One of the primary functions of the school is the reproduction of society and culture. Therefore, the Republic of Croatia, as a democratic state, needs to shape the educational system to nurture and develop democratic values to maintain its democratic structure and continue to evolve as a democracy. The overarching educational documents, namely national curricula, serve as guidelines for the development of the educational system and as a template for the creation of school curricula. John Dewey stands out in pedagogical circles as one of the most influential theorists when it comes to shaping education with a focus on the development of democracy and democratic values.This paper aims to analyse the national curricula of the Republic of Croatia, specifically the National Framework Curriculum and the Framework of the National Curriculum, to determine if there are educational ideas that resemble John Dewey's educational ideas, and how they are incorporated into the curricula. The ideas analysed include project-based and practical teaching, student involvement in democratic school processes, and the orientation of education towards the present. The analysis has revealed that all three ideas are present in both curricula and that their implementation is thus grounded, although it remains unclear how and to what extent students are involved in the democratic development of school culture, considering that it largely depends on school curricula and the structure of individual schools. It is important to direct further research towards the analysis of school curricula as well as the quality of teacher education.