Education is provided at schools which are listed in the network of schools and school facilities in the Slovak Republic -the network is a register of schools and school facilities which are ‘accredited’ to provide individual levels of education according to ISCED (2011).

All schools and school facilities, regardless of the type, size, and founder, are managed by headteachers.

In addition to the headteacher, management pedagogical employees include the deputies, head of vocational training, and head tutor.

The position of headteacher can be taken only by a person who has worked as a pedagogical employee prior to the candidacy for the position.  See chapter Administration and governance at local and institutional level.

For more information see Chapter Administration and Governance at Local and/or Institutional Level.

Requirements for appointment 

The activity of a management pedagogical employee - headteacher’s activity, can be performed only by a person who meets:

• Qualification requirements for performing work activity in the respective pedagogical employee category or subcategory,
• Requirements for the assignment into the career level of a pedagogical employee with the first attestation (this requirement must be met at the time of submitting the application for the selection procedure).

According to the article 3 section 5 of the act no 596/2003 Coll., headteachers must meet the abovementioned requirements and have at least 5-year pedagogical experience on the date of the selection procedure.

Based on the successful selection procedure, the headteacher is appointed by the founder. At the time of the appointment, employment conditions for the headteacher’s term of office will be agreed on in an employment agreement and the remuneration determined according to a special provision.

The term of office of all headteachers is 5 years. The headteacher is both appointed and removed by the founder of the school.  

Conditions of service

When fulfilling their tasks, headteachers follow the appropriate legal regulations and guidelines. The headteacher is responsible for: 

• following the state educational programmes designed for the school he/she manages,
• creating and following the school educational programme and educational programme,
• creating and following the yearly plan of further education of pedagogical employees (according to article 40 section 5 of the act no. 138/2019 Coll. This concerns the responsibility for the 4-year plan of education of pedagogical and professional employees),
• compliance with the generally binding legal regulations related to the objectives of the school or school facility,
• annual evaluation of pedagogical and professional employees,
• the level of educational work of the school or school facility,
• budget, funding and efficient use of funds allocated for the activities of the school or school facility,
• orderly management of the property under the management or ownership of the school or school facility. 

Other duties of the headteacher are set by the work regulations for pedagogical and other employees of schools and school facilities (SK), which is created by the employer. In order to keep the text up-to-date, we list the issues in the competences of headteachers of individual types of schools that will be effective as of 1st January 2021. Headteachers of kindergartens  and headteachers of kindergartens for children with special educational needs make decisions on:

• admission of children to kindergarten,
• admission of children to adaptation or diagnostic stay,
• interruption of kindergarten attendance, with the exception of compulsory pre-primary education,
• exemption of the child from the obligation to attend school due to health reasons, if it concerns compulsory pre-primary education,
• permission of individual education of children, if it concerns compulsory pre-primary education,
• continuing the compulsory pre-primary education attendance,
• early termination of pre-primary education, with the exception of compulsory pre-primary education,
• determination of contribution of the child’s guardian for partial coverage of costs of a kindergarten whose founder is a district authority in the seat of the region, with the exception of compulsory pre-primary education.

Primary school headteachers perform state administration at the first level. They decide on:  

• admission of the pupil to the primary school, 
• exemption of the pupil from the obligation to attend school, 
• exemption of the pupil from education in individual subjects or their parts,
• permission to complete school attendance outside the territory of the Slovak Republic,
• imposition of educational measures,
• permission to take the commission examination,
• permission to take examinations in individual subjects also by an applicant who is not a pupil of the school,
• determination of contribution of pupil’s guardian for partial coverage of costs for care provided to pupil in the school and school facility (§ 35),
• individual education of pupil,
• education of pupil in schools founded by another State at the territory of the Slovak Republic with the consent of the Embassy of the other State.
• individual education of pupil abroad,
• enabling an individual study of the pupil according to individual study plan,

Note: Until 31st December 2020, primary school headteachers also decide on:

• postponement of the start of compulsory school attendance of the pupil,
• additional postponement of compulsory school attendance.

This change is connected with the introduction of compulsory pre-primary education at kindergartens and the corresponding abandonment of the institutes of ‘postponement of the start of compulsory school attendance’ and ‘additional postponement of compulsory school attendance’.

Secondary school headteachersperform state administration at the first level. They decide on: 

• admission of the pupil to study in secondary school,
• exemption of pupil from the duty to attend the school,
• exemption of the pupil from the study of individual subjects or their parts,
• enabling the pupil to study according to an individual educational plan,
• permission to complete a period of one’s studies at a school of similar type abroad,
• interruption of studies,
• permission to change field of study,
• transfer of a pupil to primary school during completing the compulsory schooling,
• permission to repeat the grade,
• imposition of educational measures,
• permission to take a commission examination,
• approval of a scholarship,
• determination of contribution of the pupil’s  guardian to partial coverage of costs for care provided in the school or school facilities,
• individual education of the pupil,
• education of pupil in schools founded by another State at the territory of the Slovak Republic with the consent of the Embassy of the other State.

Headteachers of all types of schools have an obligation to submit the following to the founder and the school board for opinion every year:

• proposals of the number of children and pupils to be admitted and proposals of the number of classes – submitted by headteachers of all types of schools,
• proposal for the introduction of study fields and their focus – submitted only by secondary school headteachers, particularly secondary vocational school headteachers,
• proposal for a school educational programme– submitted by headteachers of all types of schools; and proposal for educational programme – submitted by headteachers of those types of school which include some of the school education facilities according to article 113 of the Education Act,
• budget proposal – submitted by headteachers of all types of schools, particularly those that are separate legal entities,
• proposal for performing business activities by the school or school facility – submitted by headteachers of all types of schools that are separate legal entities,
• report on the educational activity, its outcomes, and conditions in compliance with article 14 section 5(d) – submitted by headteachers of all types of schools,
• report on the results of school or school facility management – submitted by headteachers of all types of schools that are separate legal entities,
• conceptual intent of the development of the school or school facility for at least two years and its annual evaluation – submitted by headteachers of all types of schools,
• information on the pedagogical and organisational as well as material provision of the educational process – submitted by headteachers of all types of schools.

The Education Act (SK) defines further obligations for headteachers of individual types of schools regarding the following in particular:

• creation of school educational programmes,
• creation of educational programmes, if the school includes an educational facility,
• maintaining pedagogical and other documentation,
• admission of children and pupils, completion of education, and obtaining a level of education, 
• marking and evaluation (except for kindergarten headteachers) and 
• national and international measurements (except for kindergarten headteachers).

Many obligations of headteachers of all types of schools, regardless of the founder, are defined by act no. 138/2019 Coll. (SK), concerning the following in particular:

• rights and obligations of pedagogical and professional employees,
• education in professional development (particularly in relation to adaptation and actualisation education),
• pedagogical and professional employees evaluation and 
• care for pedagogical and professional employees.

In addition to fulfilling obligations connected with the work of a headteacher, headteachers of all types of schools also perform direct educational activity. Its extent is defined by a decree of the Slovak government depending on the number of pupils at a particular school.  The minimum teaching activity of headteachers of individual types of schools ranges from one to eight hours a week. The number of direct educational activity hours is highest with kindergarten headteachers and lowest with secondary school headteachers.

Primary and secondary school headteachers are exempted from performing direct educational activity in cases defined by the government decree.

Headteachers are awarded a special bonus for their work. – bonus for management, the amount of which is also graded with the defined lowest and highest possible percentage from the figure set in the specific regulation. The bonus for management is determined by the employer within the range of one per cent of salary tariff from the highest salary level of the salary class to which the headteacher is assigned.

Remuneration in church and private schools is defined according to the collective agreement or an internal regulation in compliance with the valid Labour Code. 

All headteachers of all types of school must complete functional education, which aims at obtaining professional competences for the work of management pedagogical employees, which also includes the position of headteachers of all types of schools. Conditions for the completion of functional education are defined by the act on pedagogical and professional employees. 

Headteachers and management pedagogical employees with at least a bachelor’s degree in a study programme focusing on school management are not required to complete functional education. 

In addition to the appointment to the position of headteacher, the law also defines the termination of the position of headteacher.

The position of headteacher terminates in case of the following:

• end of the term of office, 
• resignation, 
• removal, 
• final court ruling on the restricted legal capacity, 
• on the day set in the final decision of the ministry on the deletion of the school or school facility from the network or
• death or declaration of death. 

Headteachers can resign voluntarily due to reasons they subjectively deem as serious. Headteachers can resign by written notice to the founder. The position of headteacher will terminate on the day of delivery of the written notice to the founder, provided the notice does not specify a later date of resignation. 

Resignation cannot be withdrawn, it is irreversible. If a headteacher resigns, be it due to objective or subjective reasons, he/she can apply for the selection procedure for the position of headteacher of the same or a different school again in the future.

Legislative references

National Council of the Slovak Republic, 2019. Act No. 138/2019 on pedagogical employees and professional employees and on the change and supplement to some acts (Zákon č. 138/2019 Z.z. o pedagogických zamestnancoch a odborných zamestnancoch a o zmene a doplnení niektorých zákonov) (last accessed 14/12/2020).

National Council of the Slovak Republic, 2008. Act No. 245/2008 on education and training (Education Act) and on the change and supplement to some acts as amended by subsequent provisions (Zákon č. 245/2008 Z.z. o výchove a vzdelávaní (školský zákon) a o zmene a doplnení niektorých zákonov v znení neskorších predpisov) (last accessed 14/12/2020).

National Council of the Slovak Republic, 2003. Act No. 553/2003 on remuneration of some employees at the work performance in public interest and on the change and supplement to some acts as amended by subsequent provision (Zákon č. 553/2003 Z.z. o odmeňovaní niektorých zamestnancov pri výkone práce vo verejnom záujme a o zmene a doplnení niektorých zákonov v znení neskorších predpisov) (last accessed 14/12/2020).

National Council of the Slovak Republic, 2003. Act No. 596/2003 on state administration in education and school self-government and on change and supplements of some acts as amended by subsequent provisions (Zákon č. 596/2003 Z.z. o štátnej správe v školstve a školskej samospráve a o zmene a doplnení niektorých zákonov v znení neskorších predpisov) (last accessed 14/12/2020).