The pre-primary education institution that was founded by a local and regional government charges its services from the parents, in accordance with the criteria stipulated by the representative body of the government unit, with the exception of the one-year school preparation programme, which is free of charge for the parents.

 

The criteria for the allocation of funds to meet the public needs in the area of pre-primary education are, on the level of local and regional government unit, adopted by the representative body of the respective county or the City of Zagreb.

A part of the funds for the public needs programmes in the area of pre-primary education is earmarked in the state budget. The Ministry of Science and Education prescribes criteria for co-financing individual programmes from the state budget, such as programmes for children with developmental disabilities and gifted children, preschool programmes, programmes for children belonging to national minorities and programmes for children of Croatian citizens abroad. 

The cost of accommodating the child in kindergarten covers the following costs: expenses for the staff (gross salary, compensation and material rights of the staff) employed by the provider of the preschool education programme; child nutrition; conditions of accommodating children (material expenditure, energy and utilities, current maintenance of the facility and equipment); supply of furniture and equipment; supply of small materials. For any child with special nutritional needs the kindergarten prepares adequate individual menu.

The regulations prescribing the salaries, allowances and other income of civil servants and employees in primary education regulate the salaries, allowances and other income of the pre-primary education institution staff owned by LGUs or the Republic of Croatia, if such regulations are beneficial for the employees. The union negotiates and signs the collective agreement on behalf of the staff with the founder or the provider of the funds for the institution.

There is a wealth and diversity of programmes offered at kindergartens (early language learning; sport, arts, musical and other programmes). There are also programmes based on principles inaugurated by Maria Montessori, Rudolf Steiner etc.

Private and religious kindergartens are subject to the same legal provisions and standards as kindergartens founded by LGUs. The exceptions are provisions related to the linking of staff salaries to salaries in primary education, as collective agreements of public kindergarten staff are in most cases not related to private ones.

 

In the budget of the counties, the City of Zagreb and the cities that have taken over the financing of part of the public needs in primary and secondary education, funds are provided for:

• material and financial expenses
• expenditures for material and parts for current and investment maintenance, current and investment maintenance services
• expenditures for the purchase of manufactured fixed assets and expenditures for additional investments in non-financial assets.

Counties, the City of Zagreb and cities are provided with funds based on the criterion of scope of activity, which is a weighted indicator of the number of students, educational departments and school buildings in the county/city in relation to the total number of students, classrooms and school buildings at the level of the Republic of Croatia.

It is important to note that the relative share of the number of students, classrooms and school buildings in the total number of students, classrooms and school buildings at the level of the Republic of Croatia is only a calculation criterion for determining the amount of expenditure at the county/city level, and not the actual right of each school to these funds.

Namely, expenditures for the acquisition of manufactured fixed assets and additional investments in non-financial assets of the county, the City of Zagreb and the cities plan and spend based on the Expenditure Plan for the acquisition of manufactured durable assets and additional investments in non-financial assets for the current year, in which capital projects of basic and of secondary education, which will be realised during the current year. Investment priorities are determined by the competent authorities of the county and city (in principle representative authorities - county assemblies and city councils).     

The expenditure plan for the acquisition of manufactured fixed assets and additional investments in non-financial assets should only contain investments in capital projects related to the construction and equipping of new buildings as well as the upgrading, reconstruction and equipping of existing buildings. The capital project does not mean planned investment and ongoing maintenance of existing buildings. The plan contains the schools to which the investments relate, the type and scope of the investments, the total planned amount needed for the realisation of all investments included in the project from the beginning to the end of the project and the planned amount for the current year. It is important to note that investment priorities are determined by counties and cities, regardless of the calculation of rights to these expenditures at the school level.

Funds for financing the decentralised functions of primary education in the county, the City of Zagreb and the cities are obtained from an additional share of income tax at a rate of 1.9 % for primary education and 1.3 % for secondary education. If the counties, the City of Zagreb and the cities do not obtain funds for the total balanced rights for financing the decentralised functions of primary and secondary education from the additional share in the income tax at the rate of 1.9 % for primary education and 1.3 % for secondary education, the difference up to total balanced rights are obtained from the equalisation aid position for decentralised functions in the State Budget of the Republic of Croatia for the current year. The Ministry of Finance controls the realisation of these revenues.

The counties, the City of Zagreb and the cities are obliged to make their own decisions on the criteria, benchmarks and method of financing the decentralised functions of primary education for the current year (Decision on criteria and benchmarks for determining balance rights for financing the minimum financial standard of public needs of primary education in 2023 and Decision on criteria and benchmarks for determining balance rights for financing the minimum financial standard of public needs of secondary schools and student dormitories in 2023) within the framework of the balanced rights-funds and according to the purposes determined by these decisions on the criteria and benchmarks for determining the balance rights for financing the minimum financial standard public needs of primary and secondary education.

The counties, the City of Zagreb and the cities are obliged to submit reports to the Ministry of Science and Education for the period January-December of the previous year on the prescribed form, which is an integral part of decisions on criteria and standards for determining balance rights for financing the minimum financial standard of public needs of primary and secondary education.

Counties, the City of Zagreb and cities are obliged to realise expenditures for materials, parts and services of current and investment maintenance, as well as expenditures for the purchase of manufactured durable assets and additional investments in non-financial assets in accordance with the Law on Public Procurement.

The payment of decentralised functions aid funds for primary and secondary schools (counties and cities from the state budget) is carried out according to the following formula:

 

	n		(n-1)		(n-1)
P(n,x) =	∑     MFS(x)	-	∑     T(x)	-	∑      IP(x)
	1(January)		(January-1)		1(January)

 

The symbols in the formula mean the following:

P(n,x) = assistance in month n for financing holder x

MFS(n,x) = minimum financial standard in month n, for financing holder x

T(n,x) = income from the conditional rate in period n, for the holder of financing x

IP(n,x) = aid paid in period n, for funding holder x

 

If the founder of the school is another legal or natural person, the founder is responsible for securing necessary funding for: salaries and allowances with contributions; other expenditures for the staff; material and financial expenditures of the school; and other necessary funds for the operation of the school. The school is obliged to use the income from its own activity, the fees collected from the parents, as well as any donations and other funds for their designated purpose. Schools cannot be financed by funds from political parties.

According to the Primary and Secondary School Education Act, the funds for public needs in the area of primary and secondary education are provided from:

• state budget
• local and regional government unit budget
• founder’s sources if the founder is any other natural or legal person
• income from the commercial activity and other designated income
• fees paid for special services and activities provided by the institution
• donations and other sources in accordance with the Act.

According to the Act, the supervision and control of the spending of funds provided to education institutions from the state budget is performed by the Ministry of Science and Education, while the supervision and control of the spending of funds provided to education institutions from the budget of LGUs and other sources is performed by the founder. The Ministry of Finance performs the tasks of financial and budgetary supervision of budget beneficiaries and LGUs.

The State Audit Office audits state revenues and expenditures, financial statements and financial transactions of users of the state budget and the budget of local units in accordance with its plan.

In addition, the Ministry of Science and Education, as well as counties, the City of Zagreb, county seat cities with more than 50 employees and cities with more than 35,000 inhabitants, must establish an independent internal audit unit.

 

In the Republic of Croatia, education is accessible to all, under equal conditions, in accordance with one’s abilities. Compulsory education is free, in accordance with the Primary and Secondary School Education Act (OG 64/20).

 

On the pre-primary level, fees are charged to the parents-service beneficiaries, in accordance with the criteria set by the representative body of the competent LGU, with the exception of the compulsory one-year preschool programme, which is free of charge and which constitutes the first of nine years of compulsory free education.

 

No fees are charged in the upper secondary education either, regardless of the branch of study concerned. On these levels of education, the expenditures for teacher salaries - accounting for the largest share of the expenditure in this sector - are fully covered from the central state budget.

 

Running costs as well as capital investments are covered from LGU’s budgets. Accommodation and meals in boarding homes as well as transport are secured for pupils in single structure education, and usually also for students in upper secondary education.

 

Pupils are entitled to accommodation and meals in boarding homes. Transport is secured for the pupils enrolled in single structure education, and for upper secondary education students in most cases as well.

 

At the beginning of each calendar year, the Ministry of Science and Education makes a decision (Decision on determining the price of student accommodation and meals in student dormitories in 2023) determining the price of accommodation and meals in student dormitories.

 

The maximum price of student dormitories is EUR 167,23 of which the parents pay at most half. The right to accommodation and meals in a boarding home is generally accessible to all full-time school pupils, more specifically to full-time students who are Croatian citizens and have permanent residence in the Republic of Croatia and children of citizens of European Union member states based on Article 45 of the Primary and Secondary School Education Act.

 

Students who are Croatian citizens without permanent residence in the Republic of Croatia and foreigners who are citizens of third countries pay the economic cost of accommodation and food in the student dormitory, unless otherwise regulated by an interstate agreement.

 

The admission process is carried out on the basis of a public call. Admission is granted based on previous education record and pupil’s economic status and background.

 

In boarding homes education groups are organised in accordance with the national education standards. Detailed requirements with respect to admission of pupils, funding of the accommodation and meals in the boarding homes as well as the standards for the facilities and the equipment and the education programmes are prescribed by the minister in compliance with the national education standards.

 

The boarding home whose founder is another legal or natural person independently decides on the requirements for admission of pupils, the number of pupils in education groups and the expenses related to their boarding and meals. Single structure schools are responsible for securing meals for the pupils during their stay in the school, in accordance with the prescribed standards adopted by the ministry competent for health.  LGUs secure funds for subsidising accommodation and meals of the pupils in boarding homes, in accordance with the Primary and Secondary Education Act in the amount of EUR 84 a month per pupil.

The difference to the full price of the accommodation and meals, up to EUR 84, is covered by parents, caretakers or social service centres, as laid down in the agreement entered into by the beneficiary and the boarding home.

According to article 69 of the Primary and Secondary School Education Act, the founder is obliged to organise transport of primary education pupils (1st – 4th grade) living further than three kilometres from the school. The founder shall also organise transport of lower secondary education pupils (5th – 8th grade), living further than five kilometres from the school.

 

Transport is organised from the closest local or city line stop to school and back. If there is no local or city line running near the home, the founder shall decide the pick-up location.

For pupils with disabilities, transport is organised regardless of the distance. Transport of the pupil’s assistant is also organised in cases that an assistant is needed due to the type or the degree of disability, pursuant to the decision on adequate form of schooling.

 

If a single structure education pupil enrols in a school other than the school which the pupil is assigned to, based on pupil’s residence area, the founder is not obliged to cover the cost of the pupil’s transport. If a pupil does not enrol in a school in compliance with the state administration act, the founder is not responsible for covering the cost of transport.

 

Based on the available state budget funds, the Government of the Republic of Croatia annually passes a decision on financing or co-financing of the transport of students of upper secondary education.

According to the Rulebook on how to exercise the right to free textbooks for Croatian veterans from the Homeland War and their family members (OG, 78/22), the right to free textbooks is granted to full-time upper secondary education students and full-time or part-time higher education students in Croatia who fall into one of the following categories: a child of a Croatian veteran who died and child of a missing Croatian veteran from the Homeland War, a child of the Homeland War invalid, a child of the Homeland War veteran, a child of Croatian military invalid from the Homeland War and a child of Croatian veterans from the Homeland War who participated in the defense of the sovereignty of the Republic of Croatia for at least 100 days in the combat sector.

The right for secondary school students is realised in the form of monetary compensation in an amount that corresponds to the amount on the attached invoice in the original for the purchased textbooks, and only amounts related to the price of textbooks are taken into account according to the Decision on the selection of textbooks for secondary school, class and the department in which the user is enrolled.

The amount up to which the monetary compensation can be realised cannot be higher than the maximum price of a complete textbook for a particular class of all secondary schools - high school programme or vocational programme in which the user is enrolled.

The Primary and Secondary School Education Act is ensuring that education is equally accessible to all students according to their abilities. The act also makes it possible for all primary level pupils to have free transport and meal at the school.

In compulsory education (ISCED 1 and ISCED 2), the reform is focusing on increasing the hours of structured teaching and learning for all students by introducing whole-day schooling. The main goals are to improve the school achievements and educational outcomes of all students and to reduce existing differences in school achievements and educational outcomes between certain groups of students. When it comes to students, the reform is aimed at increasing the quality of education by introducing a longer and more diverse school day dominated by modern and effective teaching and learning methods.

Primary and lower secondary education students are legally entitled to textbooks financed through the state budget. In July 2022, the Government of the Republic of Croatia passed a decision according to which high school students who are members of a household that uses the guaranteed minimum allowance will also have the right to free compulsory textbooks.

The Ministry of Science and Education provides financial incentives to encourage access among disadvantaged students:

Roma students

The Ministry of Science and Education annually provides funds in the amount of about HRK 17,000,000.00/ EUR 2,256,287.74. The implementation of the planned further activities is important in preventing the premature dropout of students belonging to Roma national minority, but also in raising the level of awareness of the importance of education.

In addition to the above, during the 2018/2019 school year, the Ministry of Science and Education provided funds for the implementation of the project Programmatic, professional and financial support for the education of children and students belonging to Roma national minority through the Operational Programme - Effective Human Potential 2014-2020.

The mentioned projects provided transportation for students and an extended stay, as well as other activities such as: organising additional and supplementary classes and extracurricular activities, organising summer camps and/or extracurricular activities aimed at the social integration of students of Roma nationality, professional development of teachers/teachers and professional associates and procurement of equipment and didactic resources.

With the aim of further support, from 2020, the Ministry of Science and Education provides funds for the allocation of one-time financial aid for Roma students for the completion of secondary education. Also, from the academic year 2022/2023 the monthly amount of student scholarships was increased to EUR 358.35 and high-school student scholarships to EUR 132.72.

In the coming period, the implementation of the project Support for the Education of Children and Students of Roma National Minority within the Effective Human Potentials 2021-2027 Programme is planned.

Implementation is planned for the beginning of the 2023/2024 school year, and the funds are planned in the amount of EUR 1,924,480.72. Also, with the new National Education System Development Plan 2021-2027, within the special goal related to the upbringing and education of national minorities, the implementation of activities for additional support for students and schools with a large number of members of Roma national minority is planned, and funds in the amount of about  EUR 1,327,228.08 will be allocated. 

For students with special education needs (i.e. students with developmental difficulties) financing for transportation costs and special teaching aids, and co-financing school meals for students with difficulties in primary school programmes will be increased. Other financial measures are: financed NGO projects in the field of non-institutional education of children and youth, in accordance with the available financial resources, co-financed textbooks for elementary school students and for secondary school students, financing or co-financing of the procurement of other educational materials if possible, financing projects for adaption and development od textbooks/literature for blind and visually impaired pupils and students and co-financing accommodation and meals for students in student dormitories. 

 

Financial Support for Learners

 

Scholarships are offered to learners of all education levels at institutional (universities), local (municipalities, towns), regional and national levels, depending on the available funds and learners’ needs. Private companies, associations and foundations also offer scholarships to pupils and students. Scholarships are also available under the EU-funded projects. The criteria for awarding scholarships and their amounts vary, depending on the needs.

 

As for the mobility, there are possibilities for mobility of students of general primary and secondary education under the programmes implemented by the Agency for Mobility and EU Programmes (AMEUP), national agency for EU programmes Erasmus+ and the European Solidarity Corps.

Within the Key Activity 1 (KA1) of Erasmus+ programme, mobility projects abroad are available for students and teachers. In these projects, institutions send their employees to courses, teaching, job shadowing activities, as well as students to group mobilities, mobilities for the purpose of learning (short-term and long-term). Institutions also receive experts and teachers and other educational workers who are being trained or offer training. Permanent participation in mobility activities for institutions and organisations is enabled by Erasmus accreditation.

 

All education institutions are founded in accordance with the Institutions Act and the provisions regulating the pre-primary, single structure primary and lower secondary education, and upper secondary education.

 

The organisation of private school organisations, i.e. religious community schools, is subject to the Institution Act and the provisions regulating the pre-primary, single structure  and upper secondary education as well as the articles of association.

 

If the founder of the school is another legal or natural person, it shall secure funds for the financing of salaries and allowances with contributions, other staff expenditures, material and financial expenditures of the school and other necessary materials necessary for the operation of the school.

According to the Croatian Bureau of Statistic’s for referent pedagogy year 2021/2022, among 142 440 children included in ECEC programmes, about 22 669 were placed in private institutions. There were around 355 private kindergartens out of 1708 kindergartens in total.

 

On the level of single structure primary and lower secondary education, there are just 9 private schools, out of some 2,000 in total. Among these, there are schools providing Montessori, Waldorf and international programmes.

 

According to the Croatian Bureau of Statistic’s (data available regarding end of the 2020/2021 school year and beginning of 2021/2022 school year), out of 310 076 single structure school pupils, 1071 of them attended private schools.

 

On the level of upper secondary education, according to the Croatian Bureau of Statistic’s (data available regarding end of the 2020/2021 school year and beginning of 2021/2022 school year), there were 35 private school, out of 742 in total, which provided education services for over 2,000 students.