THE RIGHTS OF CHILDREN WITH DISABILITIES TO UPBRINGING AND EDUCATION IN CROATIA – FROM THE CATEGORIZATION TO THE INCLUSION

In Croatia, as well as elsewhere in the world, the treatment of individuals with disabilities has historically gone through a number of different phases, from direct discrimination to the final recognition and enactment of various legislative regulations in education systems. The earliest years of life are extremely important for the entire subsequent development of the individual. The environment in which a child lives is a significant factor in the quality and efficiency of its early development and subsequent progression. The increase in the number of children who are identified as children with special educational needs has caught attention of experts in many countries. This increase may be the result of an inadequate educational system, as well as increased and more pronounced differences between children in today’s schools. Identification of children with special educational needs brings about the need to create a classification system, which is an issue that has been troubling experts for a long time. The paper wants to highlight that children with disabilities in Croatia are still perceived from the standpoint of their disability, rather than their ability, and it is the experts who decide about their schooling, their employment and, thus, their entire life. Even though there are some good examples of successful inclusion of children with disabilities in the regular preschool and school system, it still remains to be an issue. Keywords: children, special educational needs, classification system, disability, education system