Croatian Parliament amends Pre-School Education Act

Zagreb - The Croatian Parliament on Friday adopted amendments to the Pre-School Education Act to ensure that every child can enroll in a kindergarten, increase the number of children covered by pre-school programmes and improve the quality of education.

The amended Act was passed by a vote of 76 to 44.

The amendments provide that in enrolment priority will be given to children who have attained the age of four by 1 April in the current year, children whose parents are Homeland War invalids, children from families with four or more children, children whose both parents are employed, children with special needs, children of single parents, children of disabled persons, children in foster care, and children whose parents receive a children's allowance.

Also amended was the Agricultural Land Act. Among the amendments adopted is one aimed at stimulating domestic production of livestock for fattening. Farmers with at least 30 percent of their livestock locally bred will be given priority in entitlement to use state-owned farmland.

Parliament also amended the Notaries Public Act and the Air Protection Act and adopted the Science Foundation Act.