Education

International protection seekers are entitled to primary and secondary schooling, as well as Croatian citizens. They can enrol educational institutions in the Republic of Croatia under the same conditions as the Croatian citizens.

KINDERGARTENS

Children are enrolled in kindergartens by following a special procedure which takes into account the documentation they have to provide and an individualised programme, tailored to the needs of specific children and their parents. Language barrier is the biggest problem, especially when it comes to the basic needs such as nutrition, rest, responding to a child’s feeling of safety. For that reason, it is important to provide native speakers´ assistance, for a swift identification of the modality of meeting a child’s needs and timely response to the situation.
A recommendation of the Zagreb Social Welfare Centre (the branch which corresponds to the beneficiary’s temporary residence address in the City of Zagreb) is also mandatory for enrolment in kindergartens.

PRIMARY AND SECONDARY SCHOOLS

The candidates for enrolment in an educational programme are obliged to have:
– Certificate of their status in the Republic of Croatia
– Certificate of their temporary residence in the Republic of Croatia
– ID document (birth certificate, identity card, passport or an adequate document issued by the Ministry of the Interior of the Republic of Croatia)
– Document certifying their previous schooling (if they do not have one, they are obliged to give a statement before a notary and submit it to the relevant educational institution)
Preparatory or supplementary courses for students who do not know Croatian, or do not have sufficient knowledge of Croatian, are organised in order to allow for their efficient integration in the educational system of the Republic of Croatia.

PREPARATORY CROATIAN LANGUAGE COURSES

– Such courses are delivered under a special programme and are aimed at students who do not have any or do not have sufficient knowledge of Croatian; the courses are organised in the following primary schools:
1. Ivana Gundulića Primary School, Zagreb, Gundulićeva 23a
– For pupils from the following city districts: Donji Grad, Gornji Grad – Medveščak, Maksimir and Podsljeme
2. Frana Krste Frankopana Primary School, Zagreb, Ivanićgradska 24
– For pupils from the following city districts: Trnje and Peščenica
3. Gustava Krkleca Primary School, Božidara Magovca 103
– For pupils from the following city districts: Novi Zagreb – istok, Novi Zagreb – zapad and Brezovica
4. Augusta Šenoe Primary School, Zagreb, Selska cesta 95
– For pupils from the following city districts: Trešnjevka – sjever and Trešnjevka – jug
5. Tituša Brezovačkog Primary School, Zagreb, Špansko 1
– For pupils from the following city districts: Stenjevec, Podsused - Vrapče and Črnomerec
6. Sesvetski Kraljevec Primary School, Sesvetski Kraljevec, Školska 10
– For pupils from the following city districts: Gornja Dubrava, Donja Dubrava and Sesvete
7. Žitnjak Primary School, Zagreb, I. Petruševec 1
8. Grigora Viteza Primary School, Zagreb, Kruge 46
9. Kralja Tomislava Primary School, Zagreb, Nova cesta 92
10. Malešnica Primary School, Zagreb, A. T. Mimare 36
11. Ivana Mažuranića Primary School, Zagreb, Javorinska 5
12. Retkovec Primary School, Zagreb, Aleja javora 2
13. Luka Primary School, Sesvete, Otona Ivekovića 16
14. Dr. Vinka Žganca Primary School, Zagreb, Nede Krmpotić 7
 
– They are organised in the following secondary schools:
 
1. XVIII. gimnazija (18^th Gymnasium), Zagreb, Mesićeva 38
2. IV. gimnazija (4^th Gymnasium), Zagreb, Žarka Dolinara 9
 
The children who enrol in preparatory courses have not previously completed any pre-school programme in Croatian or a class under a programme in a national minority language and script. Preparatory courses for primary and secondary school students are structured in one or two hours per day under a 70-hour programme.
 
Depending on the age of students, a school can enrol a student in regular classes of the corresponding or nearly corresponding class. If a student is at the same time enrolled in regular classes, his or her attendance will not be evaluated by using marks, but only by following the child’s social integration and language progress.
 
A student who has not met minimum requirements for enrolment in the regular educational scheme is obliged to attend once again the preparatory course.
 
A preparatory educational group can include from two to 15 students from one or more schools. Transport expenses shall be covered by the founding members of the schools in which students are enrolled. Depending on the number of students, a preparatory course can exceptionally take place in the school in which students are enrolled.
 
SUPPLEMENTARY COURSES
 
– Depending on the needs, supplementary courses can be delivered in any school, with the approval of the Ministry of Science and Education.
 
The students who have completed their preparatory courses in less than a year or who have been enrolled in regular classes, are entitled, to attend supplementary Croatian courses one or two hours per week over the year. Apart from the supplementary Croatian courses, students can enrol in supplementary courses in other subjects, which are organised to assist them in their studies, as foreseen by the school curriculum.
 
ENROLMENT IN SECONDARY SCHOOLS

Any foreign national from a country outside the European Economic Area or the Swiss Confederation can enrol in secondary schools and attend them regularly without paying any tuition fees if such persons or their parents or guardians are the international protection seekers or persons granted international protection or if such persons or their parents or guardians are foreigners under subsidiary protection or foreigners under temporary protection.