifted children and pupils

The National Pedagogical Standard for Preschool Education stipulates that special programmes must be provided for gifted children in kindergartens. These programmes are designed by a psychologist in cooperation with other professional associates and experts from the fields of natural and social sciences, with prior approval from the ministry responsible for education. The implementation of these programmes is carried out by preschool teachers and professional associates in cooperation with other educational staff, and, where necessary, with appropriate professional and scientific institutions.

The curriculum for gifted children and pupils is based on an individualized approach that includes adapting content, methods, learning outcomes, pace, and the learning environment to their abilities, interests, and needs. The Ordinance states that the individualized curriculum is developed by the Gifted Education Team and forms an integral part of the school curriculum or the institution’s curriculum, and it is implemented during regular classes, group work, independent work, and individual mentoring.

In preschool education, programmes for gifted children may include enriched regular programmes, work in smaller groups of children with similar abilities and interests, playgroups, programmes with specific content (music, art, sports, language, creative workshops), and individual mentoring.

The curriculum for pupils, including gifted pupils, is determined through the national curriculum, teaching plans and programmes, and the school curriculum. For gifted pupils, an individualized curriculum is developed as part of the school curriculum and is adapted to their abilities, interests, and needs, including modifications in educational outcomes, learning approaches, pace, and environment. The curriculum also includes elective and optional subjects chosen by pupils according to their interests, and schools are required to ensure the conditions for their implementation. The legal framework ensures that the curriculum is adapted to different pupil needs, including those of gifted pupils, through differentiated content and teaching methods within the regular education system.

The National Pedagogical Standards for Preschool Education and Care stipulate that the implementation of special preschool education programmes is ensured for gifted children in kindergarten. A special programme for gifted children is developed by a psychologist together with other expert associates and experts in the field of natural and human sciences, with prior approval from the ministry responsible for education. The implementation of this programme is carried out by educators and expert associates in cooperation with other educators, and, if necessary, with appropriate professional and scientific institutions. 

The individualised curriculum for a gifted preschool child is developed by the Gifted Education Team of the educational institution, which implements preschool programmes in cooperation with educators working with gifted children.

In kindergartens, programmes for children of early and preschool age with developmental disabilities are organised according to special conditions and a programme prescribed by the minister responsible for education. The programmes, the procedure for identifying gifted children and the conditions of work with gifted children of early and preschool age are determined by the minister responsible for education.

The individualised curriculum of a gifted child with developmental difficulties of preschool age is based on early formal and non-formal identification of giftedness and difficulties and to a greater extent includes alternative methods of learning and communication, as well as support for giftedness, and not only overcoming developmental difficulties.

Children and pupils with disabilities

The curriculum of special classes for children with disabilities in primary and secondary school is not identical to the regular curriculum, but is adapted to the developmental abilities of pupils. However, it is based on the same educational areas and competencies as the regular system. The goal is maximum possible alignment with regular educational standards, but with:

• adjustment of content 
• adjustment of scope 
• individualisation of work methods 
• differentiated learning outcomes.

Pupils can also attend subjects in regular classes according to their abilities. The Minister, school bodies (school board, teachers' council), expert committees and school expert associates actively participate in the preparation and implementation of the curriculum.

The document Special Curriculum for Pupils with Developmental Disabilities from 2024 defines subject curricula for the following subject areas:

Language and communication area

• Croatian Language: mandatory subject; 175 hours per year in all grades of primary school; 105 hours per year in the first and second grades of secondary school, and 96 hours in the third grade 
• English Language: 35 hours per year in all grades of primary school; 35 hours in the first and second grades of secondary school, and 32 hours in the third grade 
• German Language: elective subject; 35 hours per year in all grades of primary school; 35 hours in the first and second grades of secondary school, and 32 hours in the third grade 
• French Language: elective subject; 35 hours per year in all grades of primary school; 35 hours in the first and second grades of secondary school, and 32 hours in the third grade 
• Italian Language: elective subject; 35 hours per year in all grades of primary school; 35 hours in the first and second grades of secondary school, and 32 hours in the third grade 
• Spanish Language: elective subject; 35 hours per year in all grades of primary school; 35 hours in the first and second grades of secondary school, and 32 hours in the third grade.

Mathematics

• Mathematics: mandatory subject, 140 hours per year in all grades of primary school; 105 hours in the first grade of secondary school, 70 hours in the second, and 65 hours in the third grade.

Natural sciences

• Nature and Society: mandatory subject; 70 hours per year from first to third grade; 105 hours in fourth grade of primary school 
• Nature: mandatory subject; 70 hours in fifth and sixth grade; 105 hours in seventh and eighth grade of primary school 
• Man and Environment: mandatory, two-year subject; 35 hours per year.

Technical and IT field

• Informatics: mandatory subject; 35 hours per year from first to fourth grade; 70 hours from fifth to eighth grade of primary school; 35 hours in first and second grade of secondary school, and 32 hours per year in third grade 
• Technical Education: mandatory subject from fifth to eighth grade of primary school; 70 hours per year in fifth and sixth grade; 105 hours per year in seventh and eighth grade of primary school. It is an elective subject in special secondary school vocational programmes; 35 hours per year from first to third grade of secondary school 
• Home Economics: mandatory subject; 70 hours per year from fifth to eighth grade of primary school, 35 hours from first to third grade of secondary school.

Social and humanistic area

• Society: mandatory subject; 70 hours per year from the fifth to the eighth grade of primary school 
• Catholic Religious Education: elective subject; 70 hours per year from the fifth to the eighth grade of primary school 
• Orthodox Religious Education: in public secondary vocational schools it is an elective subject and mandatory for those pupils who choose it and is taught two hours a week as part of regular classes 
• Islamic Religious Education: elective subject in secondary vocational schools,
• Ethics: mandatory subject; 35 hours per year in the first and second grades of secondary school, and 32 hours in the third 
• Politics and Economics: mandatory subject; 32 hours per year in the third grade of secondary school.

Arts

• Visual Arts: mandatory subject; 35 hours per year from the first to the eighth grade of primary school 
• Music: mandatory subject; 35 hours per year from the first to the eighth grade of primary school.

Physical education area

• Physical Education: mandatory subject; 105 hours per year from the first to the third grade of primary school; 70 hours from the fourth grade of primary school to the second grade of secondary school; 64 hours per year in the third grade of secondary school.

Information and communication technology is embedded in the following elements:

• Informatics: a core subject that provides the basics of digital technology, algorithmic thinking, working with computers, software tools and the development of digital skills appropriate to the level of the pupil.
• Digital competences as a cross-curricular theme: the use of information and communication technology – encompasses the integration of digital tools and technologies in different subjects and social contexts, supporting digital literacy throughout the school curriculum.
• Links with other subjects: all subjects use ICT as a tool for learning content, and the subject Technical Education additionally includes digital and technological content such as basic technological solutions, measuring instruments and practical work with tools.

Informatics is a subject that is linked to all cross-curricular topics:

• The cross-curricular topic Personal and Social Development helps pupils achieve their potential in all educational areas, including IT
• The connection between the cross-curricular topic Learning How to Learn and the subject of Informatics refers to the effective use of various learning strategies using modern information and communication technologies
• The cross-curricular topic Citizenship Education develops pupils' civic competences by applying ICT in using publicly available services
• The connection between the cross-curricular topic Health and the subject of Informatics implies the possibility of pupils' awareness of the harmful impact of excessive use of ICT on mental and physical health and the acceptance of the proper use of digital technologies for the purpose of preserving health

The use of ICT to develop pupils' entrepreneurial competences is a link between the cross-curricular topic of Entrepreneurship and the subject of Informatics.

Teaching methods and materials

Gifted children and pupils

The Ordinance on the Education of Gifted Children and Pupils prescribes an individualized approach that includes adapting content, methods, learning outcomes, pace, and the learning environment to the abilities, interests, and needs of gifted pupils. Teaching methods include work in small groups, individual mentoring, creative and research workshops, elective and optional subjects, extracurricular and out-of-school activities, as well as excellence programmes. Additionally, adapted textbooks and other educational materials suitable for the special educational needs of gifted pupils may be used.

Children and pupils with disabilities

Teaching children with disabilities in special classes is organised according to special programmes with individualised procedures that are specially structured and adapted to the capabilities and abilities of the pupils. These programmes may include all or individual subjects, and in the case of partial coverage, other subjects are taught according to the regular programme with content adjustments.

Pupils with disabilities in secondary education are educated according to the regular programme with specific teaching methods, resources and aids adopted by the minister, or according to an adapted programme with special teaching resources and methods adopted by the school.

Adjustments for pupils with disabilities relate to:

• the manner of presenting teaching content and requirements for performing activities 
• the time required for teaching, learning and performing activities 
• the active and contributing involvement of pupils 
• the methods of evaluating the level of achievement of outcomes.

During the learning and teaching process at school, pupils are provided with professional support from educational rehabilitators, members of the Mobile Expert Team, teaching assistants and/or professional communication mediators, experts from centres of excellence in the local community. 

According to the Act on Textbooks and Other Educational Material for Primary and Secondary Schools, the materials needed for teaching children with disabilities in special classes include adapted textbooks, teaching aids, didactic materials and other aids that are adapted to the type of needs of these pupils. The materials used include adapted textbooks, which can be printed and/or electronic, and must enable independent learning and development of competencies. For pupils with disabilities, textbooks of a working nature can also be used, adapted to their needs. 

In accordance with the National Pedagogical Standards for Secondary Education System and the Ordinance on Primary and Secondary Education of Students with Developmental Difficulties, schools are obliged to provide adequate spatial, staff and material conditions, including adapted equipment, didactic aids, teaching aids and spaces for additional help and rehabilitation. The establishment of special classes is possible with the consent of the Ministry, with the obligation to ensure all prescribed conditions and solutions for an appropriate education programme.

Progression of pupils

The progress of children with disabilities in special classes is assessed through monitoring and evaluation during the school year, with the methods and procedures of evaluation being adapted to the type and degree of the pupil's difficulties. 

The evaluation of knowledge and skills and the greater presence of informal methods of evaluation help the pupil to see the importance and meaning of evaluation and to take responsibility for his or her own learning. Reporting methods focused on what the pupil can do, what is expected of him or her, and what and how needs to be improved enable the pupil to plan and improve the learning process with the support of teachers and other experts. 

According to the Primary and Secondary Education Act  and the Ordinance on the Method, Procedures and Elements of the Evaluation of the Primary and Secondary School Students, grades are monitored descriptively and numerically, depending on the programme in which the pupil is involved. Assessment methods for pupils with disabilities include adjusting the method of knowledge assessment (oral, written) and must not negatively evaluate errors caused by difficulties.

To move to a higher grade, pupils must have passing grades in each subject, which also applies to pupils with disabilities, taking into account the appropriate programme and form of education.

Children with disabilities in special classes can repeat a grade. For primary school pupils with disabilities, there is no explicit legal limit on the number of grade repetitions, while secondary school pupils can repeat the same grade a maximum of two times, unless the regulations on vocational education or the minister approve otherwise.

Certification

According to the Primary and Secondary Education Act, the register and certificate are public documents, and the content and form of certificates are prescribed by the minister. Certificates of completion of education for children with disabilities in special classes differ in that they reflect the adapted programme and assessment method.

The certificate for primary and secondary school pupils is a public document issued at the end of each grade, and at the end of primary school (eighth grade) and secondary school (state graduation exam or final paper) it represents a confirmation of completed education. According to the Ordinance on Pedagogical Documentation and Records and Public Documents in School Institutions, the certificate contains information about the school, information about the pupil, school year and grade, names of subjects with grades, pupil conduct grade, number of total and unjustified hours of absence, overall grade and arithmetic mean of grades, signature of the class teacher and principal, and school stamp. 

In secondary school, the name of the grammar school or vocational programme and the duration of the programme are additionally stated. For pupils with disabilities who completed their education in special classes, the certificate differs in that the arithmetic mean of grades, pupil conduct grade and overall grade are not entered in the usual way of recording grades. Grades are expressed descriptively or numerically, depending on the programme in which they are included.