2021

Amendment of the Education Act

In 2021, an amendment to the Education Act  was adopted, which brings several changes:

• Definition of the term "inclusive education",
• Legislative anchoring of distance education,
• Changes in student assessment,
• Transformation of the system of counseling facilities,
• Simplification of the requirements of state and school educational programmes,
• Introduction of a "state upbringing/educational programme",
• Simplification of the admission process for secondary schools.

Amendment of the Act on State Administration in Education and School Self-Government

One of the most significant changes to the Act on State Administration in Education and School Self-Government is the establishment of regional school administration offices, which arose from the education departments of district offices in the region's headquarters, thus creating a specialized state education administration and simplifying and clarifying the flow of funds to regional education.

Amendment of the Act on State Administration in Education and School Self-Government

The Act on Pedagogical and Professional Employees also underwent a change in 2021. In addition to technical simplifications to help schools and staff better and more effectively manage their professional development, it has brought about more fundamental changes:

• Creation of a new category of teaching staff, namely the school digital coordinator,
• Extension of competencies of the school special pedagogue and school coordinator in education,
• Change in the provision of the introduction of a beginning pedagogical employee or a beginning professional employee,
• Establishment of new career positions the school digital coordinator and the school support team coordinator and the conditions for the establishment, composition and activity of the school support team,
• Extension of the range of attestation organizations,
• Specification of the award of personal allowance for work performed beyond work duties and for overtime work,
• Provision of the possibility to be educated in a language other than Slovak (CPD).

Impact of COVID-19 pandemics on education

In order to maintain a safe environment in schools and school facilities, the Ministry of Education has compiled a manual "SCHOOL SEMAFOR", which sets out the basic operating conditions of schools and school facilities, including the specifics of compliance with anti-epidemic measures and recommendations during the COVID-19 pandemic. In connection with the pandemic situation, it has prepared a number of recommendations and guidelines for schools and school facilities. In this context, several pieces of legislation have been amended. The intention was to create conditions for distance education of students, within which several methodological and didactic manuals for pedagogical staff and students were created.

Supporting school education through calls

To support education with the improvement of material and technical conditions, the Ministry of Education announced several calls, on the basis of which schools or founders could draw funds within the framework of development projects or grants.

2020

Impact of COVID-19 pandemics on education

Education at primary and secondary schools in 2020 was significantly affected by the COVID-19 pandemics caused by the corona virus. As a result, education at all primary and secondary schools in the Slovak Republic was suspended from 16th March 2020 to 31st May 2020. School instruction in this period took place as distance learning. 

In relation to the start of school year 2020/2021, the Ministry of Education, Science, Research and Sport of the Slovak Republic prepared guidelines (SK) for schools and school facilities which define the organisation and conditions of education for the school year and the academic year 2020/2021.

The documents aim to define the basic operation conditions for schools during COVID-19 pandemics so that counter-epidemic measures and recommendations be followed. 

They govern only those basic operation conditions that differ or that are defined beyond the framework of the standard requirements set in the school, hygiene, labour and other regulations. Guidelines are created for each category of schools and school facilities.

• Kindergartens (SK)
• Primary school and school facilities (SK) (School children clubs, Leisure-time centres, Basic schools of arts, Language schools)
• Secondary schools (SK)
• Special schools and facilities of educational counselling (SK)
• Special educational facilities (SK)
• Higher education institution and school dormitories (SK)
• Leisure-time centres (SK)

Source: Ministry of Education, Science, Research and Sport of the Slovak Republic of the Slovak Republic, 2021. Guidelines for school and school facilities (Školský semafor). (last accessed 31/03/2022). 

Primary schools

Between  2nd September – 14th September: 

• Do not hold mass events such as the opening of the school year, with the exception of the first-grade. If possible, the opening of the school year for the first graders will take place only outdoors with children keeping sufficient distance and wearing face masks and being accompanied only by their legal guardians. If the event cannot take place outdoors due to bad weather, it will be held individually in each first grade classroom. Other classes will hold the opening of the school year in classrooms without guardians.
• Morning filter is to be performed at the school entrance. 
• Bigger schools with a higher number of classes are recommended to divide the start of the school day into several time periods, e.g. from 7:30 to 8:30 in 10-minute intervals.
• Pupils at the first level of the primary school are recommended to wear face masks; other pupils must wear face masks everywhere on the indoor premises of the primary school including their classrooms in internal school spaces.
• Non-pedagogical school staff will wear a face mask or a protective shield in compliance with the current measures implemented by Public Health Authorities. Pedagogical and professional employees will wear a face mask or a protective shield. 
• It is recommended that activities be organised in such a way that it is possible to spend most time of the day outdoors be it in the school area or outside it in accordance with school’s conditions and weather conditions.
• Physical education will take place only outdoors.
• The gym and other indoor spaces for sport (e.g. pool, gym, etc.) will not be used until 20th September 2020.
• Toilets are cleaned and disinfected at least 3 times a day and as needed.
• Rooms frequented by pupils, pedagogical and professional employees and other school employees must be cleaned thoroughly at least once a day.
• Disinfection of contact surfaces, other surfaces or objects used by a particularly high number of people must be performed at least twice a day and as needed (e.g. door handles).
• The aforementioned measures can be extended according to the epidemiological situation and it is recommended that they are also followed in the period of 16th September – 23rd September
• etc..

Source: Ministry of Education, Science, Research and Sport of the Slovak Republic of the Slovak Republic, 2021. Guidelines for school and school facilities-Primary schools and school facilities (Školský semafor). (last accessed 31/03/2022). 

Secondary schools and school dormitories

• School instruction starts from 2nd September 2020. Pupils will attend school instruction according to the timetable; particular emphasis is put on the attendance of students fulfilling their compulsory school attendance.
• At the beginning of the school year, the secondary school and the vocational training facility will allocate one room for daily commuting pupils who have been ordered immediate isolation. The room will serve for such pupils’ isolation for the necessary time.
• At the beginning of the school year, school dormitories will allocate one room for the accommodated pupils with permanent residence in the Slovak Republic who have been placed into immediate isolation. The isolation room is to be used for as long as necessary. Dining will take place in groups which are not to be mixed in the canteen. Pupils are not to mingle with other accommodated people (from outside of the school).
• When preparing for the school year 2020/2021, schools will take into account the possibility that the epidemiological situation worsens.
• Between 2nd September 2020 and 14th September 2020 secondary school pupils, pedagogical staff, professional staff and non-pedagogical staff must wear face masks inside the school, vocational training facility, and the employer’s workplace.
• As of 16th September 2020 rules for wearing face masks in different stages (green – orange – red) become effective.

Substantive rules:

• If there is a pupil or a member of staff with suspected COVID-19,  it is necessary to contact a doctor/ Public Health Authority.
• Limit the contact between classrooms and people; organise events in compliance with the up-to-date Public Health Authority’s instructions.
• Wearing face masks is compulsory during vocational training of groups comprised of pupils from different classes
• Follow R-O-R principles (Ruky- Odstup – Rúško / hands – distance – face mask) in compliance with instructions for each stage.

Close contact:

• Pupils with the habitual residence outside the Slovak Republic (children of the so-called. „pendlers“ - commuters) attend regular school instruction unless the Public Health Authority puts restrictions on crossing the state borders.
• The gym and other indoor spaces for sport (e.g. pool, gym, etc.) are not to be used until 20th September 2020. This applies to school dormitories as well. It is recommended that activities be organised in such a way that is possible to spend most of the day outside be it the school area or outside it in accordance with the school’s conditions. Physical education takes place only outdoors.

In the period of 2nd September – 15th September, in addition to the green stage measures, it is recommended:

• Not to organise mass openings of the school year. 
• A morning filter is performed at the school entrance.
• Bigger schools with a higher number of classes are recommended to divide the start of the school day into several time periods e.g. from 7:30 to 8:30 in 10-minute intervals.
• It is compulsory for pupils to wear a face mask on the indoor premises of the secondary school including their classrooms in the internal school spaces.
• Non-pedagogical school staff will wear a face mask or a protective shield in compliance with the current measures implemented by Public Health Authorities. Pedagogical and professional employees (e.g. teacher assistants and/or special pedagogues) will wear a face mask or a protective shield.
• Toilets are cleaned and disinfected at least 3 times a day and as needed.
• Rooms frequented by pupils, pedagogical and professional employees and other school employees must be cleaned thoroughly (at least) once a day.
• Disinfection of contact surfaces, other surfaces or objects used by a particularly high number of people must be performed at least twice a day and as needed (e.g. door handles).
• The aforementioned measures can be extended according to the epidemiological situation and it is recommended that they be also followed in the period of 16th September – 23rd September,
• etc..

Source: Ministry of Education, Science, Research and Sport of the Slovak Republic of the Slovak Republic, 2021. Guidelines for school and school facilities-Secondary schools (Školský semafor). (last accessed 31/03/2022). 

2019

Amendment of the Education Act

As of 1 January 2019, an amendment of the Education Act (SK) established a new type of school - the Secondary Sports School, which will prepare pupils with sports talent. In the past, there was only one type of sports secondary schools - sports gymnasiums. The new type of secondary school - secondary sports school - offers secondary general education and secondary vocational education. Current sports gymnasiums are transformed into secondary sports schools and pupils admitted under previous regulations complete their studies accordingly.

Another important change concerns the field of foreign language teaching. So far, pupils have been taught English since the third year of primary school, and in the seventh year they have chosen another world language. Since the 2019/2020 school year, pupils in the third year of primary school will be able to choose which world language to learn first. If the pupil does not choose English as the first foreign language, he/she must choose it as the second foreign language in the 7th - 9th year. This change is voluntary for schools and the Ministry of Education, Science, Research and Sport of the Slovak Republic (SK) assumes that most schools will remain in their current practice and will continue to teach mandatory English as the first foreign language.  

The Act on pedagogical and professional employees

As of September 2019, the new Act on pedagogical and professional employees (SK) becomes effective. The act mostly governs the rights and obligations of pedagogical and professional employees, their work activity and professional development, the scope of the Ministry of Education, Science, Research and Sport of the Slovak Republic, the Central Register of Employees of Schools and School Facilities (SK).  The new act also introduces:

• the right for protection against social-pathological behaviour of managing pedagogical employees, managing professional employees, and other employees of the school or the school facility, founder, legal representatives and other natural and legal persons, 
• the obligation of pedagogical and professional employees to behave in compliance with the Ethical code of pedagogical and professional employees,
• the uniform term work activity and specification of individual activities,
• obligation to speak the language of a national minority as a prerequisite for teaching subjects in the language of the national minority, 
• term qualification education and pre-attestation education,
• monitoring in personal development and administrative offenses,
• a new procedure for assessing the fulfillment of qualification prerequisites for teaching or professional staff. 

The act further:

• clearly defines the categories of  pedagogical employees (school special pedagogue, professional development teacher, and others); introduces a new category of professional employees – career advisor,
• changes the functional education system and the system of education of pedagogical and professional employees. The change also concerns the system of attestation. A credit system change regarding the recognition of credits for successful completion of pedagogical and professional employees’ education and payment of the credit bonus is proposed,
• simplifies the original title of the public administration system from the ‘Central Register of Pedagogical Employees, Professional Employees and Other Employees of Schools and School Facilities’ to the Central Register. The act proposes to reduce data recorded in the Central Register.

2018

Amendment of the Education Act

Parliament approved an amendment of the Education Act (SK) in  July 2018 (Act no. 245/2008 Coll. on Education and Training). The amendment concerns determining of the number of pupils at 8-year gymnasiums based on objectively measurable criteria. Now, the number of first-grade pupils at 8-year gymnasiums should not exceed 5% of the total number of pupils in a given population year in a given school year for the whole Slovak Republic.

Development project Health on the Plate 2018

The Ministry of Education, Science, Research and Sport of the Slovak Republic provided support to a total of 30 schools from around Slovakia as a part of the call for submission of applications for financial support for the development project entitled Health on the Plate 2018. The project aims to support activities focusing on obesity prevention and to create a suitable environment for proper drinking regimen in schools. Successful applicants are dominated by primary schools (22 projects) followed by seven secondary schools and one joint school.

Amendment of the Act on dual education

An amendment of the Act no. 61/2015 Coll. on Vocational Training came into force on 1. September 2018 and it should implement changes in the system of dual education. The changes will make entering the system by employers, and small and medium-sized enterprises in particular, including the self-employed, more efficient.

The amendment brings a decrease in administrative burden when verifying employers‘ competences to provide practical education. A Position of a principal teacher is introduced, who will perform tasks connected with the coordination of practical education. The amendment is a reaction to the practice in making dual education contracts and teaching contracts.

Major changes affected powers of self-governing regions within their territorial scope to determine the number of full-time secondary school first-grade classes divided into individual study fields for the addmission procedure for the next year.

Model curricula and ratios of practical training should be cancelled; they will be defined in the state education programmes. Company school is introduced, which aims to support employers who are founders of a secondary vocational school and train the future labour force for themselves or other employers in that school.

The act was drafted in cooperation with representatives of major employer unions and associations, and self-governing regions, Ministry of Economy of the Slovak Republic, as well as the Trade Union of Workers in Education and Science of Slovakia.

Drafting the new act on the teaching staff

The Ministry of Education, Science, Research and Sport of the Slovak Republic is drafting a new act on the teaching staff. The ministry has presented areas to be amended:

• qualification requirements,
• attractivity of the profession,
• the beginning teaching staff and other employees,
• school’s culture and code of ethics,
• professional development: verification of competencies, further education, attestation process, continuing education plan,
• changes in accreditation of continuing education programmes,
• employer’s obligation to arrange continuing education of teachers,
• deleting credits from the act,
• the position of the profession’s representatives
• new positions: career advisor, library information specialist, school trainer for special activities,
• professional standards and
• functional education for headteachers.

At the moment, comments are being incorporated.

Directive to prevent and tackling bullying of children and pupils at schools and school facilities

The Ministry of Education, Science, Research and Sport of the Slovak Republic issued a Directive to prevent and tackling bullying of children and pupils at schools and school facilities (SK). The Directive regulates the basic characteristics, forms and manifestations of bullying of children and pupils, possibilities of preventive action and methods of dealing with bullying of pupils in connection with the responsibilities of schools and school facilities.

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 31/03/2022).

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 31/03/2022).

Ministry of Education, Science, Research and Sport of the Slovak Republic of the Slovak Republic, 2018. Directive No. 36/2018 to prevent and tackling bullying of children and pupils at schools and school facilities (Smernica č. 36/2018 k prevencii a riešeniu šikanovania detí a žiakov v školách a školských zariadeniach) (last accessed 31/03/2022).