The local level of governance is represented by local authorities, which are primarily responsible for ensuring the availability of kindergartens and basic schools within their area. The institutional level comprises the schools themselves, school facilities, higher education institutions and adult education institutions. These institutions organise education and decide on their internal functioning within the scope set out by legislation and the conditions laid down by their founder.

Local-level administration and management

At local level, state administration in education is carried out by municipalities. The powers of municipalities in performing state administration in education are governed by Act No. 321/2025 Coll. on School Administration (Zákon č. 321/2025 Z. z. o školskej správe).

Municipalities establish kindergartens and basic schools as part of the transferred performance of state administration. They may also establish basic arts schools, language schools at basic schools, leisure centres, school clubs for children, school dormitories and school catering facilities.

The local authority, as the founder:

• creates the conditions for education and for the provision of compulsory pre-primary education and compulsory school attendance;
• ensures appropriate conditions for children and pupils with disabilities or talents;
• provides methodological guidance to its schools and monitors compliance with legislation;
• monitors the compliance of the school’s internal regulations with legislation; manages the personal affairs of school heads and cooperates in the recruitment of school staff;
• issues organisational instructions to school head;
• ensures the provision of material, spatial and investment resources;
• deals with suggestions and complaints concerning the activities of a school or its head, provided they do not fall within the competence of the State School Inspectorate;
• decides on appeals against decisions made by schools and school facilities within its founding competence.

The local authority determines public school catchment areas. It maintains a register of children and pupils who are permanent residents within its territory and are subject to compulsory school attendance. It notifies the relevant employment office of cases where a child’s parent has failed to enrol the child for compulsory school attendance.

A municipality with a sufficient number of children and pupils may, with the consent of the regional authority, act as a school authority. The school authority carries out the municipality's selected supervisory, staffing and administrative tasks in education. If a municipality does not meet the conditions for establishing a school authority, these tasks are carried out on its behalf by the regional school administration authority.

The local authority allocates funds to schools and school facilities under its founding authority in accordance with their method of funding; where the funds come from the state budget, the regional authority notifies the local authority of the amount.

Institutional-level administration and management

Schools and school facilities

A school or school facility may be an independent legal entity, an organisational unit of a combined school, or part of another institution. If the school or school facility has legal personality, it acts in its own name, employs staff, enters into contracts and is liable for its obligations. The scope of its activities and the management of its assets are defined in its founding charter.

As a legal entity, a school or school facility acts in its own name and bears responsibility for its activities. Its authorisation to provide education, professional activities or school meals takes effect upon entry in the register of schools and school facilities.

Within the framework of its legal status, a school or school facility, in particular:

• organises education or other core activities in accordance with its type and specialisation,
• develops and implements a school educational programme or a childcare programme,
• issues internal regulations, in particular school rules, organisational rules and work regulations,
• acts as an employer of pedagogical, professional and other staff,
• concludes contracts and enters into employment, commercial and other legal relationships,
• manages the financial resources and assets entrusted to it to the extent determined by the founder and the relevant regulations,
• maintains educational, personnel, financial and other mandatory records,
• ensures the protection of children’s and pupils’ rights, safety, the protection of personal data and the prohibition of discrimination and segregation,
• cooperates with the founder, parents, counselling facilities and other partners.

The school’s autonomy is not absolute. The school must comply with state educational programmes, staffing and qualification requirements, rules on admissions and assessment, financial conditions and quality standards.

School self-government bodies and advisory bodies

The governing bodies of a school or school facility consist of the school head, the school board and the school council. The pedagogical board is an advisory body.

The school head is the statutory body of the school; they manage it, act on its behalf and represent it externally. For more detailed information on the duties and responsibilities of school heads, see the chapter 9.1 Management staff for early childhood and school education.

The school board represents the public interest and the interests of children, pupils, parents and staff. It acts as a means of public oversight of the school’s activities. In particular, it discusses the school rules, the school educational programme and other important documents and issues relating to the running of the school. It comprises elected representatives of employees and parents, representatives of the school’s founder and, in selected schools, a pupil representative. In secondary vocational and industrial schools, representatives of the relevant trade or professional organisations also participate in its activities.

The school board does not make decisions on the day-to-day management of the school, nor does it replace the school’s management. Its role is to enable the represented groups to express their views on fundamental issues, to monitor transparency and to facilitate communication between the school, the founder and the school community. A school board is not established in a language school or in a school at a healthcare facility.

The pedagogical board is a specialist advisory body. It comprises all the school’s pedagogical employees, and professional employees may also be members. It discusses pedagogical and organisational issues relating to education, the school rules, the school educational programme and, where applicable, the upbringing programme. It provides expert opinions but does not itself act as a statutory or decision-making body of the school. A pedagogical board is not established in a language school.

A school parliament may operate in a fully-organised basic school or in a secondary school. It represents pupils and promotes their interests in relation to the school management. It comments on significant proposals and measures, participates in the drafting and enforcement of school rules, and submits opinions and proposals. It also supports informal activities, cooperation amongst pupils, and contacts with other school or local youth parliaments.

Higher education institutions

Higher education institutions are independent legal entities which determine their own internal organisation, teaching, research and further development within the scope set out in Act No. 300/2025 Coll. on Higher Education Institutions ( Zákon č. 300/2025 Z.z. o vysokých školách).

Public and state higher education institutions are established and terminated by law. A private higher education institution operates on the basis of state authorisation granted by the Government. The scope of autonomy of state higher education institutions is more limited in areas falling within the responsibility of the Ministry of Defence of the Slovak Republic, the Ministry of the Interior of the Slovak Republic or the Ministry of Health of the Slovak Republic.

Within the scope of its self-governing powers, a higher education institution, in particular:

• determines its internal organisation and issues internal regulations,
• develops, modifies and implements study programmes,
• sets out the organisation of studies and the academic calendar,
• determines the number of students to be admitted and other conditions for admission,
• decides on admission to study and on the academic rights and obligations of students,
• ensures an internal quality assurance system for higher education,
• determines the focus of research, development, artistic and other creative activities,
• decides on the number and structure of posts and enters into employment contracts,
• awards the title of associate professor and submits proposals for the appointment of professors,
• sets the level of tuition fees and other charges,
• cooperates with domestic and foreign institutions,
• manages its own financial resources and assets.
   

The higher education institution acts in its own name, enters into contracts, employs staff and is responsible for its own liabilities. It draws up its own budget, keeps accounts and may carry out business activities related to education, research or creative work. Such business activities must not jeopardise the quality or accessibility of its core activities. A public higher education institution owns and manages its own assets, whilst significant disposals of assets are subject to the approval of its collective governing bodies.

Details regarding organisation and decision-making are governed by internal regulations. These include, in particular, the statutes, the study regulations, the organisational and work regulations, the internal quality assurance system, the scholarship regulations and the disciplinary regulations.

Self-governing bodies of a higher education institution

The law classifies the rector, the academic senate, the scientific or artistic board and the student disciplinary committee as the self-governing bodies of a public higher education institution.

The rector is the statutory body and the highest representative of the higher education institution. The rector manages the institution, acts on its behalf and represents it externally. They are responsible for implementing the decisions of the collective bodies, submit strategic and internal documents to these bodies, and ensure the day-to-day management of the higher education institution. A candidate for the post of rector of a public higher education institution is elected by a joint electoral assembly of the academic senate and the management board.

The academic senate represents the academic community, which comprises higher education teachers, research and artistic staff, and students. It approves selected internal regulations, conditions for admission to study, and annual reports on activities and financial management. It monitors the management of financial resources and assets. For public higher education institutions, it also approves significant property transactions before they are submitted to the management board and comments on the board’s proposals. Students make up at least one third of the senate’s members.

The scientific, artistic or scientific and artistic board guides educational, scientific, research and artistic activities. At least once a year, it assesses the quality of the higher education institution. It approves supervisors for doctoral programmes, experts authorised to assess students in state examinations, and the criteria for the award of the titles of associate professor and professor. It also decides on other academic and scientific-pedagogical matters.

The student disciplinary committee discusses disciplinary offences committed by students and proposes appropriate measures. Half of its members are students. The decision on the imposition of a measure is subsequently taken by the rector or dean, who cannot impose a more severe measure than that proposed by the committee.

The management board and the bursar are important bodies of a public higher education institution; however, the law does not formally classify them as self-governing bodies.

The management board of a public higher education institution represents the public interest and strengthens the institution’s bond with society. Together with the academic senate, it approves the long-term strategy, organisational changes and the methodology for the allocation of funds. It assesses significant property transactions, loans and the Higher education institution's participation in other legal entities. It also determines the rector’s salary and assesses the fulfilment of agreed objectives. At a private higher education institution, the management board is the highest governing and decision-making body.

The bursar is responsible for the financial, operational and administrative running of the higher education institution.

For further information, see the chapter 9.5 Management staff for higher education.

Adult education institutions

Adult education is provided by schools, higher education institutions, legal entities, natural persons – entrepreneurs – and other authorised bodies. Providers that are neither schools entered in the register nor higher education institutions decide independently on their organisational structure, staffing and the range of courses on offer. All providers must also meet the requirements applicable to the relevant type of educational programme.