Media Literacy Within the Framework of Citizenship and Civic Education in Croatia

The introduction of education for democratic citizenship in Croatia began in the 1990s, coinciding with the country’s transition to independence and the establishment of democracy as its political system. Initial efforts resulted in the development of combined guidelines for citizenship education across preschool, elementary, and secondary education, though these were offered as optional content. In 2011, citizenship education was formally incorporated into the national curriculum framework as one of six cross-curricular and interdisciplinary themes, intended to be integrated into all subjects and levels of primary and secondary education. However, the lack of a cohesive structure and effective monitoring mechanisms limited the program's overall impact. Despite these challenges, the integration of citizenship education within traditional subject curricula has steadily advanced, with educational policies expanding to include new dimensions over the past two decades. Since 2016, several local initiatives introduced civic education as an independent school subject. In the contemporary digital era, media literacy has emerged as a foundational component of a resilient democratic society. This paper investigates the extent to which media literacy, as a critical element of citizenship and civic education, has been embedded within the current Croatian curriculum and explores the prerequisites for its more effective future implementation. The study employs descriptive and diagnostic research methods to analyse curricular developments and propose actionable recommendations.