Educational Infrastructure

Adult education, as a regular or additional activity, is the responsibility of the following institutions and organisations:

- puËka otvorena uËilišta (public or private),

- primary and secondary schools that carry out adult education programmes, - colleges,

- education centres in corporations,

- various private schools (e.g. for foreign languages), - driving schools,

- professional associations and organisations, - nongovernmental associations and organisations, - political parties,

- employers’ associations, - trade unions,

- third age educational institutions, - penal institutions and institutes, - religious institutions,

- foreign institutions, schools and organisations.

This, at first sight rich and diversified range of adult education institutions in regard to non- formal education, hides an incoherent, voluntary “system” of educational infrastructure, unclear spatial and human potential and an unresolved financial status, caused by various

ad hoc factors.

According to the commercial courts’ data, in Croatia there are: - 82 puËka otvorena uËilišta, 2 otvorena uËilišta and 18 uËilišta,45

- 7 people’s universities, 5 of which were set up by the local government and 2 of which were privatised,

- 20 community centres and 3 culture centres, set up by the local government, some of which also organize educational activities along with cultural activities. There are 23 legal entities registered at commercial courts (limited liability companies and stock companies) that carry out adult education activities. Out of 132 institutions, 59 were set up by local governments.

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Figure 7: Number and distribution of puËka otvorena uËilišta in the Republic of Croatia on the day of March 7, 2007.46

46 According to the Commercial Court Registers, on the day of March 7, 2007 there was a total of 117 puËka otvorena

uËilišta. City Number of puËka otvorena uËilišta City Number of puËka otvorena uËilišta

1. Beli Manastir 1 41. Osijek 2

2. Benkovac 1 42. OtoËac 1 3. Biograd n/m 1 43. Ozalj 1 4. Bjelovar 2 44. Pakrac 1 5. Buje 1 45. Pazin 1 6. Buzet 2 46. Petrinja 2 7. »akovec 1 47. PloËe 1 8. Daruvar 1 48. PoreË 2

9. Donja Stubica 1 49. Požega 1

10. Drniš 1 50. Pula 2

11. Dubrovnik 1 51. Rab 1

12. Duga Resa 1 52. Rijeka 1

13. Dugo Selo 1 53. Rovinj 1

14. Dvor 1 54. Samobor 1 15. Đakovo 1 55. Senj 1 16. Garešnica 1 56. Sesvete 2 17. GospiÊ 1 57. Sinj 1 18. Imotski 1 58. Sisak 1 19. IvaniÊ-grad 1 59. Slatina 1

20. Karlovac 3 60. Slavonski Brod 2

21. Knin 1 61. Slunj 1

22. Komiža 1 62. Solin 1

23. Koprivnica 2 63. Split 5

24. Krapina 1 64. Sveti Ivan Zelina 2

25. Križevci 1 65. Šibenik 3

26. Kutina 2 66. Trogir 1

27. Jelsa 1 67. Umag 2

28. Labin 1 68. Valpovo 1

29. LuËko 1 69. Varaždin 2

30. Ludbreg 1 70. Velika Gorica 1

31. Mala Subotica 1 71. Vinkovci 1

32. Mali Lošinj 1 72. Vodice 1

33. Nova Gradiška 1 73. Vrbovec 1

34. Novigrad (Istra) 1 74. Vrbovsko 1

35. Novi Marof 1 75. Zabok 2

36. Novska 1 76. Zagreb 17

37. Obrovac 1 77. ZaprešiÊ 1

38. Ogulin 1 78. Zlatar 1

39. Omiš 1 79. Županja 1

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Figure 8: PuËka otvorena uËilišta in the Republic of Croatia, number and location.

- Large puËka otvorena uËilišta - A

- Medium puËka otvorena uËilišta - B

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The conditions and capacities of the premises of adult education institutions differ greatly. A few of those which have received substantial funding in recent years stand out. The situation is the same regarding equipment, such as modern teaching materials and tools.

Adult education in Croatia in the second half of the 20th century was developed following the German model, and is still very similar to it. Bearing in mind that the German Association of High Populist Schools is one of the leading European associations for adult education, this is a good foundation for future development.

Out of 59 puËka otvorena uËilišta, established in the period between 1950s and 1970s by local governments, today 49 are members of the national association ∑ The Croatian Association for the Education of Adults. The association was established in 1954, and since 1996 it has been a member of the European Adult Education Association and the International Certificate Conference for Learning Foreign Languages. Membership in the association is voluntary, and requires a decision of the governing councils of the institutions, with the consent of the founders.

The objectives and tasks of the association are promoting the development of adult education; mutual associating of the members for the purpose of accomplishing mutual interests; encouraging cooperation with other related institutions and organisations; representing and presenting members to third parties, especially the relevant state and local authorities; lobbying the relevant authorities to adopt the education policy in accordance with the needs of adults and modern trends in Europe and the world; international cooperation; providing expert and legal help to member institutions; ICT activities; improving the quality of the training programmes and the competence of professionals in member institutions. In order to improve and raise the level of competency, the Croatian Association for the Education of Adults has set up the Croatian Summer Andragocical Academy, which has been organised annually as an international gathering since 1995, and which reflects the needs and interests of modern adult learners (study of foreign languages, international ICT certificates, training of Homeland War veterans, adult education legislation etc.).

In 1971 an Andragogic Centre was established in Croatia as a public institution for the fostering of adult education. In the last century it was a nursery of andragogic workers for all of south-eastern Europe, the main bearer of the development and research projects. With a few of its specialised libraries it was in the centre of publishing activities, and it is known worldwide by its Summer Andragogic School in PoreË, Winter Andragocical School in Samobor and its journal “Adult Education”, which has been the only journal for adult education in Croatia since 1959. The Andragogic Centre has not had any state support since 1990, so it realises all its activities and income solely on the market. The activities of the Andragogic Centre encompass education, development, research and publishing.

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This year, the Centre, in cooperation with the Croatian Association for the Education of Adults, organised the International Summer Andragogic Academy, for teachers training in adult education. The participants came from 8 East-European countries.

The Croatian Education Institute,47 _{which became independent of the Ministry of Education} and Sports48 _{in 2003, has developed a new approach to adult education through establishing} the Adult Education Centre as its special unit.

In the field of non-formal education there are a lot of associations, e.g. the Society for Lifelong Learning and the Croatian Andragogic Society.