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CHILDREN AND DISABILITY IN CROATIA
Co-ordinator: Senka Bosner Central Bureau of Statistics
MONEE Country Analytical Report 2002
The opinions expressed are those of the authors and do not necessarily
reflect the policies or views of UNICEF
UNICEF Innocenti Research Centre Piazza SS. Annunziata, 12 50122 Florence, Italy webs i te : www.unicef- i cdc.org
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CENTRAL BUREAU OF STATISTICS
Senka Bosner,
Head of Department
January 2003
"Children and Disability in Croatia"
Introduction
In the Republic of Croatia the term children with disabilities comprises children with
disorders in their physical or psychical development.
Croatian laws protecting persons with disabilities are in line with appropriate
international laws, resolutions and recommendations (UN, UNESCO and EU).
Bearing in mind these international documents and in line with contemporary democratic
principles and achievements, the Republic of Croatia incorporated appropriate provisions
into its Constitution. Among others, the Constitution includes numerous personal,
political, economic, social and cultural rights for inhabitants. A component part of these
rights are provisions that define a special form of protection of people with disability.
These provisions of the Constitution of the Republic of Croatia are defined by numerous
acts and regulations concerning social care, health care, education, employment etc.,
which provide for children and adults with disabilities a series of rights and benefits that
help them have a more quality life.
In the Republic of Croatia there are many associations to which persons with disabilities
come together. The membership in them is voluntary based. They offer a wide range of
activities, for example, helping persons with a particular disability to gather and socialise,
providing them help and support in various situations and rising public consciousness
about the life and problems of persons with disabilities aimed at their better social
integration. As they are founded, as a rule, in large centres, a number of members are
dislocated and can realise only a “distant participation”. The finances for the operation of
such associations are obtained from the state budget, donations etc.
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Here are some of these associations:
1. CROATIAN FEDERATION OF PERSONS WITH HEARING
IMPAIRMENTS
2. CROATIAN FEDERATION OF PERSONS WITH VISUAL
IMPAIRMENTS
3. ASSOCIATION OF DYSTROPHY SUFFERERS
4. CROATIAN ASSOCIATION OF PERSONS WITH BOTH HEARING AND
VISUAL IMPAIRMENTS
5. ASSOCIATION OF PERSONS SUFFERING FROM CEREBRAL PALSY
AND POLIOMYELITIS
6. CROATIAN ASSOCIATION OF PERSONS SUFFERING FROM
MULTIPLE SCLEROSIS
7. ASSOCIATION OF PERSONS SUFFERING FROM MYASTHENIA
GRAVIS
8. ASSOCIATION OF PERSONS WITH PARAPLEGIA AND
AMPUTATIONS
9. ASSOCIATION FOR HELPING OF PERSONS WITH MENTAL
RETARDATION
10. ASSOCIATION OF PERSONS SUFFERING FROM AUTISM
etc.
Members of these associations are mostly persons having a particular disability and
members of their families. In spite of their undoubtedly important positive role in the life
of disabled persons, unfortunately, they somehow encourage the isolation of persons with
a particular disability, having in mind that persons with the same disability will
presumably socialise among themselves and thus make their own closed little circle.
Another type of associations for rendering aid to persons with disabilities are those that
gather like-minded persons, with or without disabilities, whose aim is to help their co-
inhabitants with disabilities through their activities, such as:
IDEM (Croatian word meaning I go), whose basic task is giving support to the
implementation of educational integration in the Republic of Croatia;
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Association for Promotion of Inclusion, whose basic task is to help adults with mental
retardation to have an independent life;
etc.
Generally, it needs to be said that children and adults with disability have a very good
legal protection and social support in the Republic of Croatia.
Although, there are certain difficulties in practice when it comes to implementation of
these positive provisions, which is specially true in the domain of employment, necessary
educational equipment etc., due to a generally difficult situation in the economy of the
Republic of Croatia in which aftermaths of the last-decade devastating war are still
present.
There are very positive initiatives aimed at improvement of the general status of persons
with disabilities, as for example:
- the foundation of the Government Board for Persons with disabilities, which made, in
co-operation with the State Institute for the Protection of the Family, Maternity and
Youth, the National Strategy of Uniformed Policy for Persons with disabilities, 2002 -
2006.
- the Croatian Institute for Public Health is just designing the uniform Register of Persons
with disabilities, which will enable a complete insight into the number of persons with
disabilities and the severity of their impairments.
1. Children with disabilities: who are they?
In general, in the Republic of Croatia children with disabilities are classified to children
with mental retardation, visual impairments, hearing impairments, voice pathology and
physical impairments. In addition, this classification is extended by some competent
agencies to children with autism, severe chronic diseases, psychical diseases, behavioural
disorders etc, depending on the criteria and purpose of observation.
A law that would define characteristics of children with disabilities does not exist in the
Republic of Croatia. The exact number of children and adults with disabilities is not
known either. Various acts, rule books and regulations protect the rights of children and
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adults with disabilities. Therefore, definitions of children and adults with disabilities also
vary, depending of what is the purpose of a particular act, rule book or regulation.
For example, health care institutions register needs (if any) for further treatment or more
intensive health care. In such cases the criterion is the needed health care itself and not its
cause.
The domain of social care comprises children with disabilities from the point of view of
social care, that is, rights and services rendered by social care institutions. It should be
mentioned that these rights are very well elaborated in the Republic of Croatia and they
fulfil the purpose of protecting children with disabilities and their families. Thus, the
social care service has got data on how many persons or families were granted with some
kind of social support or some services on the basis of disability, but they do not
comprise all children with disabilities in the same way.
The Ministry of Education and Sports observes children with disabilities from
educational point of view and has its own criteria for including such children into regular
education or a certain kind of adjusted education.
It is especially difficult to define marginal cases. Then the definition of the term disability
very often depends on its purpose, which is particularly true when it comes to a light
mental retardation, where it is not easy to draw a strict line between “retarded” and
“normal”. For example, a child with severe diabetes, haemophilia or another chronic
disease is considered a child with disability from the medical point of view, but not from
the educational point of view.
As it was already mentioned, there are no uniform data in the Republic of Croatia on
children and adults with disabilities, which would offer all necessary information.
Therefore, there are only data collected by the Croatian Institute for Pension and
Disability Insurance until 1999 and those collected by the Ministry of Work and Social
Welfare since 2000.
The following table presents data as collected by the Croatian Institute for Pension and
Disability Insurance, on the number of children with disabilities (up to 21 years of age)
that were registered with them and granted (on the basis of disability) support for
schooling, professional rehabilitation and employment.
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Table 1
Children included in the rehabilitation and employment programme
Insured children
Year Total Rehabilitation Employment
Total Profession
al
rehabilitati
on
Adjusted
basic
education
Waiting
for
employme
nt
Employed
during the
year
1 2(3+6+7) 3(4+5) 4 5 6 7
1989 5610 3285 1693 1592 2237 88
1990 5558 3339 1766 1573 2158 61
1991 5932 3490 1788 1702 2393 49
1992 5734 3258 1730 1528 2370 106
1993 5760 3010 1546 1464 2435 315
1994 5301 2928 1526 1402 2132 241
1995 5753 3151 1599 1552 2439 163
1996 6325 3535 1868 1667 2608 182
1997 6326 3312 1758 1536 2910 122
1998 6917 3571 1894 1677 3233 113
1999 6479 3192 1656 1536 3242 45
Source: the Croatian Institute for Pension and Disability Insurance
Data for the years 2000 and 2001 are taken over from the Ministry of Work and Social
Welfare, on persons with disabilities who are granted a certain kind of social care.
Attachment I
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2. Government responsibilities for children with disabilities
3. Institutional and public care for children with disabilities
Croatian laws that protect persons with disabilities are harmonised with the appropriate
international laws, resolutions and recommendations (UN, UNESCO, and EU).
The Constitution of the Republic of Croatia defines equal rights for all citizens, so
persons with disabilities are included in its provisions. Special acts concerning individual
domains provide for persons with disabilities rights for intensive and special health,
social and material care.
Health care is free of charge for all children in the Republic of Croatia.
Acts on health care provide for a necessary medical care and rehabilitation to children
with disabilities. A special care for children with disabilities is carried out by expert
teams consisting of both doctors and special teachers. Special teachers are experts
specialised for rehabilitation and education of children with disabilities.
It is well-known that the family is the best possible environment for the upbringing of
every child, which is also true for a child with disability. Therefore, the efforts of the
society focus in the first place to providing for a harmonious family life to a child with
disability, so the family is granted a continuous support. From the moment of discovering
a child’s disability (usually between a day of birth and the first year of a child’s life,
although it may happen later, up to the child’s enrolment to school), a team of experts for
a particular disability continuously work with both the child and its family, especially
mother, who is considered the most important member of a rehabilitation team. An expert
team includes a specialist doctor, family doctor, rehabilitation therapist, social worker,
psychologist, special teacher as well as other experts, if necessary.
The overall public efforts are focused to achieve the best possible integration of children
and adults with disabilities. Therefore, the idea is to leave as many children as possible in
their families, or if it is not possible, to find foster families for them.
Unfortunately, there are cases when a child with disability cannot live with his/her own
family. There are still situations when a family simply cannot accept a child with
disability. Some families just break down because they either cannot cope with the
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responsibility they have or family interrelations do not allow a child with disability an
optimal development and rehabilitation. In such cases, children with disabilities are
usually provided with a more favourable accommodation, in the first place with an
adoptive or foster family.
Foster families must meet special requirements about their educational and social status
and must become familiar with the kind of disability their foster child-to-be suffers from
as well as with how to take an active part in his/her particular education and
rehabilitation. Foster families get Government support for each foster child as well as
other benefits reserved for families of children with disabilities.
If a family of a child with disability resides in a place where there are no conditions for
his/her education and rehabilitation, it is necessary to part a child from the family. That is
when children are found foster families. If, due to the severity of a handicap or other
reasons, it is not possible to keep children either in their own family or in a foster family,
they are accommodated in specialised institutions (boarding homes). Within such
institutions there are often educational facilities as their integral parts (kindergartens,
basic schools and, rarely, secondary schools) as well as rehabilitation possibilities.
Although the results achieved in such specialised institutions are very good, it is not
possible to avoid the social isolation of children with disabilities. These children come
together only with other children with similar handicaps and they generally have very
tiny possibilities to socialise. Therefore, they are sent to their families over weekends and
holidays as often as possible.
There are also specialised institutions that offer accommodation for children with a
severe handicap, for the blind, the deaf, persons with heavy physical disabilities, persons
with mental retardation, persons suffering from severe chronic diseases, persons with
multiple disabilities etc.
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Table 3
Source: the Central Bureau of Statistics Data are collected in a two-year periodicity
BOARDING HOMES FOR DISABLED CHILDREN AND YOUTH Homes Users Users by age groups
Total Females 10 years 11 - 17 18 - 21 21 years and over
1996 20 3 047 1 258 359 1 188 478 1 022
1998 23 2 455 1 080 214 1 037 405 799
2000 22 2 777 1 167 308 994 426 1 049
Attachment II
Concerning work rights and social welfare, the family that takes care of a child with
disability has various possibilities of realising help and support they need. The decision
on type and duration of available rights is made by social welfare services according to
valid acts, books of rules and regulations. For example, instruments of family policy,
among others, consist of various family subsidies, including child’s allowance, that is,
under certain conditions, granted to children up to 18 years of age if they regularly attend
school.
• A child’s allowance is granted to a child with disability until the completion of his/her
education and rehabilitation and not longer than turned 27 years of age. If that child is
still not capable of independent life, he or she may continue to receive a child’s
allowance.
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• Employed parent of a child with disability, on the basis of intensive care that a child
needs, has a right to paid leave until a child’s turned 7th year of age. Later on, a parent
has a right to a short-time job and a compensation for time dedicated to the child.
• If necessary, a child with disability has a right to accommodation outside his or her
own family, that is, to accommodation in foster family or specialised institution.
• A child with disability living with his or her own family has a right to temporary,
weekly, all-day or half-day accommodation in a specialised institution. That means
that children with disabilities may have a half-day, all-day or weekly accommodation
in an institution that provides for their necessary care, rehabilitation and education. In
this case, children with disabilities have a right to use organised transport as well.
Temporary stay is usually granted to parents or other tutors who are temporarily
impeded to take care of their children with disabilities.
• Children with disabilities (as well as persons with disabilities) have, under certain
conditions, the following rights:
⇒ Allowance for help and care, which is meant for persons who cannot provide for their
own existential needs.
⇒ Help and care at home, which include food delivery, doing housework, helping with
personal hygienic and other day-to-day needs.
⇒ Personal disability pay, that is, regular pay for children with disabilities (later persons
with disabilities) who are unable to work and earning and who live in their families or
on their own.
⇒ Training for independent life and work is carried out always when it is possible,
depending on the severity of a particular impairment. It includes education that is
carried out within the educational system of the Republic of Croatia. Persons who
cannot be trained for an independent life or work have the right to be trained in line
with their capabilities.
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Education of children with disabilities
Children with disabilities have, along with all other children in the Republic of Croatia,
the right to education. The educational system of the Republic of Croatia comprises pre-
school, basic, secondary and tertiary education. At all educational levels there are state
and private institutions. Education in private institutions must be paid for.
According to positive laws in the Republic of Croatia, all children have a right to
education that is in line with their capabilities. Therefore, education of children with
disabilities is organised depending on their capabilities, together with the best possible
socialisation. That is why, in general, there are three models of education of children with
disabilities:
1. Full integration, which means that children with disabilities are included in
regular educational groups and in regular or, if necessary, adjusted programme. In
addition, a team of experts work with them, most often special teachers. As a rule,
one special teacher is in charge of several kindergartens or schools attended by
integrated children/students. This type of integration is suitable mostly for
children with light impairments. The number of children/students in classes or
educational groups attended by children with disabilities is smaller than in other
classes/educational groups and is defined by various regulations. This type of
integration is considered the best for the development of children with disabilities,
therefore it is carried out at all educational levels, wherever possible. Due to the
nature of educational programmes, the full integration is best carried out at lower
educational levels, that is, in kindergartens and in lower grades of basic school.
2. Partial integration, which means that children with disabilities attend a regular
educational institution (kindergarten, basic or secondary school), but are educated
in separate groups, by either regular or adjusted programme that suits their
capabilities. Along with teachers, special teachers and other experts take care of
these children. The number of children in these educational groups is significantly
smaller than in regular educational groups. Moreover, it is the subject to special
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regulations. This type of integration is implemented wherever possible, depending
on the severity of the impairment and on actual conditions.
3. Special pedagogic and educational institutions organise upbringing, education and
rehabilitation of children with disabilities who, due either to the severity of their
impairment or physical health or other reasons cannot be integrated into regular
educational groups. Such institutions are usually specialised for a single
impairment, for example, for the blind, the deaf, persons with physical
impairments (cerebral palsy), persons with mental retardation etc. They are in
most cases also boarding homes, rendering services for children whose families
live outside the place of their education. Children are there educated by regular,
adjusted or special programmes, depending on their capabilities. The upbringing
and education of children with disabilities in these institutions are financed by the
Ministry of Education and Sports and the Ministry of Work and Social Welfare,
depending on the basis of right to upbringing and education in a particular
specialised institution.
In spite of efforts to carry out the integration wherever possible, depending of capabilities
of children with disabilities, very often there are numerous obstacles to do it properly. For
example, the transport of children with physical impairments to school is well organised,
but if a particular school is not adjusted for these children there arise numerous
difficulties, which are solved, with a great deal of good will involved, at a local level, that
is, efforts are made to help individual students attend the chosen school. Unfortunately,
very often it is not possible and, thus, a number of children with disabilities, who would
have been integrated, attend special institutions.
The educational system of the Republic of Croatia consists of the following levels:
1. Pre-primary education and programmes (ISCED 97, level 0); it is not obligatory
and users must pay for it. It must be mentioned that in cases in which there is a
reason, it may be paid by the social welfare or another institution.
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At this educational level there are all three types of education of children with disabilities,
providing that the possibilities for full or partial integration increase with the general
capability of educational programmes to be adjusted.
Unfortunately, data on the full integration of children with disabilities into kindergartens
were not available at competent institutions.
Data on the partial integration as well as on children attending kindergartens within
specialised upbringing and educational institutions are presented in the
Attachment III.
Source: the Central Bureau of Statistics, providing that it has been collected these data
only since 1999. Data on types of impairments of children included in the pre-primary
education are not observed.
2. Basic education (ISCED 1 and 2A)
The basic education is obligatory for all children between 7 and 15 years of age and it is
free of charge in state schools. The basic education provides for basic general knowledge
and skills, excluding vocation. Even at this level all three types of education of children
with disabilities are implemented. Special efforts are made to create conditions for
children with disabilities to attend the basic school in their place of usual residence and in
school they regionally belong to, which means the full or partial integration wherever
possible. For children who cannot attend the basic school in the place where their family
lives, the main aim is to find accommodation in foster families in the place of their
education.
Data on types of impairments of students fully integrated are not available, but only for
partly integrated children and children situated in specialised educational institutions.
Attachment IV
Source: the Central Bureau of Statistics
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3. Secondary education (ISCED 97, level 3)
The secondary education is the continuation of the basic one, it is not obligatory and it is
free of charge in state schools. All three types of education are carried out for children
with disabilities. Wherever there are conditions, it is made possible for children to be
integrated into the regular education, though it must be pointed out that there are fewer
students integrated into the secondary education than into the basic education. The
reasons are specific secondary education programmes and vocations they prepare
students to. In order to enable each child with disability for more or less independent life
and work, available are vocational guidance as well as special programmes and
rehabilitators. Data for this educational level are similar to those for the basic education.
Attachment V
Source: the Central Bureau of Statistics
Since the basic education is general and not vocational, a special care is taken that
children with disabilities continue their education at a higher level. In addition to the most
common 4-year and 3-year programmes, there are also 1-year and 2-year ones, adjusted
to children with disabilities, especially those with mental retardation.
Exceptionally, there are educational programmes (ISCED 97, level 2C) for training for
elementary occupations for which it is not necessary that a person complete a basic
school (ISCED 97, level 2A).
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4. Tertiary education (ISCED 97, level 5 and 6)
Tertiary education is organised at institutions of higher education and it is not obligatory;
it is free of charge for a certain number of students at state institutions of higher
education. Persons with disabilities have priority while enrolling and do not have to pay
for their study if they meet some basic requirements for the enrolment on a particular
institution. At this level persons with disabilities participate only if they can be fully
integrated. There are no records on how many persons with disabilities study at
institutions of higher education in the Republic of Croatia.
From all that was hitherto said is seen that children with disabilities have the basic
right to education and that the system is organised in a way to make them possible to
actualise this right. Undoubtedly, the actualisation of it is best carried out in the basic
education, which is obligatory. Nevertheless, attention must be paid to two problems that
interfere with the actualisation right to get the education in the most favourable way. The
first one concerns the territorial arrangement of schools or special classes for children
with disabilities as well as of specialised upbringing and educational institutions intended
for them. They are mostly (70% - 80%) situated in big cities (with 25 000 inhabitants or
more), in smaller towns (10 000 - 25 000 inhabitants) there are 10 –20% such institutions
and in places with less than 10 000 inhabitants there are less than 10 % of them. This
arrangement is more favourable at the lower educational levels, where it is simpler to
organise educational programmes.
It means that children with disabilities whose families live in smaller towns and places,
providing they cannot be fully integrated, have less opportunity to participate in the pre-
primary education, and for the basic and, especially, secondary education they are forced
to find accommodation outside their own families. Wherever possible, it is organised
with foster families, but very often the only option is a specialised upbringing and
educational institution.
The second problem concerns various architectural and other kinds of obstacles as well as
a lack of special didactic aids in schools children with disabilities attend (or should
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attend). That is why even children with disabilities who meet other requirements for
integration is still referred to a special class or institution.
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Education of special teachers
Conscious of the importance of education of children with disabilities, the Republic of
Croatia has a rich tradition of educating special teachers, that is, experts for upbringing,
education and rehabilitation of children with disabilities. Since 1947 special teacher have
been educated at separate departments of the Teacher’s Education Academy and the Non-
University College of Defectology. The year 1962 saw the foundation of the School of
Higher Education of Defectology, which became the Faculty of Defectology in 1973. In
1998 this faculty changed its name to the Faculty of Education and Rehabilitation. It
operates within the University of Zagreb and organises a 4-year university study (ISCED
97, level 5A, first degree), a post-graduate study for getting master’s degree (ISCED 97
level 5A, research degree) as well as procedures for getting a doctor’s degree (ISCED 97,
level 6). The study has three courses: speech and language pathology, behavioural
disorders and rehabilitation. The course behavioural disorders educates social
pedagogues for the work with children that show non-organic symptoms of behavioural
disorders. The Croatian legislature and educational system consider such children as
children with disabilities as well. The course rehabilitation includes studies of all kinds of
impairments, except voice impairments, which are studied at a separate course (speech
and language pathology).
Attachment VI
Source: the Central Bureau of Statistics
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5. Summary
It must be pointed out that a great number of persons were disabled during the last-decade
war that inflicted the territory of the Republic of Croatia, so the country is faced with a
more difficulties concerning its inhabitants with disabilities than other countries.
According to all valid laws in the Republic of Croatia, persons with disabilities have the
same rights as other citizens and the community is obliged to make sure that they have
equal conditions for their life and work. Also, children with disabilities have the right for
upbringing and education according to their capabilities. There are several institutions
that are in charge of children and adults with disability, of which the main ones are the
Ministry of Health Care, the Ministry of Work and Social Welfare, the Ministry of
Education and Sports, the Croatian Institute for Pension and Disability Insurance and the
Croatian Employment Service. Each one of these institutions is in charge of its own
domain. It is usually focused on a part of responsibility of a particular institution, that is,
the Ministry of Work and Social Welfare is in charge of keeping data on the number, kind
and the amount of paid off social benefits or other services; the Ministry of Health Care
of the medical aspects of disability; the Ministry of Education and Sports of difficulties in
education; the Croatian Employment Service on persons with disabilities that need to be
employed etc. In that way, one person may be registered with only one institution, but
with several ones as well. It is considered that data on the education of children with
disabilities are the most though ones, since every single child (except the extremely
severe cases) is included in obligated education.
The Government of the Republic of Croatia has founded the Government Board for
Persons with disabilities, consisting of a representative of associations that take care of
persons with disabilities, relevant ministries and scientific institutions. The Croatian
Institute for Public Health is presently preparing a project for establishing a uniform
register of persons with disabilities that would bring together all necessary information on
persons with disabilities. It may be concluded, therefore, that the Government is
conscious of its great responsibility towards persons with disabilities and takes various
measures for the improvement of their status.
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Various associations of persons with disabilities and other citizens are very active in
giving impetus to various kinds of obstacles, the results of which are lowered catwalks in
many towns, building of lifts for disabled persons in many public buildings, adjusted
public traffic etc. in order to make it easier for persons with physical impairments to
move around; traffic lights have sound signalisation for the blind; a number of TV
programmes introduced a “translator” for the deaf etc.; the employment of persons with
disabilities are stimulated through bonuses and tax relief for employees etc.
In general, it may be concluded that the care for children and adults with disabilities is
well organised in the Republic of Croatia and that everybody in charge continues to work
on its improvement.
Data sources:
Central Bureau of Statistics
State Institute for the Protection of the Family, Maternity and Youth Ministry of
Education and Sports
Ministry of Work and Social Welfare
Croatian Institute for Pension and Disability Insurance
Faculty of Education and Rehabilitation
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Attachment I
Source: the Ministry of Work and Social Welfare
Table 2.1.
Persons with disabilities by age and type of handicap (on 31st December 2000)
Type of handicap Total
Age of user
Visual impairments
Hearing impairments
Voice pathology
Physical impairments
Mental retardation
Behavioural disorders
Organic mental health disorders
Psychosis Multiple handicaps
Total number
%
0 - 3 17 16 10 572 103 1 23 0 547 1289 3,1 4 - 7 31 278 86 644 268 10 25 3 1123 2468 6,0 8 - 14 101 379 106 713 726 52 96 28 1775 3976 9,6 15 - 16 36 78 35 256 511 47 61 9 1027 2060 5,0 17 - 18 67 59 15 396 458 41 39 16 875 1966 4,8 19 - 21 93 100 50 524 872 66 107 107 1324 3243 7,8 Children - total
345 910 302 3105 2938 217 351 163 6671 15002 36,3
% 22,00 63,1 50,8 27,4 35,9 24,7 23,8 8,1 48,4 36,3 22 - 45 262 197 113 2431 3339 345 404 777 2988 10856 26,3 46 - 65 335 156 86 2191 1387 188 395 690 2495 7923 19,2 66 and over
628 180 94 3613 523 127 327 393 1623 7508 18,2
Total 1570 1443 595 11340 8187 877 1477 2023 13777 41289 100 % 3,8 3,5 1,4 27,5 19,8 2,1 3,6 4,9 33,4 100
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Table 2.2.
Persons with disabilities by age and type of handicap (on 31st December 2001)
Type of handicap Total
Age of user
Visual impairments
Hearing impairments
Voice pathology
Physical impairments
Mental retardation
Behavioural disorders
Organic mental health disorders
Psychosis Multiple handicaps
Total number
%
0 - 3 20 24 11 830 96 5 4 0 508 1498 2,9 4 - 7 35 97 102 844 268 7 25 6 1114 2498 4,9 8 - 14 100 201 134 844 842 34 75 42 1933 4205 8,2 15 - 16 43 71 42 303 610 42 86 7 903 2107 4,1 17 - 18 39 63 27 314 516 63 54 47 912 2035 4,0 19 - 21 113 97 40 456 911 70 96 82 1311 3176 6,2 Children - total
350 553 356 3591 3243 221 340 184 6681 15519 30,4
% 20,0 49,7 54,8 26,3 33,6 26,1 18,6 7,5 35,0 30,4 22 - 45 287 214 108 1867 4102 357 406 965 3598 11904 23,4 46 - 65 392 172 98 2716 1639 174 654 837 3533 10215 20,1 66 and over
717 173 88 5470 655 95 432 480 5269 13379 26,2
Total 1746 1112 650 13644 9639 847 1832 2466 19081 51017 100 % 3,4 2,2 1,3 26,7 18,9 1,7 3,6 4,8 37,4 100
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Attachment II
Source: the Central Bureau of Statistics Table 4 Children with disabilities in boarding homes
Type of handicap
Visual impairments
Hearing impairments
Voice pathology
Physical impairments
Mental retardation
Behavioural disorders
Organic mental health disorders
Psychosis Multiple handicaps
Total number
1996 157 167 76 215 1491 956 0 0 917 39791998 65 115 29 128 1169 1114 42 3 904 35692000 102 134 8 17 1873 1116 48 4 591 3893
Data are collected in two-year periodicity. In 1996 data on organic mental health disorders and psychosis are presented together with data on mental retardation.
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Attachment I
Source: the Ministry of Work and Social Welfare
Table 2.1.
Persons with disabilities by age and type of handicap (on 31st December 2000)
Type of handicap Total
Age of user
Visual impairments
Hearing impairments
Voice pathology
Physical impairments
Mental retardation
Behavioural disorders
Organic mental health disorders
Psychosis Multiple handicaps
Total number
%
0 - 3 17 16 10 572 103 1 23 0 547 1289 3,1 4 - 7 31 278 86 644 268 10 25 3 1123 2468 6,0 8 - 14 101 379 106 713 726 52 96 28 1775 3976 9,6 15 - 16 36 78 35 256 511 47 61 9 1027 2060 5,0 17 - 18 67 59 15 396 458 41 39 16 875 1966 4,8 19 - 21 93 100 50 524 872 66 107 107 1324 3243 7,8 Children - total
345 910 302 3105 2938 217 351 163 6671 15002 36,3
% 22,00 63,1 50,8 27,4 35,9 24,7 23,8 8,1 48,4 36,3 22 - 45 262 197 113 2431 3339 345 404 777 2988 10856 26,3 46 - 65 335 156 86 2191 1387 188 395 690 2495 7923 19,2 66 and over
628 180 94 3613 523 127 327 393 1623 7508 18,2
Total 1570 1443 595 11340 8187 877 1477 2023 13777 41289 100 % 3,8 3,5 1,4 27,5 19,8 2,1 3,6 4,9 33,4 100
24
Table 2.2.
Persons with disabilities by age and type of handicap (on 31st December 2001)
Type of handicap Total
Age of user
Visual impairments
Hearing impairments
Voice pathology
Physical impairments
Mental retardation
Behavioural disorders
Organic mental health disorders
Psychosis Multiple handicaps
Total number
%
0 - 3 20 24 11 830 96 5 4 0 508 1498 2,9 4 - 7 35 97 102 844 268 7 25 6 1114 2498 4,9 8 - 14 100 201 134 844 842 34 75 42 1933 4205 8,2 15 - 16 43 71 42 303 610 42 86 7 903 2107 4,1 17 - 18 39 63 27 314 516 63 54 47 912 2035 4,0 19 - 21 113 97 40 456 911 70 96 82 1311 3176 6,2 Children - total
350 553 356 3591 3243 221 340 184 6681 15519 30,4
% 20,0 49,7 54,8 26,3 33,6 26,1 18,6 7,5 35,0 30,4 22 - 45 287 214 108 1867 4102 357 406 965 3598 11904 23,4 46 - 65 392 172 98 2716 1639 174 654 837 3533 10215 20,1 66 and over
717 173 88 5470 655 95 432 480 5269 13379 26,2
Total 1746 1112 650 13644 9639 847 1832 2466 19081 51017 100 % 3,4 2,2 1,3 26,7 18,9 1,7 3,6 4,8 37,4 100
25
Attachment II
Source: the Central Bureau of Statistics Table 4 Children with disabilities in boarding homes
Type of handicap
Visual impairments
Hearing impairments
Voice pathology
Physical impairments
Mental retardation
Behavioural disorders
Organic mental health disorders
Psychosis Multiple handicaps
Total number
1996 157 167 76 215 1491 956 0 0 917 39791998 65 115 29 128 1169 1114 42 3 904 35692000 102 134 8 17 1873 1116 48 4 591 3893Data are collected in two-year periodicity. In 1996 data on organic mental health disorders and psychosis are presented together with data on mental retardation.
26
CENTRAL BUREAU OF STATISTICS
Senka Bosner,
Head of Department
January 2003
"Children and Disability in Croatia"
Introduction
In the Republic of Croatia the term children with disabilities comprises children with disorders in their
physical or psychical development.
Croatian laws protecting persons with disabilities are in line with appropriate international laws, resolutions
and recommendations (UN, UNESCO and EU).
Bearing in mind these international documents and in line with contemporary democratic principles and
achievements, the Republic of Croatia incorporated appropriate provisions into its Constitution. Among
others, the Constitution includes numerous personal, political, economic, social and cultural rights for
inhabitants. A component part of these rights are provisions that define a special form of protection of people
with disability. These provisions of the Constitution of the Republic of Croatia are defined by numerous acts
27
and regulations concerning social care, health care, education, employment etc., which provide for children
and adults with disabilities a series of rights and benefits that help them have a more quality life.
In the Republic of Croatia there are many associations to which persons with disabilities come together. The
membership in them is voluntary based. They offer a wide range of activities, for example, helping persons
with a particular disability to gather and socialise, providing them help and support in various situations and
rising public consciousness about the life and problems of persons with disabilities aimed at their better social
integration. As they are founded, as a rule, in large centres, a number of members are dislocated and can
realise only a “distant participation”. The finances for the operation of such associations are obtained from the
state budget, donations etc.
Here are some of these associations:
11. CROATIAN FEDERATION OF PERSONS WITH HEARING IMPAIRMENTS
12. CROATIAN FEDERATION OF PERSONS WITH VISUAL IMPAIRMENTS
13. ASSOCIATION OF DYSTROPHY SUFFERERS
14. CROATIAN ASSOCIATION OF PERSONS WITH BOTH HEARING AND VISUAL IMPAIRMENTS
15. ASSOCIATION OF PERSONS SUFFERING FROM CEREBRAL PALSY AND POLIOMYELITIS
16. CROATIAN ASSOCIATION OF PERSONS SUFFERING FROM MULTIPLE SCLEROSIS
17. ASSOCIATION OF PERSONS SUFFERING FROM MYASTHENIA GRAVIS
18. ASSOCIATION OF PERSONS WITH PARAPLEGIA AND AMPUTATIONS
19. ASSOCIATION FOR HELPING OF PERSONS WITH MENTAL RETARDATION
28
20. ASSOCIATION OF PERSONS SUFFERING FROM AUTISM
etc.
Members of these associations are mostly persons having a particular disability and members of their families.
In spite of their undoubtedly important positive role in the life of disabled persons, unfortunately, they
somehow encourage the isolation of persons with a particular disability, having in mind that persons with the
same disability will presumably socialise among themselves and thus make their own closed little circle.
Another type of associations for rendering aid to persons with disabilities are those that gather like-minded
persons, with or without disabilities, whose aim is to help their co-inhabitants with disabilities through their
activities, such as:
IDEM (Croatian word meaning I go), whose basic task is giving support to the implementation of educational
integration in the Republic of Croatia;
Association for Promotion of Inclusion, whose basic task is to help adults with mental retardation to have an
independent life;
etc.
Generally, it needs to be said that children and adults with disability have a very good legal protection and
social support in the Republic of Croatia.
Although, there are certain difficulties in practice when it comes to implementation of these positive
provisions, which is specially true in the domain of employment, necessary educational equipment etc., due to
29
a generally difficult situation in the economy of the Republic of Croatia in which aftermaths of the last-decade
devastating war are still present.
There are very positive initiatives aimed at improvement of the general status of persons with disabilities, as
for example:
- the foundation of the Government Board for Persons with disabilities, which made, in co-operation with the
State Institute for the Protection of the Family, Maternity and Youth, the National Strategy of Uniformed
Policy for Persons with disabilities, 2002 - 2006.
- the Croatian Institute for Public Health is just designing the uniform Register of Persons with disabilities,
which will enable a complete insight into the number of persons with disabilities and the severity of their
impairments.
1. Children with disabilities: who are they?
In general, in the Republic of Croatia children with disabilities are classified to children with mental
retardation, visual impairments, hearing impairments, voice pathology and physical impairments. In addition,
this classification is extended by some competent agencies to children with autism, severe chronic diseases,
psychical diseases, behavioural disorders etc, depending on the criteria and purpose of observation.
A law that would define characteristics of children with disabilities does not exist in the Republic of Croatia.
The exact number of children and adults with disabilities is not known either. Various acts, rule books and
30
regulations protect the rights of children and adults with disabilities. Therefore, definitions of children and
adults with disabilities also vary, depending of what is the purpose of a particular act, rule book or regulation.
For example, health care institutions register needs (if any) for further treatment or more intensive health care.
In such cases the criterion is the needed health care itself and not its cause.
The domain of social care comprises children with disabilities from the point of view of social care, that is,
rights and services rendered by social care institutions. It should be mentioned that these rights are very well
elaborated in the Republic of Croatia and they fulfil the purpose of protecting children with disabilities and
their families. Thus, the social care service has got data on how many persons or families were granted with
some kind of social support or some services on the basis of disability, but they do not comprise all children
with disabilities in the same way.
The Ministry of Education and Sports observes children with disabilities from educational point of view and
has its own criteria for including such children into regular education or a certain kind of adjusted education.
It is especially difficult to define marginal cases. Then the definition of the term disability very often depends
on its purpose, which is particularly true when it comes to a light mental retardation, where it is not easy to
draw a strict line between “retarded” and “normal”. For example, a child with severe diabetes, haemophilia or
another chronic disease is considered a child with disability from the medical point of view, but not from the
educational point of view.
31
As it was already mentioned, there are no uniform data in the Republic of Croatia on children and adults with
disabilities, which would offer all necessary information. Therefore, there are only data collected by the
Croatian Institute for Pension and Disability Insurance until 1999 and those collected by the Ministry of Work
and Social Welfare since 2000.
The following table presents data as collected by the Croatian Institute for Pension and Disability Insurance,
on the number of children with disabilities (up to 21 years of age) that were registered with them and granted
(on the basis of disability) support for schooling, professional rehabilitation and employment.
32
Table 1
Children included in the rehabilitation and employment programme
Insured children
Year Total Rehabilitation Employment
Total Professional
rehabilitatio
n
Adjusted
basic
education
Waiting for
employment
Employed
during the
year
1 2(3+6+7) 3(4+5) 4 5 6 7
1989 5610 3285 1693 1592 2237 88
1990 5558 3339 1766 1573 2158 61
1991 5932 3490 1788 1702 2393 49
1992 5734 3258 1730 1528 2370 106
1993 5760 3010 1546 1464 2435 315
1994 5301 2928 1526 1402 2132 241
1995 5753 3151 1599 1552 2439 163
1996 6325 3535 1868 1667 2608 182
1997 6326 3312 1758 1536 2910 122
33
1998 6917 3571 1894 1677 3233 113
1999 6479 3192 1656 1536 3242 45
Source: the Croatian Institute for Pension and Disability Insurance
Data for the years 2000 and 2001 are taken over from the Ministry of Work and Social Welfare, on persons
with disabilities who are granted a certain kind of social care.
Attachment I
34
2. Government responsibilities for children with disabilities
3. Institutional and public care for children with disabilities
Croatian laws that protect persons with disabilities are harmonised with the appropriate international laws,
resolutions and recommendations (UN, UNESCO, and EU).
The Constitution of the Republic of Croatia defines equal rights for all citizens, so persons with disabilities are
included in its provisions. Special acts concerning individual domains provide for persons with disabilities
rights for intensive and special health, social and material care.
Health care is free of charge for all children in the Republic of Croatia.
Acts on health care provide for a necessary medical care and rehabilitation to children with disabilities. A
special care for children with disabilities is carried out by expert teams consisting of both doctors and special
teachers. Special teachers are experts specialised for rehabilitation and education of children with disabilities.
It is well-known that the family is the best possible environment for the upbringing of every child, which is
also true for a child with disability. Therefore, the efforts of the society focus in the first place to providing for
a harmonious family life to a child with disability, so the family is granted a continuous support. From the
moment of discovering a child’s disability (usually between a day of birth and the first year of a child’s life,
although it may happen later, up to the child’s enrolment to school), a team of experts for a particular
disability continuously work with both the child and its family, especially mother, who is considered the most
35
important member of a rehabilitation team. An expert team includes a specialist doctor, family doctor,
rehabilitation therapist, social worker, psychologist, special teacher as well as other experts, if necessary.
The overall public efforts are focused to achieve the best possible integration of children and adults with
disabilities. Therefore, the idea is to leave as many children as possible in their families, or if it is not possible,
to find foster families for them.
Unfortunately, there are cases when a child with disability cannot live with his/her own family. There are still
situations when a family simply cannot accept a child with disability. Some families just break down because
they either cannot cope with the responsibility they have or family interrelations do not allow a child with
disability an optimal development and rehabilitation. In such cases, children with disabilities are usually
provided with a more favourable accommodation, in the first place with an adoptive or foster family.
Foster families must meet special requirements about their educational and social status and must become
familiar with the kind of disability their foster child-to-be suffers from as well as with how to take an active
part in his/her particular education and rehabilitation. Foster families get Government support for each foster
child as well as other benefits reserved for families of children with disabilities.
If a family of a child with disability resides in a place where there are no conditions for his/her education and
rehabilitation, it is necessary to part a child from the family. That is when children are found foster families. If,
due to the severity of a handicap or other reasons, it is not possible to keep children either in their own family
or in a foster family, they are accommodated in specialised institutions (boarding homes). Within such
36
institutions there are often educational facilities as their integral parts (kindergartens, basic schools and, rarely,
secondary schools) as well as rehabilitation possibilities. Although the results achieved in such specialised
institutions are very good, it is not possible to avoid the social isolation of children with disabilities. These
children come together only with other children with similar handicaps and they generally have very tiny
possibilities to socialise. Therefore, they are sent to their families over weekends and holidays as often as
possible.
There are also specialised institutions that offer accommodation for children with a severe handicap, for the
blind, the deaf, persons with heavy physical disabilities, persons with mental retardation, persons suffering
from severe chronic diseases, persons with multiple disabilities etc.
Table 3
Source: the Central Bureau of Statistics Data are collected in a two-year periodicity
BOARDING HOMES FOR DISABLED CHILDREN AND YOUTH
Homes Users Users by age groups
Total Females 10 years 11 - 17 18 - 21 21 years and over
37
1996 20 3 047 1 258 359 1 188 478 1 022
1998 23 2 455 1 080 214 1 037 405 799
2000 22 2 777 1 167 308 994 426 1 049
Attachment II
Concerning work rights and social welfare, the family that takes care of a child with disability has various
possibilities of realising help and support they need. The decision on type and duration of available rights is
made by social welfare services according to valid acts, books of rules and regulations. For example,
instruments of family policy, among others, consist of various family subsidies, including child’s allowance,
that is, under certain conditions, granted to children up to 18 years of age if they regularly attend school.
• A child’s allowance is granted to a child with disability until the completion of his/her education and
rehabilitation and not longer than turned 27 years of age. If that child is still not capable of independent
life, he or she may continue to receive a child’s allowance.
38
• Employed parent of a child with disability, on the basis of intensive care that a child needs, has a right to
paid leave until a child’s turned 7th year of age. Later on, a parent has a right to a short-time job and a
compensation for time dedicated to the child.
• If necessary, a child with disability has a right to accommodation outside his or her own family, that is, to
accommodation in foster family or specialised institution.
• A child with disability living with his or her own family has a right to temporary, weekly, all-day or half-
day accommodation in a specialised institution. That means that children with disabilities may have a half-
day, all-day or weekly accommodation in an institution that provides for their necessary care, rehabilitation
and education. In this case, children with disabilities have a right to use organised transport as well.
Temporary stay is usually granted to parents or other tutors who are temporarily impeded to take care of
their children with disabilities.
• Children with disabilities (as well as persons with disabilities) have, under certain conditions, the following
rights:
⇒ Allowance for help and care, which is meant for persons who cannot provide for their own existential
needs.
⇒ Help and care at home, which include food delivery, doing housework, helping with personal hygienic and
other day-to-day needs.
39
⇒ Personal disability pay, that is, regular pay for children with disabilities (later persons with disabilities)
who are unable to work and earning and who live in their families or on their own.
⇒ Training for independent life and work is carried out always when it is possible, depending on the severity
of a particular impairment. It includes education that is carried out within the educational system of the
Republic of Croatia. Persons who cannot be trained for an independent life or work have the right to be
trained in line with their capabilities.
40
Education of children with disabilities
Children with disabilities have, along with all other children in the Republic of Croatia, the right to education.
The educational system of the Republic of Croatia comprises pre-school, basic, secondary and tertiary
education. At all educational levels there are state and private institutions. Education in private institutions
must be paid for.
According to positive laws in the Republic of Croatia, all children have a right to education that is in line with
their capabilities. Therefore, education of children with disabilities is organised depending on their
capabilities, together with the best possible socialisation. That is why, in general, there are three models of
education of children with disabilities:
4. Full integration, which means that children with disabilities are included in regular educational groups
and in regular or, if necessary, adjusted programme. In addition, a team of experts work with them, most
often special teachers. As a rule, one special teacher is in charge of several kindergartens or schools
attended by integrated children/students. This type of integration is suitable mostly for children with
light impairments. The number of children/students in classes or educational groups attended by
children with disabilities is smaller than in other classes/educational groups and is defined by various
regulations. This type of integration is considered the best for the development of children with
disabilities, therefore it is carried out at all educational levels, wherever possible. Due to the nature of
41
educational programmes, the full integration is best carried out at lower educational levels, that is, in
kindergartens and in lower grades of basic school.
5. Partial integration, which means that children with disabilities attend a regular educational institution
(kindergarten, basic or secondary school), but are educated in separate groups, by either regular or
adjusted programme that suits their capabilities. Along with teachers, special teachers and other experts
take care of these children. The number of children in these educational groups is significantly smaller
than in regular educational groups. Moreover, it is the subject to special regulations. This type of
integration is implemented wherever possible, depending on the severity of the impairment and on
actual conditions.
6. Special pedagogic and educational institutions organise upbringing, education and rehabilitation of
children with disabilities who, due either to the severity of their impairment or physical health or other
reasons cannot be integrated into regular educational groups. Such institutions are usually specialised
for a single impairment, for example, for the blind, the deaf, persons with physical impairments
(cerebral palsy), persons with mental retardation etc. They are in most cases also boarding homes,
rendering services for children whose families live outside the place of their education. Children are
there educated by regular, adjusted or special programmes, depending on their capabilities. The
upbringing and education of children with disabilities in these institutions are financed by the Ministry
42
of Education and Sports and the Ministry of Work and Social Welfare, depending on the basis of right
to upbringing and education in a particular specialised institution.
In spite of efforts to carry out the integration wherever possible, depending of capabilities of children with
disabilities, very often there are numerous obstacles to do it properly. For example, the transport of children
with physical impairments to school is well organised, but if a particular school is not adjusted for these
children there arise numerous difficulties, which are solved, with a great deal of good will involved, at a local
level, that is, efforts are made to help individual students attend the chosen school. Unfortunately, very often it
is not possible and, thus, a number of children with disabilities, who would have been integrated, attend
special institutions.
The educational system of the Republic of Croatia consists of the following levels:
5. Pre-primary education and programmes (ISCED 97, level 0); it is not obligatory and users must pay for
it. It must be mentioned that in cases in which there is a reason, it may be paid by the social welfare or
another institution.
At this educational level there are all three types of education of children with disabilities, providing that the
possibilities for full or partial integration increase with the general capability of educational programmes to be
adjusted.
43
Unfortunately, data on the full integration of children with disabilities into kindergartens were not available at
competent institutions.
Data on the partial integration as well as on children attending kindergartens within specialised upbringing and
educational institutions are presented in the
Attachment III.
Source: the Central Bureau of Statistics, providing that it has been collected these data only since 1999. Data
on types of impairments of children included in the pre-primary education are not observed.
6. Basic education (ISCED 1 and 2A)
The basic education is obligatory for all children between 7 and 15 years of age and it is free of charge in state
schools. The basic education provides for basic general knowledge and skills, excluding vocation. Even at this
level all three types of education of children with disabilities are implemented. Special efforts are made to
create conditions for children with disabilities to attend the basic school in their place of usual residence and in
school they regionally belong to, which means the full or partial integration wherever possible. For children
who cannot attend the basic school in the place where their family lives, the main aim is to find
accommodation in foster families in the place of their education.
Data on types of impairments of students fully integrated are not available, but only for partly integrated
children and children situated in specialised educational institutions.
44
Attachment IV
Source: the Central Bureau of Statistics
7. Secondary education (ISCED 97, level 3)
The secondary education is the continuation of the basic one, it is not obligatory and it is free of charge in state
schools. All three types of education are carried out for children with disabilities. Wherever there are
conditions, it is made possible for children to be integrated into the regular education, though it must be
pointed out that there are fewer students integrated into the secondary education than into the basic education.
The reasons are specific secondary education programmes and vocations they prepare students to. In order to
enable each child with disability for more or less independent life and work, available are vocational guidance
as well as special programmes and rehabilitators. Data for this educational level are similar to those for the
basic education.
Attachment V
Source: the Central Bureau of Statistics
Since the basic education is general and not vocational, a special care is taken that children with disabilities
continue their education at a higher level. In addition to the most common 4-year and 3-year programmes,
45
there are also 1-year and 2-year ones, adjusted to children with disabilities, especially those with mental
retardation.
Exceptionally, there are educational programmes (ISCED 97, level 2C) for training for elementary
occupations for which it is not necessary that a person complete a basic school (ISCED 97, level 2A).
46
8. Tertiary education (ISCED 97, level 5 and 6)
Tertiary education is organised at institutions of higher education and it is not obligatory; it is free of charge
for a certain number of students at state institutions of higher education. Persons with disabilities have priority
while enrolling and do not have to pay for their study if they meet some basic requirements for the enrolment
on a particular institution. At this level persons with disabilities participate only if they can be fully integrated.
There are no records on how many persons with disabilities study at institutions of higher education in the
Republic of Croatia.
From all that was hitherto said is seen that children with disabilities have the basic right to education and
that the system is organised in a way to make them possible to actualise this right. Undoubtedly, the
actualisation of it is best carried out in the basic education, which is obligatory. Nevertheless, attention must
be paid to two problems that interfere with the actualisation right to get the education in the most favourable
way. The first one concerns the territorial arrangement of schools or special classes for children with
disabilities as well as of specialised upbringing and educational institutions intended for them. They are
mostly (70% - 80%) situated in big cities (with 25 000 inhabitants or more), in smaller towns (10 000 - 25 000
inhabitants) there are 10 –20% such institutions and in places with less than 10 000 inhabitants there are less
than 10 % of them. This arrangement is more favourable at the lower educational levels, where it is simpler to
organise educational programmes.
47
It means that children with disabilities whose families live in smaller towns and places, providing they cannot
be fully integrated, have less opportunity to participate in the pre-primary education, and for the basic and,
especially, secondary education they are forced to find accommodation outside their own families. Wherever
possible, it is organised with foster families, but very often the only option is a specialised upbringing and
educational institution.
The second problem concerns various architectural and other kinds of obstacles as well as a lack of special
didactic aids in schools children with disabilities attend (or should attend). That is why even children with
disabilities who meet other requirements for integration is still referred to a special class or institution.
48
Education of special teachers
Conscious of the importance of education of children with disabilities, the Republic of Croatia has a rich
tradition of educating special teachers, that is, experts for upbringing, education and rehabilitation of children
with disabilities. Since 1947 special teacher have been educated at separate departments of the Teacher’s
Education Academy and the Non-University College of Defectology. The year 1962 saw the foundation of the
School of Higher Education of Defectology, which became the Faculty of Defectology in 1973. In 1998 this
faculty changed its name to the Faculty of Education and Rehabilitation. It operates within the University of
Zagreb and organises a 4-year university study (ISCED 97, level 5A, first degree), a post-graduate study for
getting master’s degree (ISCED 97 level 5A, research degree) as well as procedures for getting a doctor’s
degree (ISCED 97, level 6). The study has three courses: speech and language pathology, behavioural
disorders and rehabilitation. The course behavioural disorders educates social pedagogues for the work with
children that show non-organic symptoms of behavioural disorders. The Croatian legislature and educational
system consider such children as children with disabilities as well. The course rehabilitation includes studies
of all kinds of impairments, except voice impairments, which are studied at a separate course (speech and
language pathology).
50
5. Summary
It must be pointed out that a great number of persons were disabled during the last-decade war that inflicted
the territory of the Republic of Croatia, so the country is faced with a more difficulties concerning its
inhabitants with disabilities than other countries. According to all valid laws in the Republic of Croatia,
persons with disabilities have the same rights as other citizens and the community is obliged to make sure that
they have equal conditions for their life and work. Also, children with disabilities have the right for upbringing
and education according to their capabilities. There are several institutions that are in charge of children and
adults with disability, of which the main ones are the Ministry of Health Care, the Ministry of Work and
Social Welfare, the Ministry of Education and Sports, the Croatian Institute for Pension and Disability
Insurance and the Croatian Employment Service. Each one of these institutions is in charge of its own domain.
It is usually focused on a part of responsibility of a particular institution, that is, the Ministry of Work and
Social Welfare is in charge of keeping data on the number, kind and the amount of paid off social benefits or
other services; the Ministry of Health Care of the medical aspects of disability; the Ministry of Education and
Sports of difficulties in education; the Croatian Employment Service on persons with disabilities that need to
be employed etc. In that way, one person may be registered with only one institution, but with several ones as
well. It is considered that data on the education of children with disabilities are the most though ones, since
every single child (except the extremely severe cases) is included in obligated education.
51
The Government of the Republic of Croatia has founded the Government Board for Persons with disabilities,
consisting of a representative of associations that take care of persons with disabilities, relevant ministries and
scientific institutions. The Croatian Institute for Public Health is presently preparing a project for establishing
a uniform register of persons with disabilities that would bring together all necessary information on persons
with disabilities. It may be concluded, therefore, that the Government is conscious of its great responsibility
towards persons with disabilities and takes various measures for the improvement of their status.
Various associations of persons with disabilities and other citizens are very active in giving impetus to various
kinds of obstacles, the results of which are lowered catwalks in many towns, building of lifts for disabled
persons in many public buildings, adjusted public traffic etc. in order to make it easier for persons with
physical impairments to move around; traffic lights have sound signalisation for the blind; a number of TV
programmes introduced a “translator” for the deaf etc.; the employment of persons with disabilities are
stimulated through bonuses and tax relief for employees etc.
In general, it may be concluded that the care for children and adults with disabilities is well organised in the
Republic of Croatia and that everybody in charge continues to work on its improvement.
Data sources:
Central Bureau of Statistics
State Institute for the Protection of the Family, Maternity and Youth Ministry of Education and Sports