Ongoing reforms and policy developments

14.Ongoing reforms and policy developments

Last update: 13 June 2022

Overall national education strategy and key objectives

The continuous development of the system of education in the Republic of Slovenia is specified in national programmes and other documents related to one or several levels or areas of education.

Resolution on the National programme of higher education

In March 2022, the National Assembly adopted the Resolution on the National programme of higher education 2030. The 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.

The contents includes five important sets:

societal development and higher education system
legislation and funding
quality
internationalisation, and
digitalisation.

The goal is to improve the comparability internationally and disciplinary plurality of the higher education system; secure free studies to all and at all levels of the three cycles of the higher education system; higher education institutions will have to be able to adapted and respond to the needs of society. An important objective is sustainable assuring of quality in higher education; increase the degree of inclusion of universities and independent higher education institutions in the common European higher education space to thereby achieve the internationalisation of study programmes and improve the inclusion of Slovenian who live abroad.

Resolution on the National Programme of Adult Education

The vision of the national programme of adult education is to give all and every adult citizens the same opportunities for quality education in all lifecycles.

In March 2022, the National Assembly adopted the new Resolution on the National Programme of Adult Education in the Republic of Slovenia 2021–2030 that included formal education and non-formal education learning of adult, support activities, development and research activities for all with completed basic school obligation and/or are old at least 15 years. In terms of officially recognised educational qualification, the document addressed the adult education in basic school education programme for adults, upper secondary professional, gimnazija and short-cycle higher vocational education.

Objectives of the resolution 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,
facilitating the development and research in adult education, as well as
improving and strengthening the activity in adult education.

Resolution on the National Programme for Language Policy

In January 2019, the Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Slovenia put forward for public discussion the draft new Resolution on the National Programme for Language Policy 2019–2023 (sl) to replace the previous programme that ended with 2018. In January 2021, one put to a new inter-ministarial coordination the Resolution on the national language policy programme 2021-2025.

In June 2021, the National assembly of the Republic of Slovenia adopted the Resolution on the National Programme for Language Policy 2021–2025 (sl).

The focus of the programmes is language education and language infrastructure, common language culture and language landscape, legal instruments and other binding documents of the Slovenian language policy, as well as the Slovenian presidency of the council of EU in the second half of 2021.

This strategic document provides a firm platform for professionals and policy makers to steer language situations in a sound and systematic manner within the Slovenian society, as well as the platform for public invitations to tender and for co-funding of projects in the scope of language policies.

The common goal of the language policy in the relevant period is to provide for quality language life for all. Greater part of the programme focuses on the language education broken down to the following topics:

Slovenian as first language in Slovenia
Slovenian as first language globally
Slovenian as a second language
Languages of the Italian and Hungarian national communities and the Roma community
Languages of members of different minority ethnical communities
Languages of migrant communities
Foreign languages
Persons with special needs and adapted manners of communication
Language in higher education, and so forth.

The actions defined in the programmes aim to provide proper circumstances for pursuing activities and by that open access to learning and competence in languages, as well as improving communication skills of all citizens of the Republic of Slovenian of all ages for which will deem necessary for all relevant stakeholders to cooperate. The Resolution emphasises the importance of interaction with the reading literacy strategy.

National Strategy for the Development of Reading Literacy

In December 2019, the Government of the Republic of Slovenia adopted the National Strategy for the Development of Reading Literacy 2019–2030 (doc, sl).

The new strategy’s focus is on the reading literacy as the cornerstone of other literacies. An important part is the reading culture that embraces reading as a value in itself, and highlights the significance of the reading motivation.

The aim of the strategy is for each and everyone in Slovenia to develop the level of literacy needed for them to become skilled at active life and work. The development of reading literacy is the foundation for economic progress, sustainable development, and social cohesion. Furthermore, continuous development of reading literacy at all ages is a prerequisite of lifelong learning.

The strategy includes a framework of specific goals for different age/target groups, and descriptors of reading literacy levels per age group.

The new strategy sets ambitious quantitative targets to achieve by 2030:

at least 90% of 15-year olds, at the end of basic educaton, have attained the basic level of literacy as calculated by PISA, and
at least 10% of them have attained the highest levels of reading literacy, the levels 5 and 6.

The Government of the Republic of Slovenia is responsible for the implementation of the strategy. It appointed the National Reading Literacy Council. Among other, the Council will monitor the implementation of the strategy, as specifed with the action plan. All relevant ministries, in cooperation with the Government, will allocate funds for the implementation, namely for activities proposed by the National Reading Literacy Council.

The White Paper on Educationin the Republic of Slovenia (sl, 2011) represents fundamental, systematic, professional reflection on the structure and operation of the Slovene education system, and proposes solutions assuring quality practice on the field of pre-school, compulsory basic, upper secondary, adult and music education.

Other

On 9 October 2020, the Government of the Republic of Slovenia held at high level and in cooperation with the OECD a virtual Skills summit – skills strategies for a world in recovery, organised by the Ministry responsible for education. Forty-two delegations of the OECD member states and world organisations such as UNESCO, Council of Europe, European Commission, discussed the impacts of the megatrends: globalisation, digitalisation, demographic changes, and impact of setting up sustainability, health and social wellbeing as consequences of pandemic for crisis on the development of skills and lifelong learning.

In terms of further development of education in the Republic of Slovenia, the following strategic documents are of significance, too:

National Programme for Youth 2013–2022 (sl)
National Programme of Sport in the Republic of Slovenia 2014-2023 (sl), as well as
Resolution on the National Programme of Nutrition and Physical Activity for Health 2015–2025 (sl)
Resolution on the national programme for equal opportunities for women and men, 2015–2020 (sl), and
Resolution on the Family Policy 2018–2028: “A Society Friendly to All Families” (sl)
Resolution on the Slovenian Scientific Research and Innovation Strategy 2030 (sl).

In November 2020, the Government of the Republic of Slovenia apporved the Programme for children 2020-2015 (sl .pdf). The programme seeks to improve the well-being of children, creat equal opportunities and rights for all children, provide better protection and safety, as well as the foster inclusion and participation of children.

In December 2017, the Government of the Republic of Slovenia adopted the Slovenian Development Strategy 2030 (sl), It is the new long-term national development framework. Its primary objective is to ensure quality of life for all (“Slovenia, a country with high quality of life for all”). Future development of Slovenia rests on five strategic guidelines and twelve related goals. The strategy rests on the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development by the United Nations as well, and so Slovenia attached the significance to sustainable and inclusive future in which the society as a whole can flourish.

In November 2015, the National Assembly of the Republic of Slovenia adopted the Resolution on the National Programme for Equal Opportunities for Women and Men 2015-2020 (sl).

Each coalition that constitutes the Slovenian Government in the co-operation agreement highlights also programme priorities related to education.

The current Government was formed on 13 March 2020. It is led by Mr Janez Janša. Dr. Simona Kustec was appointed the new Minister of education, science and sport. The coalition government: Slovenian Democratic Party (SDS), Modern Centre Party (SMC), New Slovenia - Christian Democrats (NSi) and Democratic Party of Pensioners of Slovenia (DeSUS) signed the coalition agreement.

The parties gave the covenant on actions planned for the education system from 2020 to 2022.

The actions include:

promote excellence and international openness of the higher education system;
set up a dual system in upper secondary and short cycle higher vocational education, as well as advance the system of apprenticeship;
introduce the entrepreneurial background and ethics combined with basics of financial literacy;
improve the system of SEN children placement; renewal of the extended programme at the level of basic and upper secondary education (promotion of active life);
release information about employability of graduates;
improve the role of the national institutions in education;
reintroduce free kindergarten for the second and all subsequent children attending kindergarten at the same time; as well as incentives to enrol in kindergarten and/or enrol in kindergarten at least in the year before starting school;
set up the new regime of state scholarships, and introduce the universal child benefit.

Overview of the education reform process and drivers

In the Republic of Slovenia, the Government of the Republic of Slovenia as the executive authority and top body of public administration develops legislation and other instruments with statutory authority, national programmes and other common documents that specify the principle and long-term political guidelines for specific areas (or individual members of the parliament, the National council of the Republic of Slovenia or a group of at least five thousand members of electorate). The National Assembly of the Republic of Slovenia has the authority to adopt or pass those draft instruments.

The National Assembly is the highest representative and legislative authority of the Republic of Slovenia. Its carries out the legislative function under which deputies adopt the most important national legislation. Laws are passed in a legislative procedure of several phases: from submitting draft law through tabling amendments to voting on the enactment or rejection, promulgating the law by the President of the Republic of Slovenia to publishing it in the official gazette.

The National Assembly has the authority to adopt new legislation that specify anew separate social areas or it may pass new laws to amend the social relation already established under law. The legislative procedure is regulated by the Constitution of the Republic of Slovenia (en) and the Rules of Procedure of the National Assembly (sl).

The instruments enacted by the executive branch of government (Government, ministers) include decrees, ordinances, rules, orders, and instructions.

Support public institutes in education instituted by the state according to the Organisation and Financing of Education Act have an important role to play in the reform processes.

Their responsibilities and duties include:

development of platforms for informed decision-making
development, implementation and monitoring, as well as evaluation of the programme
other activities and projects to further development
professional support
assessing and assuring quality, and evaluation of changes introduced
counselling and organisation of training, and
other support activities.

In July 2021, the National school for leadership in education instituted in 1995 as an independent public institute for education and training of head-teachers became part of the National education institute Slovenia. The basic premise for the merger was the goal agreed with the coalition contract of the Government of the Republic of Slovenia 2020–2022. It encapsulates the idea of intensifying the role of the umbrella national institute in school education by merging other national institutions and thereby setting up an efficient, quality and comprehensive support system in education.

The other public institutes in education are Centre of the Republic of Slovenia for vocational education and training, Slovenian institute for adult education, Centre of the Republic of Slovenia for mobility and European education and training programmes, and the Slovenian school museum.

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Slovenia

14.Ongoing reforms and policy developments

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