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The right to education is a constitutional right for all children staying in Croatia. According to the LITP, child applicants are entitled to primary and secondary education under the same conditions as for Croatian nationals.[1] Applicants who have begun to exercise the right to secondary education are allowed to continue secondary education even after they have turned 18.[2]
According to the LITP, children can access education within 30 days of lodging an application.[3]
According to the Ministry of Interior, the procedure for enrolment of asylum-seeking children in pre-school, elementary or high school is performed by the employees of the Reception Centre for Applicants for International Protection, while for those children who are accommodated in social welfare institutions, the procedure is carried out by their guardians.
According to the Ministry of Science and Education, in order to be included in the educational system, candidates are required to have the following documents: a certificate of status in the Republic of Croatia; a certificate of residence in the Republic of Croatia; an identity document (birth certificate, identity card, passport or corresponding document of the Ministry of Interior of the Republic of Croatia); and a document testifying to a previous education.[4] If they do not have a document on previous education, they need to give a statement before a public notary and present it to the services of the educational institution in order for them to organise an enrolment test and determine which class the candidate can attend.
Child applicants are also entitled to special assistance to learn Croatian and to make up for the knowledge they might lack in some school subjects, in the form of preparatory and supplementary classes.[5] In November 2011, a Programme of Croatian for preparatory classes for primary and secondary school students who do not speak or speak Croatian insufficiently was adopted.[6] This is an intensive 70-hour course of Croatian, spread over a maximum of one academic year.
At the local level in the city of Zagreb, during 2024, 9 children that were granted international protection and 92 children under temporary protection attended kindergartens; and 35 children applicants for international protection, 46 children granted international protection and 274 children under temporary protection attended primary schools. High schools in the City of Zagreb were attended by 5 students seeking international protection, 21 students under international protection and 115 students under temporary protection. The implementation of the project “ALTERNATIVE TEACHING – INTERCULTURAL SCHOOL CLASS” continued in Zagreb primary and secondary schools. This project, which contributes to the reduction of prejudices by creating prerequisites for building a fair and inclusive society, was implemented during 2024 in 49 Zagreb schools (29 elementary and 17 secondary schools), and included 1,300 students.[7]
The Ombudsperson for Children, in 2024 report, stated that according to data from the Croatian Red Cross (CRC), 27 children were included in the education system in Zagreb in 2024. Of these, five children were enrolled in preschool, 15 in primary school, and seven in secondary school. In Kutina, 21 children were enrolled in school, including two in preschool, 13 in primary school, and six in secondary school. According to data from the Ministry of the Interior, 45 children were included in the education system in 2024. Of these, 33 attended primary school, seven were enrolled in secondary education, two children were included in adult education programs, and three were enrolled in kindergarten. By the end of 2024, 30 children were still in the education system —24 in primary school, four in secondary school, and two in adult education institutions. Children who are applicants or beneficiaries of international protection continue to face challenges within the educational system. According to the Law on Education in Primary and Secondary Schools, primary education begins with enrolment in the first grade of primary school and is compulsory for all children, typically from the age of six to 15. This represents a significant obstacle for migrant children due to differences in educational systems. The Ombudsperson for Children monitored the case of a child from an Reception Centre for Applicants for International Protection who, at the time of submitting the documentation related to enrolment in the education system, was 15 years old. The administrative department of one county considered that the boy did not meet the conditions for inclusion in the educational system, stating that he was over 15 years of age and had completed only the sixth grade of primary school in his country of origin. The boy was referred to an adult education program, after which the then Ministry competent for education informed Ombudswoman that the county had found a way to include the child in primary school.
The Ombudsperson for Children also reported that the adult primary education program is not adequate for the developmental needs of an adolescent child entering a new community, and it does not include preparatory language classes. In cases where the child does not have a school certificate, it is often not possible to conduct an assessment in the adult primary education programs to which the children are referred. As a result, a child who has reached the age of 15 may remain outside the education system for a long period. Schools are obliged to include children in preparatory Croatian language classes, which is one of the rights of children who are applicants or beneficiaries of international protection. According to the prescribed procedure, the school submits a request for approval of preparatory classes to the administrative department of the county, the City Office for Education, Sports, and Youth of the City of Zagreb, and the Ministry of Science Education and Youth. The implementation of the course cannot begin until approval is received. This process is slow, and the start of classes for each student can be delayed by several months, postponing the support for the child. In some cases, children, once the preparatory course is approved, are referred to another school where the classes are conducted, resulting in the loss of part of their regular lessons at their original school. The preparatory course consists of 70 hours, with the possibility of an additional cycle of 70 hours. However, 140 hours of Croatian language instruction are not sufficient for the child to independently participate in the educational process, and there are still no textbooks adapted for children from other language backgrounds. Among the identified issues are the lack of support for language learning and homework assistance. Being in the classroom with other peers while waiting for the approval of language courses causes frustration for children due to their lack of knowledge of the language and consequent understanding of the content. They are often enrolled in lower grades, which affects their socialization, leads to isolation, and causes peer bullying. There are also issues with determining the level of education due to a lack of documents regarding educational achievements, differences in educational systems, and some children have not attended any educational system for years. For children with trauma, the only systematic support is often the school psychologist, who typically does not speak the child’s native language, making their support insufficient for the child’s needs. The issue of language barriers and the lack of teaching assistants to help children overcome the curriculum has been repeatedly pointed out by organizations working with children in the educational system.[8]
In March 2024, AYS[9] contacted the Office of the Ombudswoman for Children regarding the case of 2 children accomodated in the Reception Center for Applicants for International Protection in Kutina who were not enrolled in primary and secondary school, respectively, based on a negative decision by the Administrative Department for Education, Culture, Sports, Youth and Civil Society of Sisak-Moslavina County. The Ombudswoman for Children informed AYS that one child was eventually enrolled in primary school in Kutina, however only after several months and after the Ombudswoman contacted the Ministry of Science, Education and Youth.
The UNICEF Office in Croatia reported that in 2024 standardized tests for assessing Croatian language proficiency in non-native speaking students have been developed and printed in cooperation with the National Centre for External Evaluation of Education. Schools can apply free of charge to administer these tests, and the results provide schools with a more objective insight into the Croatian language proficiency of non-native students.[10]
The UNICEF Office in Croatia also reported that, in cooperation with its implementing partner, the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences at the University of Zagreb, it is developing an online professional development programme for educational staff in kindergartens, primary and secondary schools through self-paced learning as part of the PREMISE programme for Inclusive, Supportive and Equitable Education for Migrants. The programme will be adopted by the Education and Teacher Training Agency, while the Croatian Academic and Research Network – CARNET will ensure its long-term free online availability for educators, teachers and professional associates in the education system. As a foundation for the development of the training programme, a needs assessment is being conducted to examine the educational challenges faced by students of migrant origin and their families in early and preschool education, primary education (both class and subject teaching levels), and secondary education, as well as the needs of educational professionals in creating a supportive, inclusive, and equitable environment for children of migrant origin. Based on the assessment and the existing legal framework, evidence-based guidelines and recommendations will be developed to improve the quality of education and the integration of children and families of migrant origin into Croatian society. The assessment results and recommendations will be available in 2025.[11]
AYS reported that the problems related to inclusion of children to preparatory classes continued in 2024. According to them, in practice, organisation of preparatory classes is extremely lengthy and children often wait for months before preparatory classes are approved. Also, some children have to go to another school for preparatory classes, and as a result, they cannot attend part of classes at their own school. If a child after 70 hours of preparatory classes does not meet the minimum requirements for inclusion in the regular education system, they should once again attend the program of preparatory classes. At the same time, in most cases, 140 hours of learning Croatian language is not enough for a child to be able to use the language independently to successfully achieve academic goals. [12]
At the local level, a Croatian language course, organized by the City of Zagreb, was held in 2024 for applicants for international protection, persons granted international or temporary protection, and foreign workers with residence and work permits, with the possibility of taking an exam and obtaining a certificate of knowledge of the Croatian language. In addition, the Croatian language course was conducted by 6 civil society organizations selected through a public call for expressions of interest of civil society organizations to participate in the implementation of the Action Plan of the City of Zagreb. The participants mostly attended language courses at the entry level (A1, A2 and B1).
The free Croatian language course was attended by 443 participants, while 10 people passed the verified exam without attending the course.[13]
Beyond access to schools, several organisations provide educational activities and language classes as described in detail in Conditions in Reception Facilities.
[1] Article 58(1) LITP.
[2] Article 58(2) LITP.
[3] Article 58(3) LITP.
[4] Information provided by the Ministry of Science and Education during the webinar „The Protection of Unaccompanied Children: Procedure and Exercising Rights After the Accommodation of Children” organised by the Croatian Law Centre on 2 March 2021.
[5] Article 58(4) LITP; Article 43 Law on Education in Primary and Secondary Schools (Official Gazette 87/2008., 86/2009., 92/2010., 105/2010., 90/2011., 5/2012., 16/2012., 86/2012., 94/2013., 152/2014., 7/2017., 68/2018., 98/2019., 64/2020., 133/2020., 151/2022., 155/2023., 156/2023.)
[6] Official Gazette 151/2011, available in Croatian at: https://bit.ly/3Xs6dsO.
[7] Information provided by the City of Zagreb, 28 January 2025.
[8] Ombudswoman for Children: Report on the work of the Ombudswoman for Children in 2024, page 205, available at: https://dijete.hr/hr/download/izvjesce-o-radu-pravobraniteljice-za-djecu-za-2024-godinu/
[9] Information provided by AYS,15 January 2025.
[10] Information provided by UNICEF Office for Croatia, 4 February 2025.
[11] Information provided by UNICEF Office for Croatia, 4 February 2025.
[12] Information provided by Are You Syrious,15 January 2025.
[13] Information provided by the City of Zagreb, 28 January 2025.