Global and Intercultural Dimension in Curriculum Development
Croatian national agency in charge of following, developing and evaluating the education system is the Agency for Vocational Education and Training and Adult Education. The Agency mediates global and European adult education policies and practices to the education system institutions. It integrates them in its publications intended for adult education programme development and makes available the funds for the improvement of the adult education system, be it at the level of central practices and methodologies, or through funds directly available to the institutions aimed at strengthening their capacities or upgrade adult education programmes being implemented.
Global and European, i.e. the intercultural dimension of curriculum development is covered in the education system’s basic documents, such as the development of the Croatian Qualifications Framework and the Strategy for Education, Science and Technology (OG 124/2014). The strategy advocates the establishment of projects to increase mobility in adult education. The document proposes increased information to potential participants about mobility opportunities and financial incentives to increase the mobility of participants in lifelong learning with the aim of acquiring specialised knowledge and skills.
Partnerships and Networks
At the policy level, Croatia is actively involved in a number of international activities dealing with the various components of lifelong learning. These activities and initiatives are not exclusively targeted at adult education per se but have direct relevance for this sector.
Many of these activities, initiatives, networks and projects are coordinated by the European Commission (EQF, ECVET network, ENQA-VET, peer learning seminars) or spring directly from the LLP, as national projects supporting ET2020 policy goals (ECVET experts, Bologna experts). The Council of Europe also provides both general (CoE-level) and regional platforms for policy issues related to qualifications frameworks.
Direct support to adult learning in the form of trainings and seminars with an international component was provided by the European Training Foundation (ETF). The Foundation supports 29 countries in transition and development to exploit the potential of their human capital through the reform of the education, training and labour market systems in the context of EU external relations policies.
The Agency for Mobility and EU Programmes contributes to European mobility within the Euroguidance network. Euroguidance is a European network of national centres to support career guidance. The main objectives of the Euroguidance network are to promote the European dimension in career guidance and to provide information on lifelong guidance and mobility for learning purposes. Both goals are aimed at encouraging the international mobility of counsellors in vocational guidance and career counselling in the field of education and training and employment. In addition, career guidance counsellors want to draw attention to the existence of a wide range of methodologies and practices in other European countries.