gifted pupils, differential curriculum, individualized approach, law, regulations, HNOS (Croatian National Educational standard), NOK (National Framework Curriculum)
Abstract
The Croatian legal framework determines the possibilities of education for gifted children and pupils. According to the articles and regulations of the law and other national documents15, schools are obliged to necessarily organize identification processes of gifted children and to enable their schooling according to adequate models and differential curricula. Gifted children are often exposed to too high or too low expectations of their surroundings creating the feeling of helplessness, particularly if their peers isolated them due to their dissimilarity (interest, behavior, vocabulary they use and similar). The role of the teacher is, therefore, of crucial importance for he/she must firstly know how to recognize and identify gifted pupils. Their specific education needs are to be respected and encouraged, as well as the advantages and the teacher should try to alleviate the disadvantages that their giftedness creates in their environment. The application of a differential curriculum is indispensable. But first and foremost is the question how are our legal acts and bylaws in line with the needs of contemporary schools and how much are higher schools’ curricula directed towards the training of future teachers in their work with gifted pupils. The present work analyzes the articles of valid regulations in the Republic of Croatia which determine the upbringing and education of gifted pupils.
