FINANCIAL DECENTRALIZATION OF THE EDUCATIONAL SYSTEM IN CROATIA

Human resource, one of the most important development resources of the world, is undoubtedly a basic precondition for entering the society of knowledge. The quality of human knowledge is determined by the quality of the educational system that enables knowledge, skill and competence acquisition required in the labor market. Quality educational system must be based on the quality financing. One of the problems that emerge is a disproportion between the educational needs and the possibilities of their financing. This problem is present in all countries, thus it shows that it is about educational financing crisis. Encountered with numerous severe consequences of this crisis, the countries undertake different measures, which basically represent the essence of the educational process reform. Public education financing reform measures are directed towards activating trade mechanism and financing decentralization. Croatia is not the exception where the education financing crisis is also pronounced and where numerous reform measures have been undertaken in order to surpass the crisis. This paper examines the measures which are directed towards the decentralization of education financing in Croatia.