Early Childhood Education and Care in Croatia is funded and managed by local authorities. Central educational authorities provide legislative guidance, accreditation and monitoring of the educational programs.

Primary education starts at the age of 6 or 7 and consists of eight years of compulsory schooling. Secondary education is not compulsory, but almost all students do enroll into secondary courses upon completing primary level. Depending on the curriculum, secondary schools are divided into:

Gymnasiums (cover a general education and are mostly a transition to the professional training in colleges, universities and faculties) – 4 year programs

Vocational - 3 - 5 year programs

Art schools (music, dance, art) - 4 year programs

Children with special needs in Croatia are educated in regular schools or in the centers for children with special needs. In regular schools they are included in general curriculum, with adjustments made to the subjects' contents and working methods in regard to the type and degree of disability. They can also follow general education curriculum in the centers but under special conditions or according to a special program. The decision about the type of the education system is made by a commission for determination of psychophysical condition of a child, with parents' consent. Exceptionally, in some regular schools there are special classes for children with developmental difficulties, in which children are taught by defectologists (special needs teachers).