Sorry, you need to enable JavaScript to visit this website.
Skip to main content
European Commission logo

YouthWiki

EACEA National Policies Platform
Croatia

Croatia

6. Education and Training

6.2 Administration and governance

Last update: 23 February 2024
On this page
  1. Main actors
  2. General distribution of responsibilities
     

Main actors

Governing bodies

 

Consulting bodies

 

Other public actors
  • The Croatian Employment Service, through the Lifelong Career Guidance Centres, provides information on the possibility of further education and training.
  • The Croatian Pension Insurance Institute is a public institution established under the Pension Insurance Act. This act marked the beginning of the pension system reform, aiming to provide mandatory pension insurance entitlements to employees, farmers, craftsmen, and others.
  • The Central Registry of Affiliates (REGOS) is primarily focused on keeping and maintaining the register of contributions for mandatory pension insurance by insured persons. Additionally, it is involved in selecting and modifying the mandatory pension fund, keeping records of paid contributions, and collecting and controlling data from insured persons for mandatory pension insurance.

 

Representative bodies (young people)

The Croatian Students’ Council is the students’ representative body established by the Act on Student Council and Other Student Organisations. It is an umbrella organisation of all Croatian students aiming to promote their rights and interests.

The Students' Council of Polytechnics and Schools of Professional Higher Education is a coordinating body composed of students' representatives from Polytechnics and Schools of Professional Higher Education. Its purpose is to promote their rights and interests.

The Croatian Youth Network is an alliance of youth-led and for-youth organisations empowering young people to actively and responsibly participate in society, and contribute to the development of quality youth and civil society policies. It is committed to collaborating with government bodies, educational and scientific institutions, civil society participants, and the media.

The Youth Council of the Republic of Croatia is a newly established representative body in 2023. It comprises of 20 members from regional youth councils. The goal is to represent the needs and interests of young people from all parts of Croatia and to advocate for them at the international level. Additionally, the Youth Council aims to actively participate in the development of public policies for young people.

 

Representative bodies (trade unions and associations)

Trade unions related to the education system include:

Croatian Employers' Association protects and promotes employers' rights and interests.

 

General distribution of responsibilities

The MSE administers the salaries of teaching staff, constituting a major share of the overall education budget, across all education levels. However, the lowest level (Early Childhood Education and Care ECEC) is provided and administered by local governments.

At the middle school level (upper secondary), regional governments and institutions share the responsibility for appointing school heads and individual staff members.

For more details about the governance of the education and training system, please visit Eurydice.

Cross-sectorial cooperation is achieved through collaboration among various ministries and other participants in the sector, as described in the ‘Main actors’ section. Public and non-public actors typically collaborate in working groups with specific tasks, such as drafting laws, strategies, curriculums, and similar initiatives.

One of the biggest cross-sectoral cooperation was related to the Comprehensive Curriculum Reform called School for Life. In April 2018, the MSE made a Decision to establish an Expert Working Group composed of experts, government officials, and student representatives. The Expert Working Group selected members for specific curriculum-focused working groups, while ETTA appointed their coordinators.

The Government of the Republic of Croatia established the National Coordinating Body and the National Operating Body in 2012 for the Strategy of Education, Science and Technology. The former Ministry of Science, Education and Sports appointed coordinators for the Strategy and established numerous thematic working groups that brought together experts from various public stakeholders.