National youth program

National Curriculum for Pre-school Upbringing, General Compulsory and High School Education by the Ministry of 
Science, Education and Sport, published in 2007, which introduces several important general education principles.

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emphasis on acquiring applied knowledge and skills in relation to theoretical education, 
and improving material equipment of a large number of academic institutions.
By issuing a Law on Scientific Activity and Higher Education (Official Gazette, 123/03, 198/03 
and 105/04) legal presumptions were satisfied for improvement of academic education, 
since the Law determines that this area is of special interest for the Republic of Croatia, that 
it is an integral part of international and European educational space and that, among other 
things, it is based on the principle of academic freedoms, connection of lectures, research 
and creation, and harmonization with the European academic education system.
By adopting the Bologna Declaration in 2001, Croatia accepted the obligation to harmonize 
its academic education system with the European education system in five dimensions: 
a) introducing easily recognisable and comparable academic and professional degrees 
and diploma supplement; b) accepting the binary system (of academic and professional 
studies); c) introducing the common European Credit Transfer System (ECTS); d) stimulating 
international mobility of teachers and students, and e) establishing the national system for 
assessment and ensuring quality.
From 2005 until today, the Ministry of Science, Education and Sport has, based on the 
preliminary opinion of the National Council for Higher Education, issued around 1,200 
permissions for performing study programs of undergraduate and graduate university and 
postgraduate specialist and postgraduate university studies, professional and specialist 
graduate professional studies. We must mention that Offices of Quality Management 
operate at universities in the Republic of Croatia, having the task to promote high 
educational standards in universities and to provide active support to constituents in 
improving the quality of scientific and educational work.
Changes in academic education are also directed towards improvement of educational 
structure of population
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, which is attempted to be solved by establishing new educational 
institutions and increasing the number of students enrolled. According to the data from the 
Ministry of Science, Education and Sport, currently in the Republic of Croatia there are 130 
academic institutions which had the total of 178,300 students in the 2007/2008 academic 
year. In the period from 1997 till 2005, the number of students increased by 48 percent, and 
in the same period the number of students who completed the studies increased by 59 
percent. In addition, the commitment to polycentric development of academic education 
subsystem for the purpose of satisfying regional needs, reducing the outflow of young 
people and stimulating growth and development of local economy, resulted in opening a 
range of new academic institutions.
Due to the prohibition of employment in public services, the system was for a certain period 
of time in a crisis which manifested itself in some disciplines in a small number of acquired 
PhD degrees in the anticipated period and in a high rate of resigning from positions of 
junior researchers. By introducing the Bologna changes, the work responsibilities of junior 
researchers were extended to work in education, working positions were opened for 
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Croatia significantly lags behind developed countries by the proportion of academically educated persons, 
and it also differs by the ratio of those who have completed colleges in relation to those with university 
degrees. According to official data, there is 16.7% academically educated working population aged 25 to 64 in 
the Republic of Croatia.

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the ones who had acquired PhD degree, and their stay is additionally stimulated by co-
financing of housing loans, extending international and European programs of scientific 
professional education and other benefits. Until the end of 2007, there were 2,670 persons 
employed according to the excellence criterion.
Scholarships are the most usual form of support, and they are provided by various entities. 
State scholarships are mainly awarded to regular students of university and professional 
studies according to the recommendations by universities, colleges and academic schools.
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The Ministry of Science, Education and Sport undertakes numerous activities in the field of 
student standard and grants significant funds on an annual level for increasing the standard 
level for all students in the Republic of Croatia, but in spite of a relatively large number of 
scholarships and other forms of support (subsidising the accommodation in dormitories and 
tenant accommodation, meals, transportation and work of student organizations), student 
standard requires further efforts and investments in its improvement. This is especially true 
for poorer students who study outside their place of residence. Accommodation capacities 
in student dormitories are still insufficient in all university centers.
An acute problem is the low percentage of students interested in and actively participating 
in decision-making. Research shows that students are generally poorly informed about 
their rights during the studies, as well as about possibilities of organizing for the purpose of 
efficiently representing their interests.
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Student associations still fail to attract larger number 
of students, often act in elitist manner and rarely cooperate with youth associations outside 
university and other civil society organizations. The Ministry of Science, Education and 
Sport awards significant funds for student councils in universities, colleges and academic 
schools which are used to finance projects of student associations related to employment 
and entrepreneurship, healthcare and reproductive health, active participation in society, 
culture and leisure time, and informing and counselling of young people. The influence of 
student representatives on decision-making in academic education is negligible, especially 
in relation to the implementation of the Bologna Process.
It should be added that by changing academic programs, academic education is being 
more directed towards the development of competencies required in the market, but 
the functional relationship between academic education and the world of work, and 
especially social community, is being established. By introducing and implementing 
academic programs, academic education levels are being directed to the development 
of competencies of graduates, which are necessary for the labour market. In academic 
institutions, as well as in high schools, it is necessary to continue the development and 
implementation of programs that stimulate the development of active and responsible 
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In the Rules and Criteria for Awarding 2,538 State Scholarships to Regular Students of University and Professional