Definition of the target groups

At the level from pre-primary to secondary education, the Education Act distinguishes the following categories of children and pupils with special educational needs:

- with health disadvantage, who are for children and pupils:

• with a disability, i.e. children with mental disabilities, hearing impairments, visual impairments, physical disabilities, impaired communication skills, autism or other pervasive developmental disorders, with multiple disabilities,

• children and pupils who are ill or disabled,

• children and pupils with developmental disorders,

• children and pupils with behavioural disorders,

- children and pupils from socially disadvantaged backgrounds, and

- children and students with talent.

Children and pupils with special educational needs

A child with special educational needs or a pupil with special educational needs is a child or pupil who has been diagnosed with special educational needs by educational counselling and prevention facilities, except for children placed in special educational establishments on the basis of a court decision.

The category of children and pupils with special educational needs includes:

1. child and pupil with health disadvantage:

• child and pupil with mental disability,
• child and pupil with  hearing impairment,
• child and pupil with visual impairment,
• child and pupil with physical disability,
• child and pupil with impaired communication ability,
• child and pupil with  autism or other pervasive developmental disorders,
• child and pupil sick or with weakened health,
• deaf and blind child and pupil (is a child or pupil with a long-term illness and a child or pupil in schools at health facilities),
• pupil with developmental learning disorders,
• pupils with activity and attention disorders,
• child and pupil with multiple disabilities,
• child and pupil with behaviour disorders (is a child or pupil with an emotional or social impairment, other than a child or pupil with a learning disability). 

2. children and pupils from socially disadvantaged environment

• are children or pupils living in environment which in respect to the social, family, economic and cultural conditions insufficiently encourages development of mental, desire, and emotional traits of children/pupils and does not foster children’s/pupils’ socialisation and personality development.

3. gifted children and pupils

• are children or pupils with above-average intellectual, artistic or sport abilities, or pupils who achieve extraordinary results in these areas compared to their peers, and their talent is purposefully developed through education.

A child or pupil with a disability is a child with a disability, a child who is ill or disabled, a child with a developmental disorder, a child with a behavioural disorder or a pupil with a behavioural disorder.

A child or pupil with a disability is a child with a mental disability, hearing impairment, visual impairment, physical disability, impaired communication ability, autism or other pervasive developmental disorders or multiple disability.

A child or pupil who is ill or debilitated is a child with a long-term illness and a child learning in schools at health facilities.

A child or pupil with a developmental disorder is a child with an activity and attention disorder; a child with a learning disability.

A child or pupil with a behavioural disorder is a child with an emotional or social impairment, except for a child with a developmental disorder, a child with an activity and attention disorder, and a child with a learning disability.

Specific support measures

Law guarantees chidren and pupils with special educational needs education appropriate to their individual abilities and provided in special forms and methods appropriate to their needs.

To ensure its tasks, the Centre for Pedagogical and Psychological Counselling and Prevention mainly uses the methods of psychological and pedagogical diagnostics, psychological and educational counselling, prevention, reeducation, rehabilitation and psychotherapy.

This centre also carries out activities in relation to children and pupils:

• preventive-educational and professional-preventive,

• methodological and professional a

• creation of prevention programs.

The Centre for Special Pedagogical Counselling participates in providing compensatory, reeducation and special teaching aids for children with SEN according to their individual needs, teaches them to use these aids and re-evaluates their effectiveness in the user's use.

It provides outpatient counselling for children in the family, at school or in a school facility, including the provision of professional assistance to children and teaching staff by field special educators and in the form of short stays of the child or legal representatives with the child in this facility.

Professional-methodical and material-technical assistance to professional employees of special pedagogical counselling centres and school special pedagogues is provided by special pedagogical counselling centres with the consent of the Ministry of Education. These centres specialize in counselling for children with certain types of disabilities as resource centres.

In school educational counselling and prevention facilities, the following are performed in particular:

- psychological,

- pedagogical,

- special pedagogical, including speech therapy and medical-pedagogical activities, and

- social activities aimed at optimising the educational, psychological, social and career development of children from birth to the end of vocational training.

These facilities pay special attention to children with special educational needs. They also provide counselling services to children's legal guardians and teaching staff.

In the system of educational counselling and prevention, great emphasis is placed on cooperation with the family, school, school facilities, employers, public administration bodies and civic associations.

The Ministry of Education methodically directs the activities of educational counselling and prevention facilities through the Research Institute of Child Psychology and Pathopsychology.

Educational counselling and prevention centres methodically guide the activities of schools and school facilities in the upbringing and education of children with special educational needs.

Education in schools for children and pupils with special educational needs is carried out using special teaching aids and compensatory aids, which together with textbooks and specially adapted teaching texts according to the special educational needs of the child or pupil are provided free of charge by the school in which is educated.

Professional staff, such as a school psychologist, a special pedagogue, a school speech therapist, a medical pedagogue and a social pedagogue, take part in the upbringing and education of children and pupils with special educational needs in mainstream schools.

The upbringing and education of children with disabilities or pupils with disabilities shall follow the educational programmes for

a) children and pupils with mental disabilities,

b) children and pupils with hearing impairments,

c) children and pupils with visual impairments,

d) children and pupils with physical disabilities,

e) children and pupils with impaired communication skills,

f) children and pupils with autism or other pervasive developmental disorders,

g) children and pupils who are ill or disabled,

h) children and deafblind pupils,

i) pupils with learning disabilities,

j) pupils with activity and attention disorders,

k) children and pupils with multiple disabilities,

l) children and pupils with behavioural disorders.

These educational programs are part of state educational programs.

As needed, the upbringing and education of children with special educational needs is carried out according to individual educational programmes developed by teachers in cooperation with professional staff of educational counselling and prevention facilities.

If the type and degree of disability requires it, a limited number of children with special educational needs are usually educated in regular classes with intact children - usually two such children.

In special schools, the highest numbers of children are set depending on the type of disadvantage as follows:

Details on the number of children and pupils in special schools are laid down in a special decree of the Ministry of Education as follows:

Maximum number of children in kindergarten class:

a) for children with mental disabilities 8 children,

b) for children with visual impairment 6 children,

c) for children with hearing impairment 6 children,

d) for children with physical disabilities 6 children,

e) for children with impaired communication skills 8 children,

f) for children with autism or other pervasive developmental disorder 4 children,

g) for children who are ill and disabled in a kindergarten at a medical facility of 8 children,

h) for deafblind children and children with multiple disabilities 4 children.

Maximum number of pupils in a primary school class:

a) for students with mental disabilities

1. variant A, preparatory year and first year 6 students,

2. variant A, second year to fifth year 8 students,

3. variant A, sixth to ninth grade 10 students,

4. variant B, preparatory year to fifth year 6 students,

5. variant B, sixth to tenth grade 8 students,

6. variant C, preparatory year to fifth year of 5 students,

7. variant C, sixth to tenth grade 6 students,

b) for visually impaired pupils

1. preparatory year to the fifth year of 8 students,

2. sixth grade to ninth grade 10 students,

3. preparatory year to fifth year

- blind pupils 6 pupils,

4. sixth to ninth grade

- blind pupils 8 pupils,

c) for students with hearing impairments

1. preparatory year to the fifth year of 8 students,

2. sixth grade to ninth grade 10 students,

3. preparatory year to fifth year

- deaf pupils 6 pupils,

4. sixth to ninth grade

- deaf pupils 8 pupils,

d) for pupils with physical disabilities

1. preparatory year to the fifth year of 8 students,

2. sixth grade to ninth grade 10 students,

3.preparatory year to fifth year

- non-walking pupils 6 pupils,

4. sixth to ninth grade

- non-walking pupils 8 pupils,

e) for students with impaired communication skills

1. preparatory year to the fourth year of 8 students,

2. fifth to ninth grade 10 students,

f) for pupils with learning disabilities and for pupils with impaired activity and attention

1. first to fourth year 8 students,

2. fifth to ninth grade 10 students,

g) for students with behavioural disorders

- first grade to ninth grade 8 pupils,

h) for students with autism or other pervasive developmental disorders

- preparatory year up to ninth year 4 students,

(i) for sick and disabled pupils

1. first to ninth year 10 students,

2. first to ninth year - neurological, oncological, infectious, psychiatric and phoniatric department of 8 students,

3. first to ninth grade - non-walking students in bed 6 students,

j) for deafblind students preparatory year to tenth year 4 students.

The highest number of students in the class for students with mild mental disabilities in combination with other disabilities is the same as in variant B.

The highest number of students in a class for students with moderate and severe or profound mental disabilities in combination with other disabilities is the same as in variant C.

The highest number of pupils in the preparatory year to the tenth grade for pupils with moderate and severe mental or severe mental disabilities combined with physical disabilities who are non-pedestrians are four pupils.

A class with different grades has the highest number of students determined by the lowest grade taught in the class. Pupils of the next year are included in the class with different grades. Another class with different grades can be established if the established class with different grades has the highest established number of students.

Requirements for the adjustment of the environment in which children and pupils with special educational needs are educated are determined in educational programmes for children and pupils with individual types of disabilities.

Education of children and pupils with special educational needs

The term special educational need refers to a requirement for adjustment of conditions, content, forms, methods, environment and approaches in pupil’s education.

Identification of special educational needs takes place by means of diagnostic examinations in facilities of educational counselling and prevention (more information in chapter Guidance and Counselling in Early Childhood and School Education).

Children and pupils with special educational needs are usually educated in mainstream schools. Pupils with health disadvantage can participate in organisational forms of education that best meet their needs.

Regarding individual integration or inclusion into regular classes in mainstream schools, pupils with special educational needs are provided support measures necessary for the creation of suitable educational conditions; necessary special pedagogical support or psychological support are provided as well.

Regarding integration into special classes founded for pupils with health disadvantage in mainstream schools, classes for pupils with developmental learning disorders are founded most often.

In order to be assigned into one of the abovementioned organisational forms, child’s or pupil’s legal representative’s informed consent is required. Headteachers approve the admission of children and pupils with special educational needs. Headteachers are responsible for the creation of suitable conditions in compliance with the Education Act.

Schools keep documentation for these children or pupils entitled “Proposal for Education of Children or Pupils with Special Educational Needs in Kindergartens, Primary Schools, Secondary Schools and Special Schools”.

This proposal comprises the further documentation of children or pupils with special educational needs. The form is filled out by the class teacher in cooperation with the school facility of educational counselling and prevention, school special pedagogue and the pupil’s legal representative. Headteachers are responsible for the proper completion of the form.

If the disability of a child or pupil of a special class of a mainstream school or special school makes it impossible for him or her to be educated according to that school's curriculum, such child or pupil shall be educated according to an individual curriculum which respects his or her special educational needs.

There is a school special pedagogue, medical educator, school speech therapist or school psychologist in non-special primary schools and secondary schools if they educate more than 20 pupils with disabilities, in addition to pupils with disabilities educated in special classes.

Education of children and pupils from socially disadvantaged environment

Education of children and pupils from socially disadvantaged environment usually takes place in regular schools according to individual conditions (adaptation of education organisation, adaptation of environment, implementation of specific methods and forms of education).

Special classes are founded for pupils who would not be capable of participating in education in the relevant grade level. 

Pupils are assigned into this class for a maximum of 1 year based on their class teacher’s proposal, educational counsellor’s statement and with parent’s (legal representative’s) consent.

Children and pupils from socially disadvantaged environment do not have a separate educational programme. Schools follow appropriate state educational programmes in education of such children and pupils. Ministry of Education can provide a school’s founder financial contribution for improving the quality of conditions (teacher’s assistant’s salary, buying didactic technology and other).

Diagnostics of children from socially disadvantaged environment is methodologically governed by a provision of the Ministry of Education, Science, Research and Sport of the Slovak Republic. Procedures applied by centres of pedagogical psychological counselling and prevention in the assessment of readiness for school attendance of children from socially disadvantaged environment – guidelines (SK) and Methodical information for specialist employees of counselling facilities (SK).

Education of gifted children and pupils

Education of gifted children or pupils takes place in compliance with the Education Act in schools specialised in development of:

• intellectual talent of children and pupils (general intellectual talent or specific  intellectual talent),
• artistic talent of children or pupils,
• sport talent of children or pupils.

Under gift of children and pupils we understand above average developed cognitive skills in one or more intellectual areas. Pupils with general gift are pupils with special education needs on the basis of diagnosis determined by the facility of educational prevention and counselling.

The artistic talent of children or pupils is evident in some of areas mainly in fine arts, literature and drama, and dance. Sport talent of children or pupils is evident in some of the areas of individual or collective sports.

Education and training of gifted children or gifted pupils is realised via educational programme fostering particular talent.  Schools create for gifted children conditions for development of particular children’ or pupils’ talent by means of applying specific educational methods and organisational forms of education.

It is possible to establish the class for development of pupils’ talent in mainstream schools with approval of their founder.

The headteacher assigns pupils into the class with extended schooling of particular subjects or groups of subjects based on testing of special knowledge and skills and talent if such testing is required.

The pupils are integrated into this class on the basis of informed consent of their guardians. Classes with extended schooling can be divided into 2 groups, in case there are more than 23 pupils.

Education of children and pupils with health disadvantage

Children and pupils with health disadvantage are usually educated in mainstream schools, where they can either attend regular classes or be assigned to special classes.

Education of children and pupils with health disadvantage follows the approved educational programmes.

If the health disadvantage does not allow a child or pupil from a special class to be educated according to the approved state educational programmes, the child or pupil is educated according to an individual educational programme, which respects the child’s or pupil’s special educational needs.

Support measures are provided by:

1. the school itself, in a form of pedagogical-organisational measures, that is mainly by choosing appropriate pedagogical methods and procedures; decreasing the number of pupils in classes; making use of a teacher’s assistant, school special pedagogue, educational counsellor, school psychologist or an individual educational programme, etc.,

2. school facilities of educational counselling and prevention  – more information in chapter Guidance and Counselling in Early Childhood and School Education),

3. in specific cases therapeutic-educational centres or re-education centres.

Maximum of three pupils with health disabilities can be integrated into one class with other pupils. Per every pupil with health disability the number of pupils in the class decreases by two.

In kindergarten, the principal decides on the inclusion of a child with special educational needs on the basis of the recommendation of the general practitioner for children and adolescents and the school facility of educational counselling and prevention and the informed consent of the legal representative. The number of children in a class may be reduced by a maximum of two for each child with special educational needs. The maximum number of enrolled children with special educational needs in one class is two.

A specialized class may be established in primary school with the founder’s consent

• for students who require compensatory programme in terms of education and training and
• for pupils who were educated at the school with the educational programme for pupils with health disabilities.

Such class is established for at least four but not more than eight pupils from one or more grades. If the number of pupils drops below four, the class is abolished. The headteacher places pupils in such class based on the proposal from the class teacher, educational counsellor, after obtaining the opinion of the educational counselling and prevention facility and after obtaining the informed consent of the pupil’s legal guardian. Pupils are included in special class only for necessary time.

Pupil can be completely or partially exempted from schooling of particular subject for the whole school year or just part of it. Pupil is exempted by the head teacher on the basis of recommendation of his/her teacher and specialist doctor.  In case of blind, hard of hearing and physically disabled pupils or pupil with language difficulty, the head teacher exempts the pupil after recommendation of special pedagogue psychologist and specialist doctor.

Individual education

Kindergarten

As of September 1, 2021, the Education Act stipulated that compulsory pre-primary education may be provided by children not only in an "institutional" form, i.e. in the form of regular daily attendance at kindergarten on working days of at least four hours a day, but also in another individual form.

Individual (pre-primary) education is understood as the equivalent of fulfilling compulsory pre-primary education implemented by an institutionalized form of compulsory pre-primary education in a kindergarten included in the network of schools and school facilities in the Slovak Republic.

When fulfilling compulsory pre-primary education in the form of individual education, the child does not cease to be a child of a tribal kindergarten.

In the form of individual education, compulsory pre-primary education can be provided by a child whose:

 - his state of health does not enable him to complete compulsory pre-primary education at the main nursery school,

- the legal representative will ask the kindergarten to do so.

In the case of a child whose state of health does not allow him to undergo compulsory pre-primary education at a mainstream nursery school and his legal representative applies to the mainstream nursery school to which the child is admitted in advance for individual education permission, the written consent of the general practitioner for children and growing up. Pre-primary education of a child who has been granted individual education for health reasons will be provided by the main nursery school for at least two hours per week. The teacher, who will provide individual (pre-primary) education for this child, will submit a written report on the individual (pre-primary) education of the child to the principal of the main school at the end of the semester of the relevant school year.

In the case of a child who will be in individual education based on the decision of the parent, the costs associated with his individual education are borne by the legal guardian. The pre-primary education of this child is provided by the child's legal guardian through a person who has completed at least a complete general secondary education or a complete secondary vocational education. The tribal nursery school, in cooperation with the parent of such a child, shall determine the content of the child's individual education by 31 August at the latest.

The parent of this child is obliged to ensure the participation of the child in compulsory pre-primary education in the tribal kindergarten during the month of March; at this time, the tribal kindergarten will assess whether the content of individual education is fulfilled in individual education. When assessing the fulfilment of the content of individual education, kindergartens will be based on the content of individual education that they have given to the given child.

Primary school

The Education Act also allows individual education of pupils at the first and second level of primary schools at home (home schooling). To provide this type of education, pupil’s legal representative will hire a pedagogical employee that has the professional and teaching competence of a teacher teaching at the first and second level of primary school. This pedagogical employee will be paid by the legal representative.

Pupil’s parent/legal representative must submit a written application for individual education to the headteacher of the school the child was admitted to, in which he/she will state reasons for individual education as well as information on the educational plan and a description of space, material and equipment.

In case a pupil’s individual education was approved and he/she is home schooled, the pupil will take a commission exam in relevant subject matter of each compulsory subject for each half-term at the school he/she was admitted to. The school will issue a certificate based on the result of the exam.

The legal representative is obliged to allow authorised employees of the school the child was admitted to and school inspectors to enter and carry out inspection.

Textbooks and learning aids are provided free of charge by the school the child was admitted to, where the pupil also takes examination twice a year.

Exemption of the child from the obligation to attend kindergarten

Legal representative, in the case of a child who reaches the age of five by 31 August preceding the beginning of the school year from which the child will complete compulsory schooling in primary school, but has an unfavourable state of health which will not allow him to be educated until they cease to exist may request the director of the tribal kindergarten to be exempt from the obligation to attend kindergarten if the application is accompanied by:

- the written consent of the general practitioner for children and adolescents, and

- written consent of the educational counselling and prevention facility.

A child who has been issued a decision on exemption from the obligation to attend kindergarten for health reasons, in the case of compulsory pre-primary education, shall not be provided with any education, either in kindergarten or individual education, until the reasons for the exemption have ceased to exist.

Legislative references 

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 23/02/2022).

Ministry of Education, Science, Research and Sport of the Slovak Republic, 2008. Decree No. 320/2008 on primary school as amended by subsequent provision (Vyhláška č. 320/2008 o základnej škole v znení neskorších predpisov) (last accessed 23/03/2022).

Ministry of Education, Science, Research and Sport of the Slovak Republic, 2008. Decree No. 322/2008 on special schools (Vyhláška č. 322/2008 o špeciálnych školách) (last accessed 23/03/2022).