Local communities

Local communities are politically organised as municipalities. The Constitution defines municipalities as local self-governed communities which are, in principle, financed from their own resources. These include taxes, benefits and property related income. Economically weak municipalities are subsidised by the government. These include taxes, benefits and property related income. Economically weak municipalities are subsidised by the government.

In the area of education the municipalities are end responsible for:

• founding public kindergartens, basic schools, music schools and residence halls for pupils
• determining basic education providers, music education providers and providers of educational programmes in residence halls for pupils
• granting concessions to individuals for the provision of public service
• founding and funding adult education organisations, and
• approval of annual adult education programmes.

In accordance with national regulations, municipalities provide funding for:

• the preschool education provided in kindergartens
• the premises, equipment and maintenance of basic and music schools
• above-standard activities offered by basic schools
• investments in basic schools, music schools and adult education organisations as well as in ethnic community education, and
• pupils' transportation.

Decision-making powers on education related issues that are under the authority of municipalities rest with municipality councils, mayors and other local community bodies.

In terms of the direct management of kindergartens and schools, municipalities are involved through their representatives on kindergarten and school boards.

Local communities have no direct authority in the governance and administration of higher education institutions.

Institutional level

Early childhood and school education

Administrative bodies in public kindergartens and basic schools include school councils and head teachers.

The kindergarten or school council includes representatives of the founder, staff and parents. In upper secondary schools councils also include two student representatives.

The founder – the municipality or the government – participates in the management of kindergartens and schools through representatives on the council and directly through administrative procedures.

Among other things, a public kindergarten or school council is responsible for:

• appointing the head teacher and relieving them from office
• adopting the development plan of the kindergarten or school, the annual work plan and the implementation report
• adopting the annual report on the self-evaluation of the school or kindergarten
• deciding on the introduction of above-standard and other programmes
• discussing reports on education related issues
• deciding, as the second-instance body, on appeals regarding the status of apprentices, pupils, students and adults (depending on the institution in question) as well as on appeals regarding the rights, obligations and responsibilities of employees
• discussing matters submitted by the assembly of education staff, school inspection, representative trade union, parents' council, or the community of pupils, apprentices, or students (depending on the type of institution).

Councils of parents consist of one representative per each class/group. These representatives are elected by parents at the class parent-teacher conferences. They give consent to above-standard programmes and appoint their representatives to school/kindergarten councils, but overall their role is an advisory one. Since 2008, parents have had the right to adopt their own programme of cooperation with the school/kindergarten and their councils may form local or regional networks, which may further form a national association.

The head teacher has a double role: as the pedagogical leader as well as the manager. The head teacher is directly responsible for the implementation of regulations. Within this framework, however, his or her decision-making regarding human resources and the allocation of funds for material costs is autonomous.

According to the Organisation and Financing of Education Act, the head teacher is, among other things, responsible for:

• organising, planning and managing the work at the kindergarten or school
• drafting the development programme and the annual work plan of the kindergarten or school
• promoting the professional development of education staff and deciding on the promotion of employees to higher wage grades
• supervising the work of counselling services
• informing parents about the work of the kindergarten or school and amendments to rights and obligations of pupils, apprentices and upper secondary students
• deciding on corrective measures
• ensuring the implementation of decisions adopted by the State authorities
• deciding on the establishment of employment relationships and the disciplinary accountability of employees;
• ensuring and determining quality through self-evaluation and an annual report on the self-evaluation of the school or kindergarten.

Educational staff is organised in expert bodies such as the assembly and the working group of pre-school teachers/teachers/lecturers. These bodies make autonomous decisions on professional issues, disciplinary issues, and they provide their recommendations regarding the appointments of head teachers.

For further information see Management and Other Educational Staff.

Tertiary education

Institutions providing education at tertiary level are more autonomous than those at lower levels of formal education.

Higher vocational colleges organise their management and expert bodies depending on whether they are founded by the government or the private sector, and whether they are independent or branches of another institution or business entity.

Management bodies comprise the director or head teacher and the school council or strategic council. In addition to the representatives of the founder and staff, management bodies include representatives of students and of employers.

Higher vocational colleges have an evaluation and quality assurance committee, which cooperates with other evaluation bodies in tertiary education. These colleges can join the national professional Association of Slovene Higher Vocational Colleges. The national association co operates with expert councils on behalf of higher vocational colleges and represents these colleges in accreditation and evaluation bodies and international associations such as EURASHE.

Universities and independent higher education institutions are autonomous institutions, as stipulated by the Constitution of the Republic of Slovenia and the Higher education Act (sl). They have the freedom of research, of artistic production and of dissemination of knowledge. They also have the right to independently manage their internal organisation and bodies. The Higher Education Act stipulates key structures and responsibilities. In more detail, the responsibilities and other aspects (such as the composition of various bodies, elections and terms in office, and the decision-making procedures) are specified by the statutes of higher education institutions.

The Higher Education Act stipulates that university bodies include:

• rector
• senate
• managing board, and 
• student council.

Bodies of university members (faculties) include:

• dean
• senate
• academic assembly, and
• student council.

Bodies of independent higher education institutions (i.e. those that are not affiliated with a university) include:

• dean
• senate
• academic assembly
• managing board, and
• student council.

The senate is an expert body, and it must be composed in such a way as to equally include all scientific and artistic disciplines and expert areas. The senate includes lecturers, the rector or dean, respectively, and representatives of the student council. Student representatives constitute at least one-fifth of the senate.

The academic assembly of a university member (faculty) or an independent higher education institution includes all lecturers, scientists and higher education associates. In addition, students constitute at least one-fifth of the membership. Among other things, the academic assembly elects the senate and proposes candidates for the position of the dean.

The managing board is the administrative body of a higher education institution. It decides on the issues of material nature and ensures uninterrupted material management. In public higher education institutions the managing board includes representatives of the founder, of academic and other employees, of students and of employers. The composition of the managing board in a private higher education institution is laid down by its founding document and statutory documents.

The rector, among other things, represents the university, convenes the senate sessions, coordinates the educational, scientific, research, artistic and other activities of the university, oversees and is responsible for the legality of activities, adopts quality measures (upon approval by the senate), assures monitoring and evaluation, and reports to the senate, the managing board and the founder at least on an annual basis. The rector is elected by lecturers, scientists, higher education associates and student representatives.

A dean has similar responsibilities at the level of a university member (faculty) as the rector does at the university level and is the expert leader of the university member. Further specifications of the dean's authority and responsibilities as contained in the founding document. The dean of an independent higher education institution is a managing body and the expert leader of the institution.

The student council includes student representatives. It formulates opinions and provides input to the relevant bodies regarding all issues related to student rights and responsibilities, as well as regarding the candidates for the rector and dean positions.

Universities and other higher education institutions founded by the government are the owners of their property: they can use it and manage it in accordance with their own rules. If they want to sell property or equipment of high value that was purchased with public funds, or use it as collateral, they are required to seek the founder's consent. The funds gained from property sales may be used for investments, maintenance or equipment.

Adult education

The management bodies comprise the council and the director. The latter is a management body and an expert leader. The management and administration of public adult education institutions are regulated by rules which apply to schools and are in principle organised in the same way. The council of an adult education organisation includes representatives of the founder and of employees and students at the institution.