To highlight the importance of education for the development of society as a whole, the respect for human rights, and the fight against, among other things, poverty and inequality, the International Day of Education is observed on January 24th. This day was established by the United Nations in 2018.
The right to education is enshrined in the UN Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights. In the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, education is recognized as a key enabler for achieving all 17 Sustainable Development Goals. In particular, Sustainable Development Goal 4 aims to ensure inclusive, equitable and quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all by 2030.
The importance of education for societal progress is also reflected in national strategic documents, such as the National Development Strategy of the Republic of Croatia until 2030, the National Recovery and Resilience Plan 2021–2026, and the National Plan for the Development of the Education System until 2027.
Therefore, it is of vital importance that education—starting from early childhood through to lifelong learning—is accessible to all. Unfortunately, educational inequalities persist in Croatia across all levels of education. Young people from socio-economically disadvantaged families, those living in remote rural areas or on islands, as well as members of certain minority groups, such as the Roma, face greater obstacles in accessing education and tend to achieve poorer educational outcomes, which in turn has long-term implications for their position in society.
A particularly pressing issue is the segregation of Roma children in primary education, especially in the Međimurje region. The Ombudswoman has recommended that the Government of the Republic of Croatia urgently address this issue by developing and implementing a desegregation plan for education, to be applied in all schools with segregated classes.
In the context of education, the promotion of lifelong learning is also essential. According to data from the National Plan for the Development of the Education System, adopted in March 2023, Croatia has one of the lowest participation rates in adult education programmes within the EU. This is particularly the case among individuals with low qualifications, older adults, people living in rural areas, and the long-term unemployed. Persons with disabilities and members of the Roma national minority are also underrepresented.
A key prerequisite for societal development is the systematic education on human rights and equality at all levels of the education system. Although civic education has been implemented in Croatia for several years as a cross-curricular theme, the Ombudswoman has recommended an evaluation of the current model and the introduction of human rights education as a separate and mandatory subject in primary and secondary schools. This subject would cover content related to the promotion and protection of human rights and the prevention of discrimination. This recommendation is also aligned with those of the UN Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination to the Republic of Croatia.
Such education would undoubtedly contribute to increased public awareness of human rights, greater knowledge of one’s own rights as well as those of others, stronger civic engagement in defending these rights, and a reduction in stereotypes and prejudice. This would, in turn, strengthen efforts to combat discrimination, hate speech, hate crimes, and other forms of intolerance.
More information on this topic can be found in the Annual Report of the Ombudswoman.