In the second half of the 18th century, Empress Maria Theresa came to power in the Habsburg Monarchy, followed by her son Emperor Joseph II, both from the Habsburg dynasty. Under the influence of Enlightenment ideas, they strive to modernize the state in various areas, especially in the field of education. Until 1881, the territory of Banska Hrvatska was divided into civil and military parts, which made the challenge of modernizing education all the more complex. The process of educational development continued in the 19th century, and culminated with the arrival of ban Ivan Mažuranić to the position of ban in 1873. He established a modern school system that became the basis of the school system as we know it today. This paper presents the development of public education in Slavonski Brod and its surroundings in the 19th century; teaching itself, curriculum, teaching staff, teaching language and the like. The most important educational reforms from the second half of the 18th century to end of the 19th century and the changes they bring are also presented.