This report is the result of an assessment of Croatia’s policies and practices in the field of education and skills, informed by international experience and policies and practices from OECD countries. The review draws on various sources, including a background report prepared by the Ministry of Science, Education and Youth of Croatia (Ministarstvo znanosti, obrazovanja i mladih) and an OECD visit in December 2023 to scope the main policy issues and interview relevant stakeholders.
The OECD review team is deeply grateful to the Croatian government which, under the leadership of the Ministry of Science, Education and Youth, has generously supported this review. We would like to extend our sincere appreciation to the Minister of Science, Education and Youth, Professor Radovan Fuchs, who led Croatia’s engagement throughout the review process and accompanied us through the final stages of this report’s preparation and publication. Croatia’s participation in the report was expertly co-ordinated by Vanja Pavlović, Advisor to the Minister, Božo Pavičin, Chief Advisor to the Minister, Staša Skenžić, Head of Sector for European Affairs and International Cooperation. Staff across the Ministry and its teams engaged thoughtfully with every request from the Secretariat, sharing valuable perspectives and deep expertise throughout. We also wish to thank colleagues from the Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs—particularly Rina Eterović Goreta, OECD Accession Coordinator, and Barbara Majer, Minister Counsellor at the Croatian Embassy in the French Republic—for their dedicated support over the course of the review.
The OECD team is especially appreciative of the many individuals who participated in the review visit. A wide range of actors at all levels of government and across all education levels provided a wealth of insights. We are very grateful to the many Croatian stakeholders, including the officials from the various ministries, local education authorities, educational institutions and social partners. The warm hospitality extended to the OECD team during our stay in Croatia made the review process not only productive, but also a truly rewarding and memorable experience.
The OECD review team was overseen by Elizabeth Fordham (OECD Secretariat), led by Caitlyn Guthrie (OECD Secretariat), and composed of Lynn Abi Raad (OECD Secretariat), Simon Field (OECD Secretariat), Manuela Fitzpatrick (OECD Secretariat), Gillian Golden (OECD Secretariat), as well as Zhasmin Avetisyan (OECD Secretariat), Yasemin Buharali (OECD Secretariat), and Till Kadereit (OECD Secretariat). The review team acknowledges invaluable guidance from Andreas Schleicher, Director for Education and Skills; El Iza Mohamedou, Head of the OECD Skills Centre; and Paulo Santiago, Head of the Policy Advice and Implementation Division. Andrew Bell, Lucie Cerna, Stéphanie Jamet, Hannah Kitchen, Elizabeth Shuey, Simon Roy, Marieke Vandeweyer, and Samo Varsik provided valuable feedback and advice at critical stages of the drafting process of the report. In addition, we would like to extend our thanks to the many OECD colleagues in the Directorate for Employment, Labour and Social Affairs; the Economics Department, the Governance Directorate, and the Legal Directorate. Rachel Linden and Daiana Lima Torres contributed to the final steps of preparation for the publication.