Quality of performance of schools and educational institutions is monitored and evaluated internally as well as externally.
The evaluation takes place at all levels of the educational system, ranging from the evaluation of pupils and teachers to the evaluation of schools. Schools are evaluated regardless of whether they are state, private or church schools, or whether education is provided in the state language or a language of a national minority.
Quality assurance in pre-primary, primary and secondary education
Schools of all kinds and types as well as school facilities are obliged to present information on their educational activity, results, and conditions to founders and the public in an annual report. Headteachers are responsible for the evaluation.
External evaluation is based mostly on:
- nationwide external testing of primary and secondary school pupils,
- monitoring and evaluation of schools and school facilities performed by the State School Inspection,
- external evaluation of maturita (secondary school leaving examination) and final examinations, state examinations, and further education certification,
- involvement in international projects (e.g. TIMMS and PIRLS, PISA, IALS, etc.).
Quality assurance in higher education
Internal evaluation of higher education institutions is performed in a form of an annual report on higher education institution’s activity.
Independent external evaluation of the quality of educational, research, development and artistic activities of higher education institutions is the responsibility of the Slovak Accreditation Agency for Higher Education, which evaluates the conditions in which higher education institutions perform their activities.
The Ministry of Education, Research, Development, and Youth of the Slovak Republic creates an annual report on the state of higher education, which it then submits to the Government of the Slovak Republic. The annual report on the state of higher education contains mainly information about
- the higher education provided (number of students and graduates, information on admission procedures),
- support of research, development and other creative activities at higher education institutions,
- social support of students,
- support of the development of higher education institutions, as well as
- funding and management of public higher education institutions.
Quality assurance in lifelong learning
Quality in further education is assured by means of
- internal evaluation of institutions which provide accredited forms of education,
- the process of accreditation of further education programmes,
- systematic monitoring by the Ministry of Education, Research, Development, and Youth of the Slovak Republic.