Croatia was last reviewed in May 2020. The country received 229 recommendations, 198 of which were supported. Ten of the recommendations pertained to the Right to Education, with 9 being supported. [viii]
Among the most prevalent topics addressed in the recommendations were the improvements in the accessibility of education for individuals with disabilities, the provision of adequate living conditions and access to education for the Roma national minority, and the enhancement of inclusivity and equal opportunities in education. [ix]
Additionally, implementing a curriculum on age-appropriate and comprehensive sexuality education, to be provided throughout schooling, was recommended by Fiji and Iceland. [x]
The 2020 Compilation on Croatia included observations and recommendations from several international bodies regarding the country’s educational system. The most prevalent topics in the Compilation were recommendations to encourage non-traditional career paths and diversifying academic and career options for both genders, accelerating the Croatian language course application process to increase unaccompanied and separated children’s access to education, and ensuring Roma children receive quality education in their mother tongue and eradicate segregation of Roma children in the educational system. Furthermore, UNESCO reported that Croatia had developed the National Roma Inclusion Strategy (2013-2020), which prioritized education to increase Roma children’s inclusion and educational quality to the national average. [xi]
The 2020 Summary of Stakeholders’ submissions on Croatia included recommendations from stakeholders, such as: ensuring effective and non-discriminatory access to education for asylum-seeking children; addressing the limited access to education for people with disabilities; improving the quality of sexual education and decreasing the influence of the Catholic Church on educational policies; eliminating segregation of Roma children in the educational system; and removing discriminatory content from textbooks and addressing discrimination against minorities in schools. [xii]
Croatia’s 2020 National report for the UN-UPR highlights the country’s efforts in addressing many of these challenges. Firstly, the Anti-Discrimination Act and the CPA prohibit all forms of discrimination, with national documents reinforcing protection against discrimination. Furthermore, education is provided for 29,868 students with developmental disabilities in regular and special primary and secondary schools. The National Strategy for the Equalisation of Opportunities for Persons with Disabilities (2017-2020) promotes universal design principles, enhances access to public services and transportation, and trains education professionals to work effectively with individuals with disabilities. [xiii]
Additionally, education in the language and script of national minorities is guaranteed by the Constitution, the Constitutional Act on the Rights of National Minorities (CARNM), and the Act on Education in Languages and Scripts of National Minorities. Equal access to education for Roma children is ensured, with an annual allocation of over HRK 10 million for Roma education. [xiv]
Finally, unaccompanied children have the right to education under the same conditions as Croatian nationals, supported by the protocol on the Treatment of Unaccompanied Children (2018). [xv]
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50th_Session_UN-UPR_CroatiaReferences
[viii] “UPR Info.” 2022. UPR Info. 2022. https://upr-info-database.uwazi.io/library/?q=.
[ix] “UPR Info.” 2022. UPR Info. 2022.
[x] “UPR Info.” 2022. UPR Info. 2022.
[xi] Human Rights Council and Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights. 2020. “Compilation on Croatia.” Report of the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights. https://documents.un.org/doc/undoc/gen/g20/063/46/pdf/g2006346.pdf.
[xii] Human Rights Council, Working Group on the Universal Periodic Review, and Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights. 2020. “Summary of Stakeholders’ Submissions on Croatia.” Report of the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights. https://documents.un.org/doc/undoc/gen/g20/053/56/pdf/g2005356.pdf.
[xiii] United Nations. 2020. “National Report Submitted in Accordance With Paragraph 5 of the Annex to Human Rights Council Resolution 16/21.” A/HRC/WG.6/36/HRV/1. https://documents.un.org/doc/undoc/gen/g20/050/17/pdf/g2005017.pdf.
[xiv] United Nations. 2020. “National Report Submitted in Accordance With Paragraph 5 of the Annex to Human Rights Council Resolution 16/21.
[xv] United Nations. 2020. “National Report Submitted in Accordance With Paragraph 5 of the Annex to Human Rights Council Resolution 16/21.
Featured Photo by Niels Bosman on Unsplash
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