Czech Education as one of the most important factors in maintaining the Czech minority and its mother tongue in Croatia
Abstrakt
Czech education in Croatia is associated primarily with the Czech minority in Croatia that moved to this area mainly during the 19th and early 20th century and settled mostly in the surroundings of the town of Daruvar. Currently, education is organized at all levels, from kindergarten through elementary school to Czech high school, with possible continuity of Czech language studies at the Faculty of Philosophy in Zagreb, and is fully incorporated into the state's education system.
Following three statutory models of teaching in minority schools, nearly a thousand children currently study Czech in the Republic of Croatia. Lessons are held either in the minority language completely or bilingually with varying allotment of individual language usage.
Next to the cultural, journalistic and other activities, Czech education is one of the most important factors in the struggle to maintain the Czech language and identity. It significantly contributes to the slowing of assimilation of the Czech minority in Croatia.