Participation Rates and Investment in Education in Croatia

Svaka nacionalna ekonomija i njezin dugoročni razvoj značajnim dijelom ovise o kvaliteti ljudskog kapitala. Kvaliteta ljudskog kapitala određena je kvalitetom obrazovnog sustava, ulaganjima u obrazovanje i participacijom u obrazovanju. Zaostajanje u razvoju sustava obrazovanja i nedostatna ulaganja u stvaranje ljudskog kapitala mogu postati ograničavajući čimbenik dugoročno održivog razvoja svake zemlje, pa tako i Republike Hrvatske. U radu se donosi usporedni pregled stopa participacije i ulaganja u obrazovanje Republike Hrvatske i izabranih zemalja OECD-a i EU-a te tranzicijskih zemalja. U zaključku se iznose prijedlozi mjera za nositelje ekonomske politike.Sustainable development of each national economy depends mainly on the quality of human capital. The quality of human capital is determined by the quality of the educational system, investments in education and participation rates. Lagging behind in the development process of the educational system and insufficient investments in the creation of human capital could become major obstacles for achieving long-term sustainable development in the Republic of Croatia. This paper gives a comparative overview of participation rates and investments in education in Croatia as well as in some developed OECD and EU countries and selected transition countries. The concluding part recommends key measures for policy makers