Problems detected in the Croatian higher education system before 2004 (long duration of studying, poor passing rate and percentage of graduation, weak mobility, lack of clearly defined programme objectives, employers’ discontent with student competences, unfavourable educational structure of the population, etc.) have in the past few years brought about the considerable reform of the system. In 2001, the Government of the Republic of Croatia signed the Bologna Declaration and adopted the Educational Sector Development Plan 2005 – 2010 which defined the goals (to introduce an external quality assurance system by 2006; to decrease the drop-out rate and the duration of studies by 2010) and priorities in higher education (improvement of the quality and efficiency of education.) The first step in the reform of higher education in Croatia has been the reform of undergraduate, graduate and professional study programs in line with the Bologna cycles in 2005, when first students were enrolled to Bologna programs. In the 2005-2009 period the postgraduate programs were also restructured. With the aim of quality assurance and improvement in higher education, procedures of external quality assurance of higher education institutions has been launched. In 2008 and 2009, in line with the Act on Science and Higher Education, an external evaluation procedure was carried out on 21 higher education institutions. Since in April 2009 the Act on Quality Assurance in Science and Higher Education was passed, in 2009 the re-accreditation procedure was carried out on 17 higher education institutions in the field of economics.
The increase in the number of newly established higher education institutions was noted in the recent years: 30 higher education institutions, mainly colleges, and a large number of polytechnics, mostly in areas of special state care, were established in line with strategic orientation of the Republic of Croatia towards polycentric development of higher education. First private universities were also founded during that period.
The development of the Croatian Qualifications Framework (CROQF) started in 2006 and in July 2007 Basic Concepts of CROQF were adopted and the CROQF Committee established, which together with the Operational Team has the task of creating and implementing the Croatian Qualifications Framework by 2012.
Two significant changes were introduced in the Croatian education system in the academic year 2009/2010 – the State Matura for the completion of a four-year secondary education and an information system for applications to higher education institutions. When candidates are ranked for enrolment, the results of the State Matura exam are taken into account (i.e. State Matura exams have replaced the old entrance exams at higher education institutions).
These comprehensive activities should contribute to alignment of the Croatian higher education with the European systems and its integration in the European Higher Education Area, improve the quality of the study programmes and their delivery, increase mobility, recognizability and reliability of Croatian higher education qualifications, improve access of people with foreign higher education qualifications to the Croatian labour market and assure equitable access to the Croatian higher education system.
