No evidence of compulsory national curricula inclusive of LGBTQI people: 0/10 | The compulsory national curricula includes representation of one ground of discrimination: 5/10 | Two grounds: 7.5/10 | Three grounds: 10/10
The National Curriculum Framework establishes that sexual orientation and gender identity should be discussed as part of secondary education.
The country’s national education curriculum does not include a compulsory Sex and Relationship subject. Some elements of reproductive health are included in the cross-curricular topic of Health education. Sexuality as a topic is only approached through a medical lens and is partially outsourced to Religious education classes, where sexual orientation, gender identity and expression as well as sex characteristics are likely to be portrayed in a negative manner. For a short period in 2018, sex/gender markers as well as parents’ first and last names were not mentioned on report cards of primary and secondary school students.
Civic education and human rights education is not compulsory in Croatia. It is implemented in several counties, cities and towns, but not at the national level. However, even at the local level, the cross-subject nature of this education makes its implementation dependent on the effective coordination between teachers. According to civil society organisations this coordination is often lacking.
In some regions of Croatia, civil society organisations together with schools organise extracurricular classes that partially cover the topic of sexuality. However, such courses are not mandatory and are not considered an integral part of the curriculum. Since 2012, LORI has been implementing one of its core programs: Combatting Homophobia, Biphobia, and Transphobia in the Education System. This programme is aimed at preventing peer violence based on sexual orientation, gender identity, and/or expression. LORI remains the only LGBTQI organisation in Croatia to carry out regular educational activities (such as lectures and workshops) in secondary schools, and since 2023, in one primary school in Rijeka and surrounding areas.
In 2022, the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child recommended that Croatia introduce comprehensive sex education.
In 2023, LORI analysed textbooks and curricula, finding that LGBTIQ issues are mostly invisible or underrepresented. Over 50% of students learned about LGBTIQ topics in school in a negative context.
In June/July 2024, it was announced in the media that soon the University of Zagreb, Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, would introduce a gender studies programme. This has caused backlash from right wing parties and organisations to which fact-checking media Faktograf responded.
