By the year 1990 the administration of education had been executed at the central level. The Act No. 542/1990 of the Law Code on state administration in education and self-government replaced the hitherto Act and created a branch system of administration as amended by the subsequent provisions, conditions for pluralistic development of the education system, and conditions for strengthening schools’ autonomy.
The Act No. 596/2003 of the Law Code on the state administration as amended by subsequent provision in education and school self-government, set the new competencies of decision-making subjects, which operate within the system – municipalities, self-governance regions, schools self-government bodies, state bodies which ensure the professional and methodological management, headteachers and heads of school establishments.
The Act sets two forms of competencies of territorial self-government (municipalities and self-governance regions):
- transferred execution of state administration
- and execution of territorial self-governance (the so called self-governing competences).
The reform of public administration (state government and territorial self-government) and the organization of the education system in the field of management, establishment and dissolution of schools and school facilities, and self-governance of schools has continued. The changes are anchored in legislation through the Act on state administration in education and school self-governance. In 2008, the new Education Act, which has created legislative space for implementation of content reform of regional education, was approved.
The Ministry of Education, Science, Research and Sport of the Slovak Republic is the central body of the state administration of the Slovak Republic for preprimary, primary, secondary and higher education, educational facilities, lifelong learning, science and technology, and of the state care for youth and sports.
Within the area of its competence the Ministry establishes budget and profit-making organizations, supervises and evaluates their activities. The Ministry manages schools and school facilities at the territory of the Slovak Republic through generally binding rules, by providing vocational guidance to all founders; it administers the network of school and school facilities in the Slovak Republic.
At local level the school state administration is realised through municipalities and higher territorial units, which secure activities implied their founder competencies.
Higher education institutions are legal entities and their organisation and activities are decided by the bodies of academic self-government in compliance with the Act on higher education, as amended by subsequent provisions.
Legislative references
National Council of the Slovak Republic, 2002. Act No. 131/2002 on higher education and on the change and supplement to some acts as amended by subsequent provision (Zákon č. 131/2002 Z.z. o vysokých školách a zmene a doplnení niektorých zákonov) (last accessed 07/01/2020).
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 07/01/2020).
National Council of the Slovak Republic, 2009. Act No. 568/2009 on lifelong learning and on the change and supplemet to some acts as amended by subsequent provision (Zákon č. 568/2009 Z.z. o celoživotnom vzdelávaní a o zmene a doplnení niektorých zákonov v znení neskorších predpisov) (last accessed 03/06/2019).
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 07/01/2020).