Fundamental principles governing education in Slovenia have been set out in the Constitution, two White Papers on Education and in legislative acts that regulate the individual stages and/or aspects of education.

Constitutional principles on education

The Constitution of the Republic of Slovenia (en) (1991) laid down the fundamental principles governing education in Slovenia. Those principles are:

• Basic school education is compulsory and financed from public revenues.
• The state must provide opportunities for citizens to acquire adequate educational qualification.
• Physically or mentally disabled children and other severely disabled persons have the right to education and training for an active life in society. This education and training is financed from public funds.
• There is freedom of scientific and artistic creativity.
• State universities and higher education institutions have an autonomous status.

Additionally, the constitutionally recognised Italian and Hungarian ethnic minorities have the right to use their respective national symbols, to found their own educational institutions and to have education provided in their own language. The Constitution also grants special rights to members of the Roma community and with the amendment of 2021, the free use and development of sign language.

Principles and objectives in key policy papers and legislation

The blueprint for the comprehensive reform of educational system was formulated in 1995 as the White Paper on Education in the Republic of Slovenia (hereafter: the 1995 White Paper). The 1995 White Paper was based on human and children's rights standards, and it defined the fundamental cornerstones, principles and objectives of education in Slovenia.

These are some of the main points laid down in the 1995 White Paper:

• Public schools were to remain secular, as they had been before independence.
• School was to be autonomous in relation to the authorities as well as in relation to the out of school ideologies.
• Education was to open up to and connect with the rest of Europe, for example in terms of language learning, comparability with international knowledge standards and intercultural education.

Furthermore, kindergartens and schools were to provide education for all members of the society on the basis of common values. Educational objectives were focused on educating the individual as an autonomous being and an enlightened citizen. The basic principle of equal opportunities in relation to academic performance was to be reflected in the consideration for differences among children and their right to choice and diversity. Principles of widespread accessibility, quality and fairness were to be embedded in all relevant legislative acts. The right to choice was to be guaranteed through the introduction of private schools, electives in the curriculum and streamed classes.

As mentioned, the 1995 White Paper served as the basis for the comprehensive reform which took place through the adoption of a series of legislative acts covering the organisation and financing of education and specific aspects of different levels of education.

In 2007 and 2008, a new round of revisions of legislation took place. Entrepreneurial skills and innovation were added to the objectives of basic school education, and overall a more competence-based approach was adopted in that period.

In 2011, the expert group that had been appointed two years earlier by the Minister of Education presented the new White Paper on Education in the Republic of Slovenia (.pdf, sl) (hereafter: the 2011 White Paper). Following the implementation of the initial, comprehensive, reform of the educational system in the 1990's and the adoption of subsequent legislative changes, the 2011 White Paper aimed at providing a systematic review of the structure and the functioning of the education system. An additional aim was to propose reforms that would ensure the provision of quality education in the future.

The 2011 White Paper defined four general principles of education in Slovenia:

• Human rights and responsibilities – referring to the common European heritage of political, cultural and moral values that are brought together in human rights and concomitant responsibilities, as well as the principles of plural democracy, tolerance, solidarity and the rule of law.
• Autonomy – including the professional autonomy of education professionals and of educational institutions, which is related to the key goal of education: to form an independent, thoughtful and responsible individual who relies on the acquired knowledge, social and other skills.
• Justice – closely related to ensuring that all citizens have equal opportunities to succeed in life, which requires equal opportunities to acquire education, along with equal and impartial assessments of pupils' knowledge and equal, impartial and proportionate positive and negative sanctioning.
• Quality – reflected in basing education on common values such as human rights, as well as in the educational process itself, which must be in line with the broadest possible consensus about what constitutes a good school, a good kindergarten, etc.

The main objectives of education in Slovenia according to the 2011 White Paper can be summarised as follows:

• ensuring quality provision of education at all levels
• supporting an optimal physical and psychological development of every individual
• providing general education and knowledge as well as vocational skills and knowledge that are comparable with countries achieving the highest results at international competitions
• developing capacities for lifelong learning and continuous personal and professional development
• ensuring equal opportunities in education – regardless of sex, social and cultural background, religion, nationality, worldview and physical and mental constitution – and providing support and incentives to specific groups that need them
• ensuring the conditions for particularly talented individuals to excel
• ensuring cooperation between educational institutions and the broader community, and
• developing capacities for living in a democratic society.

The central piece of legislation that covers all levels of education (with the exception of higher education) is the Organisation and Financing of Education Act (en). In line with the above-outlined priorities, it defines the following objectives of education:

• providing the optimal development of the individual, irrespective of gender, social background or cultural identity, religion, racial, ethnic or national origin, and regardless of their physical and mental constitution or disability
• educating for mutual tolerance; developing awareness of gender equality, respect for human diversity and mutual cooperation, respect for children's and human rights and fundamental freedoms; developing equal opportunities for both sexes; and, thereby, developing the competences needed to live in a democratic society
• developing linguistic competences and raising awareness of the Slovenian language as the official language of the Republic of Slovenia; in ethnically mixed areas, fostering and developing Italian and Hungarian in addition to the Slovenian language
• assuring quality education
• promoting awareness of the individual’s integrity
• raising awareness of citizenship and national identity and broadening the knowledge of Slovenia’s history and its culture
• enabling inclusion in European integration processes
• giving the possibility of choice at all levels of education
• providing education that corresponds with an individual's level of development and age
• providing equal educational opportunities: in areas with specific development problems; to children from less favourable social environments; to children, youth and adults with special educational needs
• educating for sustainable development and active participation in a democratic society, which includes a deep understanding of and a responsible attitude to oneself, one's health and other people, one's own and other cultures, the natural and social environment and future generations
• promoting lifelong learning
• allowing the entire population to receive general education and obtain an occupation
• allowing as many people as possible to achieve the highest possible level of education while maintaining the set level of difficulty
• allowing as many people as possible to develop and achieve the highest possible level of creativity.

The Parliament adopted the National Programme of Higher Education Education to 2030 (sl) in March 2022. Its key strategic goal is to raise the level and quality of the higher educational qualification in Slovenia, improve the responsiveness, flexibility and attractiveness of the higher education system irrespective of economic needs, non-economic requirements and expectations of the society; accelerate its integration internationally; improve the accessibility of education and open up opportunities for continuous education and lifelong learning in higher education, all over Slovenia. Furthermore, one will strive to increase the intensity of research and innovation, facilitate the transfer of knowledge to the societal environment.

Objectives and principles of specific levels and types of education

The 2011 White Paper encompasses all key aspects of education. However, it has most directly served as the strategic foundation for the development and planning of pre-school, basic school and upper secondary education. Legislative acts that regulate these levels of education further specify educational objectives and principles. They are summarised in the introductory parts of: Early Childhood Education and Care, Single Structure Education (Integrated Primary and Lower Secondary Education) and Upper Secondary and Post-Secondary Non-Tertiary Education.

Pre-school

The Pre-School Institutions Act defines the non-compulsory pre-school education as an element of the overall education system. It stipulates that pre-school education upholds the principles of:

• democracy
• pluralism
• autonomy, professionalism and responsibility of staff
• equal opportunities for children and parents, taking into account the diversity among children
• the right to choice and to being different, and
• balancing different aspects of a child's physical and mental development.

Objectives of pre-school education:

• developing the capacity to understand and appreciate oneself and others
• developing the ability to reach consensus, appreciate diversity and cooperate or interact in a group
• developing the capacity to recognise emotions and encouraging emotional experience and expression
• fostering curiosity, exploratory spirit, imagination and intuition, as well as developing critical thinking
• nurturing linguistic development for an effective and creative use of speech and, subsequently, of reading and writing
• nurturing appreciation of works of arts and artistic expression
• providing knowledge of different sciences and everyday life
• facilitating physical development and activity, and
• developing independence in caring for one's hygiene and health.

Basic school

Based on the Basic School Act, the goals pursued by basic education can be summarised as follows:

• providing quality general education to the whole population
• promoting a well-coordinated physical, cognitive, emotional, moral, spiritual and social development of individuals
• enabling the pupils’ personal development in line with their capacities and interests, including the development of a positive self-image
• building capacity for further education and a professional career, with an emphasis on lifelong learning
• educating for sustainable development and active participation in democratic society, which includes a deeper understanding of and a responsible attitude to oneself, one's health, other people, one's own and other cultures, natural and social environment and future generations
• developing awareness about the country of origin and national identity, knowledge of Slovenian history, cultural and natural heritage
• educating about general cultural values and civilization stemming from European tradition
• educating for mutual respect, cooperation and tolerance, acceptance of diversity and respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms
• development of literacy and general knowledge in literary, scientific and technical areas, mathematics, information, social sciences and the arts
• fostering literacy and the competency to understand, communicate and express oneself in the Slovene language and, in the areas defined as ethnically mixed, also in the Italian and Hungarian language, respectively
• developing communication capacities in foreign languages
• developing awareness of the complexity and interdependence of various phenomena and critical thinking
• achieving internationally comparable knowledge standards
• fostering pupils' talents and teaching them to understand and experience the works of art and express themselves artistically, and
• developing entrepreneurship as a personal orientation toward effective action, innovation and creativity.

Upper secondary education

The goals of upper secondary school education are specified in Gimnazije Act and Vocational Education Act. The overlapping goals include:

• conveying knowledge at an internationally comparable standard
• developing critical thinking and responsible action
• developing linguistic capacities
• facilitating awareness of individuals' integrity
• developing awareness about the country of origin and national identity, and knowledge of Slovenian history and culture
• educating for the responsible protection of freedom, for tolerant and peaceful coexistence and respect for other people
• developing preparedness for maintaining a free, democratic and socially just state
• facilitating awareness of responsibility for the natural environment and personal health
• developing awareness of human and citizens' rights and responsibilities, and
• developing talents and facilitating the experiencing of works of art and artistic expression.

The general upper secondary schools (gimnazije) overall aim to prepare pupils for the pursuit of higher education, whereas vocational and technical schools aim to prepare pupils for specific occupations as well as for pursuing further education. The Vocational Education Act additionally singles out the objectives of facilitating lifelong learning, educating for sustainable development and integration into the European division of labour.

Tertiary education

Tertiary education includes short-cycle higher vocational education (higher vocational colleges) and higher education (universities, faculties, art academies and independent higher education institutions). This has not always been the case, however, as short-cycle higher education underwent a thorough reform in the 1990s.

Initially, short-cycle higher education was meant to complement upper secondary vocational education. The 1995 White Paper placed short-cycle higher vocational education within the uniform system of vocational and technical education. Accordingly, one law covered the whole vertical axis of vocational education. In 2004, however, the Short Cycle Higher Vocational Education Act linked this area to tertiary education.

The primary task of higher vocational colleges (which provide short-cycle higher education) is to develop students' managerial, planning and supervision skills and vocational competences in accordance with international standards. The key principles and objectives are: lifelong learning, the inclusion of adults in education and closing the educational gap of the middle generation.

The 2011 White Paper specified three fundamental principles: social partnership, lifelong learning and the principle of “different paths to the same end”. It identified the short-cycle higher technical education as part of the tertiary education with specific characteristics that stem from its role in responding to the needs of the labor market, thus, there is a strong attachment to the professional or vocational education as its most challenging component.

The amending law on short-cycle higher vocational education as of 2013 did not alter the principles of short-cycle higher education, but it did reinforce the reasoning for occupational standards that represent a sort of request by employers for the short-cycle higher vocational education. It defines the short-cycle vocational education as the short higher education and the attachment to other higher education is provided by the competent national agency for quality assurance, in short-cycle higher education as well.

The law on the Slovenian qualification framework as of 2015 placed the higher vocational colleges at the level VI/1 which translates to the level V of the European qualifications framework.

Taking into account citizens’ equality and the constitutionally guaranteed autonomy of HEIs, the following principles have been reflected in national policies since Slovenia's independence:

• higher education as a public good
• the right to choose study programmes under equal conditions
• equality of graduates in further studies and on the labour market and, consequently, improved mobility in Slovenia and Europe-wide
• transparency within the system of autonomous academic decision-making, and
• strengthening the status of students in the higher education administration.

The abovementioned principles are related to the general national objectives which higher education is required to implement. These include:

• efforts to promote the higher education system at the national level and to make it internationally comparable
• harmonisation with European educational standards
• transparency and responsibility of higher education institutions
• interconnectedness of research and teaching activities, and
• responsibility to apply research results to the education process, to the industry and to the wider community.

General national objectives are translated into strategic objectives. These are specified for five- and ten-year periods by the National Programme of Higher Education and, in part, by the National Research and Development Programme.

The strategic goals to 2030 are set with the National Programme of Higher Education (sl), namely to:

• raise the level and quality of the higher educational qualification in Slovenia
• improve the responsiveness, flexibility and attractiveness of the higher education system irrespective of economic needs, non-economic requirements and expectations of the society
• accelerate its integration internationally
• improve the accessibility of education and open up opportunities for continuous education and lifelong learning in higher education, all over Slovenia
• increase the intensity of research and innovation
• facilitate the transfer of knowledge to the societal environment.

Adult education

The White Paper (1995) highlighted numerous deficiencies in adult education. Thus, the follow-up policies had been focused on improving systemic features of the field.

With the Lifelong learning strategy in Slovenia of 2007 the ministry responsible for education made the first step and integrated the adult education in the education system. This lead further to the development of related legislation, management, financing, setting up the network of providers and infrastructure.

The Adult Education Act is fundamental to the relevant legislation. It defines public interest in adult education and specifies:

1. Principles of public interest in adult education:

• Life-long education and learning
• Fairness and equality, as well as equal opportunities for access and achievement of learning and education results
• Freedom and autonomy in choosing the path, contents, forms, assets and methods of education
• Quality of education
• Proportional allocations for education and learning to accommodate to different lifecycles
• Systemic connection between formal and non-formal education and informal learning
• Balance between general and vocational education
• Creativity and flexibility subject to specific cultural, social and educational characteristics
• Achieving the national and international comparable educational standards, and
• Laity of adult education provided as public service.

2. Objectives of public interest in adult education:

• Provide access to quality of educational and learning opportunities
• Allow to develop basic and vocational competences for personal growth, active participation in a community and on a labour market
• Foster democratic participation in social processes and socially responsible behaviour
• Empower in sustainable development, green economy, culture and health
• Improve the competence of reciprocal tolerance, respect for differentness and cooperation, respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms
• Improve the skills of critical thinking of the individual and various social groups
• Strengthen skills of solidary, cooperation and exchange of knowledge and experience among generations
• Foster group work and improve well-being of society
• Decrease structural and individual obstacles for citizens to participate in education and learning
• Encourage individuals with lower educational qualifications and other vulnerable groups to continue education and learning
• Decrease the share of citizens without basic and/or vocational educational qualifications, and
• Increase the share of citizens with completed four-year upper secondary education.

The Adult Education Act defines as public service and specifies funding of counselling activity in adult education, namely as an independent counselling activity to support adult in decision-making about education and in education and learning, as well as activity that supplements the educational and learning process of an adult.

The public interest in adult education is defined with the national programme for adult education that is adopted by the National Assembly of the Republic of Slovenia.

The vision of the national programme of adult education until 2030 is to give all and every adult citizen the same opportunities for quality education in all lifecycles. Objectives of the national programme are: increasing the inclusion of adults in lifelong learning; improving the level of basic skills and common education of adults; raising the level of educational qualification, improving the skills of citizens for a successful responding to the needs of the labour market, accelerating the development and research in adult education, as well as improving in facilitating the activity in adult education.