The third generation of secondary school students is already attending classes at the detached Umag branch of the Buje School of Economics (Gospodarska škola Buje). In the 2026/2027 school year, a total of 85 pupils are enrolled, distributed across six classes of the language and science-mathematics gymnasium.
The school building was opened in September 2024, and Umag built it independently, despite not being the founding body of the institution. The space is equipped with specialised classrooms for science and social studies subjects, as well as a school library. In addition to regular gymnasium programmes, the branch offers optional subjects, extracurricular activities and projects, and pupils have access to additional and supplementary lessons.
Among the optional subjects, "BrAIn – Artificial Intelligence: from concept to application" stands out, through which pupils learn about the field of artificial intelligence and its potential applications. Technological themes are also represented through extracurricular activities in robotics and cyber security. The other optional subject, "School and Community", is focused on identifying specific problems in the local environment, and pupils presented their ideas at the programme's closing event in Pula. Through Red Cross activities, pupils engage in content related to humanitarian work and community action.
Pupils from the Umag branch participate in subject competitions, gatherings, festivals and other events related to teaching. They won first place in the county English language competition, second and third places in Croatian language, and second and third places in computer science. They also achieved notable results in the international online English language competition Best in English, and in the "45 minutes" quiz held in Pula, they took fourth place at the county level.
During the year, pupils visit the Umag City Library, where they take part in lectures, book presentations and meetings with writers. They visited the Croatian National Theatre in Rijeka, the theatre hall in Umag and CineStar in Rijeka, and among the visits, a tour of Croatian Radio Television stood out. They participated in the "Hour for Science" lecture and learned about the wastewater treatment process in Umag, as well as about the education on safe electric scooter management organised by the Ministry of the Interior (MUP) and the Croatian Road Agency (HAK). Through workshops and lectures, topics such as mental health, violence among youth, juvenile delinquency, health education and gambling are addressed.
Pupils marked Croatian Olympic Day with sports games in Stella Maris and participated in the "Walk and Be Healthy" event and the celebration of Bread Day. In cooperation with humanitarian organisations, including the Croatian Red Cross, Croatian Caritas, Red Noses and UNICEF, they engaged in humanitarian activities. The creative part of teaching included the "Family and Traditional Music" project within music art and the "Digital Photography" project within visual art. Pupils also participated in professional and educational trips during which they visited Bologna and the Ferrari Museum in Maranello, Genoa and Cinque Terre, and Udine, where they viewed the exhibition "Impressionismo e modernità".
In this school year, existing activities and collaborations continue, and new projects are planned. Among the plans is participation in the Erasmus programme, under which visits by pupils to partner schools and exchange of experiences with their peers would be organised. Collaborations with museums, the "School of the Future" project, a technology conference and activities within the "Young Entrepreneurs" project are also planned. The principal of the Buje School of Economics is Saša Stiković.
