Musil issop 2018

MUSIL, 2018. Education of children with special needs in Croatia. In: ISSOP2018 - Early Childhood Intervention: Science, Systems and Policies - Promoting Healthy Development of Vulnerable Children [online]. Bonn, Germany: DGSPJ. 28 September 2018. p. 1–120. [Accessed 4 November 2018]. Available from: https://www.issop.org/cmdownloads/musil-issop-2018/

Content and objective of the workshop :  Education system in Croatia consists of pre-primary, primary, secondary, higher and adult education. Primary education is compulsory and free to everyone. Secondary and higher education are available under equal conditions in accordance with capacities. Children with developmental difficulties, disability, severe medical conditions, national minority members and gifted children are considered as children with special needs. Regulation on Primary and Secondary Education of Students with Difficulties is based on principles of inclusion and an individual approach. Suitable education programs, based on individual skills, abilities and needs, are: regular program with individualization, adjusted program, special program and training for autonomous life. Suitable education program could be implemented in regular class in regular school as a complete inclusion, partly in regular and partly in special class in regular school as incomplete inclusion, in special classes in regular school or in special schools. Temporary forms of education - at home or in healthcare facility are also available. According to Report on Disabled Persons in the Republic of Croatia from 2017, 21555 children (64% boys) with special needs had suitable educational program, mainly complete inclusion - regular program with individualization. The main reasons for suitable program were: speech and communication disorders, learning difficulties, multiple disorders and intellectual disability. Education on maternal languages of national minorities is provided at all levels of education, from pre-primary to higher education. Schools are obliged to identify gifted learners and to ensure development of their potential and to focus on sustaining of their special cognitive, social, emotional and physical needs.

Authors, Institutions: Vera Musil  1 University of Zagreb, School of Medicine, Andrija Štampar School of Public Health, Zagreb, Croatia 2 Andrija Štampar Teaching Institute of Public Health, Zagreb, Croatia