Figure 1.--Here we see Croatian primary-level school children some time before World War I. They are wearing traditional clothing. This may not have been a special day, but the every day normal clothing in rural areas. Children in the cities would have dressed in more standard European clothing.

After the Ottoman defeaft of the Hugarians, (16th century), Croatia became the frontier betwen Christaian and Muslim Europe. It became part of the Austrian Hapsburg Empire. Public education did not exist until the Reformation (16th century). The Happburgs and Counter Reformation managed to keep its domains, including Crotia Catholic, but in the Protestant north, the idea of public education took hold. Protestants broke into many denominations, but there was several common tennants and one was Bible reading. Protestants emphasuzed Bible study and thisequired literacy. And this led directlt to public education and the advantages to an educated public. Austria had to compete with Prussia and the other Protestant powers. This became apparent during the Seven Years War when Frederick the Great seized Silesia from Austria (1756-63). Thus one outcome of the war was Emperess Maria Theresa issuing the Edict on the General School Order (1774), launching educational reform emphasising primary education. Every place with a parish church was required to open a school. This did not mean that all immediated did so. This meant that education was primarily an urban phenomnon and in many places schools did not begin opertating until the 19th century. Miroslav Krleža Elementary School is the oldest Zagreb elementary school (1830). There were three classes for boys, and lessons in Croatian. Children aged 7-12 years were required to attend, but we are unsure about actual attendance, espcially as instruction was in German. Cources to train teachers were organized in Bjelovar, Petrinja and Karlovac. The first public teacher training college opened in Zagreb (1849). Thus in the 19th century primary shools were operating throughout Croatia. The Croatian Diet issued the first Croatian Education Act (1874). This mandated a compulsory 5-year primary education program. The official language became Croatian, meaning Serbo-Croatian. After the Prussian victory in Austro-Prussian War (1866), Croatia became part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire. Language became a major issue in the multi-ethnic Hapsburg Empire, but in Croatia this was settled at least in primary schools by he Croatian Diet. We are not yet sure about secondary schools. Zagreb Upper Town Gymnasium. The Jesuits founded the first Cfoatian gymnasium (selectiv secondary school) in the Zagreb, now known as the Upper Town Gymnasium. The largest and the oldest continuously operating Croatian university is the University of Zagreb (1669).

Created: 5:04 AM 7/14/2017
Last updated: 5:04 AM 7/14/2017