Original scientific paper
https://doi.org/10.11567/met.2025.4
Left Behind: Unpacking the Racialization of Migrant and Minoritized Students in Croatian Education During COVID-19
Bužinkić, Emina
; Institute for Development and International Relations, Zagreb, Croatia
*
Antonija Petričušić
orcid.org/0000-0002-9826-1174
; University of Zagreb, Faculty of Law, Zagreb, Croatia
*
* Corresponding author.
Abstract
The COVID-19 pandemic exposed entrenched inequities in education, particularly
affecting racialized groups such as refugee and migrant youth. This article examines
how emergency measures during the pandemic exacerbated existing exclusionary
practices in Croatia’s education system, notably through the implementation of remote
learning, which was conducted exclusively in Croatian. Drawing on interdisciplinary
approaches from educational anthropology, critical race theory, and human
rights law, this study unpacks the racialised dynamics of institutional neglect and
oppression faced by racialized and minoritized children. Using socio-legal analysis,
the authors highlight the systemic barriers to equitable education, including language
exclusion, socioeconomic disparities, and lack of institutional accountability.
The article also reflects on advocacy efforts, including a formal complaint against
Croatia for violating the International Convention on the Rights of the Child. By
situating these issues within broader societal contexts, this analysis advances understanding
of the racialization of education and underscores the need for transformative,
inclusive educational policy, pedagogies, and research.
Keywords
COVID-19; racialized and minoritized students; education; rights
Hrčak ID:
331742
URI
Publication date:
4.6.2025.
Visits: 162 *