2025

Modernisation of basic school and gimnazija education

In March 2025, the Ministry of Education sent for public consultation a draft Act amending the Basic School Act (predlog Zakona o spremembah in dopolnitvah Zakona o osnovni šoli). The amendments concern, among other things, the introduction of a new subject in basic school – technology and digital technologies, the activities of education and guidance of schools and ensuring safety in basic school, the inclusion of Roma pupils, enrolment, transfer and deferment of schooling, excusing pupils' absences from school, the assessment of pupils, and the provision of free transport.

In February 2025, the Government of the Republic of Slovenia adopted a draft Act amending the Organisation and Financing of Education Act (predlog Zakona o spremembah in dopolnitvah Zakona o organizaciji in financiranju vzgoje in izobraževanja). The amendments concern, among other things, the scope of funds for development and investment in the field of education and training, the implementation of educational work in the Slovenian sign language, the quality assessment and assurance of kindergartens and schools, innovations in the procedure for the appointment and dismissal of the head of a kindergarten or school, the professional and career development of professionals, changes to the powers of the council of a public kindergarten or school, and the processing of personal data and the keeping of records of personal data for the financing of transport.

Financing education system

The main amendment to the draft Act amending the Organisation and Financing of Education Act (predlog Zakona o spremembah in dopolnitvah Zakona o organizaciji in financiranju vzgoje in izobraževanja) concerns the determination of the amount of funds for development and investments in the field of education and training, which are linked to the share of gross domestic product (GDP), namely 0.5%. Such a legal provision will fill the gap that has been created in the field of education over the past decades in the coming period. This is the amount of money that will be earmarked to finance development tasks, programmes and projects, as well as investments in educational infrastructure. The funds will be increased by an average of 0.025 percentage points of GDP each year from 1 January 2027, in line with budgetary possibilities, until the target of 0.5% of gross domestic product (GDP) is reached.

In addition to the central change, the law also addresses other important aspects of the financing of the education system. Of particular note is the provision that allows institutions for pupils with special needs, music schools and basic schools with adapted programmes to invest in their tangible assets not only by the founding municipality, but also by neighbouring municipalities - in practice, such educational institutions are considered to be "regional" institutions, i.e. institutions with programmes attended by children and pupils from several different municipalities, due to their smaller number of pupils.

Proposal for one-stage appointment procedure of the head teacher 

The most important change in the procedure for appointing the head teacher or director is replacing the Minister’s opinion with the institution of consent. Thus, it became a one-stage procedure. Previously, the institution’s council selected the candidate and sought the opinion of the Minister; after obtaining the opinion or the deadline for giving the opinion expired, the Council appointed the chosen candidate. The two-stage procedure (the institution’s council first select the candidate, and then appoints them after obtaining the opinion) imposed an increased risk of possible corrupt practices within the interim period, which was also determined by the Commission for the Prevention of Corruption. To prevent the Minister from exerting political influence on the selection of the candidate, the law now specifies the cases the Minister can refuse to consent to the headteacher’s appointment.

The draft law now also sets out the reasons that bind the Institution’s council to dismiss the headteacher or director before the end of the term of office. 

In addition to the grounds already laid down in the law governing institutions, the council would now be obliged to dismiss a director who fails to comply with an inspection or final court decision and a director who is found by the Court of Auditors to be in serious breach of the obligation of good administration or who has been convicted by a final judgment of an offence against his or her will, prosecuted ex officio, and sentenced to an unconditional term of imprisonment of more than six months, or of an offence against sexual inviolability. Since practice has shown that in certain cases the councils of the institutions have failed to do their duty and have not dismissed the headmaster despite the existence of legal grounds, the proposed amendments now give this power to the Minister.

Formalisation of the quality assessment and assurance framework 

The Government's draft Act amending the Organisation and Financing of Education Act (predlog Zakona o spremembah in dopolnitvah Zakona o organizaciji in financiranju vzgoje in izobraževanja) also establishes a proposed legal basis for a framework for quality assessment and assurance in education and training. The proposed amendment summarises in one place the basic elements of the quality assessment and assurance framework. Among other things, it stipulates that kindergartens and schools identify and ensure quality through self-evaluation, thus establishing institutional self-evaluation as the core systemic approach to quality assessment and assurance in education. The proposal allows kindergartens and schools to define autonomously the relevant objectives according to the context of the school or kindergarten, while at the same time stipulating that they do so within the prescribed areas of evaluation and a set of standards and indicators to be prescribed by the Minister. The law also identifies the main sources of quality assessment and assurance at system level, i.e. data from national examinations, general and vocational matura, national evaluation studies, surveys, school inspection reports and other reports, and international research in the field of education.

Reforming school inspection

In January 2025, the Ministry of Education published a draft School Inspection Act (predlog Zakona o šolski inšpekciji). The draft law introduces a number of new features in the functioning of the school inspection. The main innovations are the introduction of systemic inspections and the provision of expert assistance.

The law stipulates that, in order to monitor and ensure the quality of the performance of obliged kindergartens and schools, the School Inspectorate will now carry out systemic inspections, which will comprehensively review, monitor and assess the compliance of the understanding, organisation and implementation of educational activities in each educational institution. The proposal stipulates that systemic inspections are to be carried out on the basis of the annual work programme of the school inspectorate. As a rule, the systemic inspection is carried out every fifth year. The subjects of the systemic inspections are selected on the basis of risk factor analyses carried out by the school inspectorate or on the basis of a proposal from the Minister. According to the draft law, in the course of the systemic review, the inspector does not impose inspection measures for the irregularities or deficiencies found, but in the event of non-compliance with the law by the beneficiary, the inspector gives the obligor the necessary instructions to draw up an action plan to remedy the irregularities or deficiencies found. The inspector shall draw up a report on the systemic inspection carried out.

The draft law also stipulates that, in carrying out its inspection and systemic review tasks, the school inspectorate will now also provide professional assistance to the obliged parties in relation to the implementation of the legislation governing the work of the inspectorate and the related regulations governing the field of education and preschool.

At the same time, the draft law abolishes the division of inspections into regular, extraordinary and repeat inspections. Instead, the draft law establishes a unified procedure, which is carried out in order to ensure the legality of the debtor's activities and can be initiated by various factors (initiative, report, notification, incident, general risk assessment, non-removal of irregularities in the systemic review process). According to the draft law, each letter received is subject to a substantive examination in order to determine the existence of risks of infringements of the regulations falling within the remit of the school inspectorate, while the school inspectorate may give priority to matters within its remit which, from the point of view of the public interest, are identified as priority areas of work in the annual work programme.

The draft law also introduces several other innovations, including:

• it now also includes, within the scope of the school inspection authority's powers of supervision, residence halls for basic school students and residence halls for uppersecondary students, private entities providing education under publicly valid programmes, and private natural persons carrying out early childhood care activities.
• specifically provides for the possibility for the inspector to issue a mere written warning if they consider that this is a sufficient measure
• expands the range of explicit measures and proposals available to the inspector in the inspection procedure, which now includes the revocation of an educational measure

Introduction of a new subject in basic scool, technology and digital technologies

The draft Act amending the Basic School Act (predlog Zakona o spremembah in dopolnitvah Zakona o osnovni šoli) introduces, among other things, a new subject on technology and digital technologies as part of the compulsory curriculum. The aim of the introduction of the subject is to teach digital skills and raise awareness of the dangers and pitfalls of excessive use of electronic devices. The draft law also includes a transitional regime setting a deadline for the adoption of the reformed specific part of the educational programmes. The curricula and syllabus for the subject are to be adopted by the competent professional council by 31 December 2027 at the latest and the subject is to be introduced by 1 September 2028 at the latest, as the new subject is planned to be introduced in the 7th grade of the basic school. The law is also amended in the part regulating the scope of compulsory elective subjects, so that pupils in grade 7 will be able to choose a maximum of two hours (instead of the current three hours with parental consent) of compulsory elective subjects. In grades 8 and 9, they could also choose three hours of compulsory elective subjects with parental consent. 

Reform of the school's educational activities

The proposed amendments to the Basic School Act (predlog sprememb Zakona o osnovni šoli) redefine the educational function of schools. Among other things, the school education plan is abolished as an independent document. The content of the school education plan becomes an integral part of the annual work plan. 

The school shall define the educational activities and their monitoring and evaluation in the annual work plan. In the school rules, the basic school shall specify the duties and responsibilities of pupils, the rules of behaviour and conduct, the methods and measures to ensure safety, the educational activities to be carried out for breaches of the rules and the procedures for educational action, the organisation of pupils, the procedure for the inspection and confiscation of personal items, the procedure for the temporary confiscation of electronic devices, the recording and justification of absences, and the participation in the provision of health care for pupils.

The draft law narrows the concept of educational action to an educational warning, which is defined as an educational measure that may be imposed on a pupil when he or she violates the duties and responsibilities established by law, other regulations, school acts and when the educational activities have failed to achieve their purpose in the face of previous violations. In addition, the law now defines a set of acts for which a pupil shall be given an educational warning in each case. A single educational warning is issued for a period of 12 months, which means that it can be carried over to the next school year. During this period, the school shall carry out educational activities with the pupil. The pupil and his/her parents may lodge an objection to the educational warning.

The draft law additionally specifies the procedure for excusing absences. It defines precisely in which cases a class teacher may not excuse an absence despite having received an apology. It also adds that in the case of prolonged unexcused absences, the school may also take educational action, inform the competent Social Work Centre and bring an offence against the parents.

Ensuring safety in basic schools

The proposed amendments to the Basic School Act (Predlog sprememb Zakona o osnovni šoli) introduce a new chapter on the provision of security in basic schools. In this context, it defines exemptions from attending classes, truancy, restrictions on the use of a pupil's electronic devices, inspection of personal items and parental responsibility.

The possibility of exempting from school attendance those pupils whose behaviour endangers the safety and health of others is regulated in such a way as to accommodate them in the delivery of lessons and the achievement of educational objectives. The possibility of transferring to another school in the event of three educational reprimands is also specified. 

The draft law also introduces a restriction on the use of pupils' electronic devices during educational activities, so that the use of such devices is only possible if it is necessary for the implementation of educational and other work in accordance with the annual work plan. The use of the pupil's electronic devices shall be decided by the teacher carrying out the educational or other work. The use of a pupil's electronic devices is also permitted, exceptionally, if the pupil needs the electronic device for health reasons or in other justified cases specified in the school rules.

The amendment provides a legal basis for the search of personal belongings (bag, locker, etc.) in case of suspicion of possession of prohibited or dangerous items. It is also proposed to introduce an article establishing the responsibility of parents and imposing on them the duty to control the items brought to school by pupils.

National Financial Literacy Programme

In January 2025, the Government adopted a new National Financial Literacy Programme (nov Nacionalni program finančnega opismenjevanja), which aims to improve financial literacy and responsible decision-making for all citizens through a multi-stakeholder approach. It provides for the creation of a central website with financial content and, in an important innovation, aims to integrate financial literacy into basic and upper secondary school curricula as a stand-alone subject or as part of a subject and other activities, with a minimum of 35 hours in basic school curricula and the same number in upper secondary school curricula.

Other policy developments

Actions to strengthen digital competences and competences for sustainable development and financial literacy 

In February 2025, the Ministry of Education published the Call for Proposals "Experimental and Pilot Projects - Developing and Strengthening Competences for Sustainable Development and Financial Literacy" (Javni razpis »Eksperimentalni in pilotni projekti – Razvoj in krepitev kompetenc za trajnostni razvoj in finančno pismenost«), which aims to contribute to the development and strengthening of competences for sustainable development and financial literacy in children, pupils and students in kindergartens (for sustainable development competences only), basic and upper secondary schools, public higher vocational schools and higher vocational schools with concessions, focusing on appropriate didactic approaches to reduce the gap between education and training, everyday life and labour market needs.

In order to achieve the objectives of the call for proposals, it is important to involve key stakeholders (educational institutions (VIZ), public institutions under Article 28 of Organisation and Financing of Education Act, public higher education institutions, public research institutions) and external stakeholders from the local and wider environment working in the field of sustainable development/financial literacy (e.g. public institutions, non-profit organisations, business organisations and/or their associations, companies, associations and other civic initiative organisations, youth organisations, local communities, cultural, sports institutions, NGOs, individuals, etc.). 

The objective of the call for proposals is to carry out experimental and pilot projects for the development and strengthening of competences for sustainable development and financial literacy of learners in VIZ that have experience in the development of modern didactic approaches and pedagogical strategies for active learning in the field of the call for proposals, taking into account the results of the development of the field at home and abroad. For the purpose of the call for proposals, EUR 1,765,547.67 is available from the Recovery and Resilience Facility up to and including 2026.

In February 2025, the Ministry for Digital Transformation launched the Call for proposals for 2025 and 2026 to fund training for children and youth to strengthen digital competences and to encourage and promote science and technology careers (Javni razpis za financiranje izobraževanj otrok in mladih za krepitev digitalnih kompetenc ter spodbujanje in promocijo naravoslovnih in tehniških poklicev za leti 2025 in 2026), with the aim of increasing young people's digital inclusion, encouraging and promoting science and technology careers and digital competences up to and including level 6 of the European Digital Competences Framework for Citizens (DigComp 2.21).

The call for proposals aims to finance non-formal education programmes for young people (courses, workshops, learning camps and other forms of youth work) to promote interest in scientific and tehnical professions, digital technologies, their understanding and responsible and safe use, and acquiring digital competences up to and including level 6 of the Digital Competences for Citizens framework. This call for proposals funds activities divided into the following three strands: 

• Strand A (target group girls and women aged between 6 and 29): ICT content for girls and women;
• Strand B (target group: children and youth, regardless of gender, aged between 6 and 29 years): Artificial Intelligence;
• Strand C (target group: same as for Strand B): Raising the digital competences of children and youth

The aim of the Strand A activities is to create a supportive and inclusive environment that encourages research and aims to create an inclusive and equal society and to increase girls' and women's choice of study or career path in ICT. 

Strand B aims to provide opportunities for young people to learn about and use AI. Participants will develop skills and knowledge and learn about exciting future careers being developed in ICT related to AI. 

Strand C aims to support a wide range of activities for young people that are engaging, inclusive, relevant to the content of the call and provide hands-on learning to develop young people's digital competences, while providing opportunities to explore and learn about advanced digital technologies such as: Blockchain technology, data analytics and big data, Internet of Things, augmented reality, virtual reality, 3D printing, quantum computing, edge computing, robotics and automation, biometrics, cloud computing, autonomous vehicles and 5G technology. This will help participants to develop their skills and learn about the exciting future careers being developed in ICT. The amount of funding available for the call for proposals is EUR 6 710 400,00.

Abolition of the mechanism to ensure access to computer equipment

In February 2025, the Act amending the Act on the Promotion of Digital Inclusion (Zakon o spremembah Zakona o spodbujanju digitalne vključenosti) was published in the Official Gazette, abolishing the mechanism for providing access to computer equipment. The Act amending the Act on the Promotion of Digital Inclusion (Zakon o spremembah in dopolnitvah Zakona o spodbujanju digitalne vključenosti), which entered into force on 18 April 2023, introduced the mechanism for providing access to computer equipment as a new measure to promote digital inclusion. This mechanism, established by the Public Scholarship, Development, Disability and Maintenance Fund of the Republic of Slovenia in accordance with the law, enabled the loan of computer equipment to vulnerable groups of the population.

Despite its good intentions, the mechanism has encountered operational challenges. With a large number of applications received (more than 20,000), it proved to be too cumbersome, administratively demanding and slow. This made it difficult for the Public Fund to operate and significantly increased the time taken to process applications and issue decisions on the allocation of equipment. Therefore, the Law has been amended to abolish this mechanism and to grant permanent ownership of the computers to the beneficiaries as soon as they have been served.

Providing ICT equipment to educational institutions

In February 2025, the Ministry published a Call for Proposals for the provision of ICT equipment to educational institutions (Poziv k oddaji potreb vzgojno-izobraževalnih zavodov za dodelitev opreme informacijsko-komunikacijske tehnologije). The aim of the project is to provide ICT equipment in educational institutions to meet the needs of the reform process defined in the Recovery and Resilience Plan and to improve the efficiency and quality of the educational process through ICT at all levels of education (basic, upper secondary, short-cycle higher vocational, adult education), to strengthen digital competences at all levels of the education system and to reduce the digital gap.

Actions to reduce the shortage of education staff

The draft Act amending the Organisation and Financing of Education Act (Predlog Zakona o spremembah in dopolnitvah Zakona o organizaciji in financiranju vzgoje in izobraževanja) introduces, among other things, changes that enable supplementary work for employees in educational institutions with the same employer, namely for a maximum of one fifth of working time for a fixed period of one year for an already employed employee. This is a new measure that will partly help to solve the staffing shortage. The introduction of supplementary work with the same employer will enable educational institutions to carry out development or research work that cannot be carried out through new employment. Since development or research work is also carried out by employees of public institutions referred to in Article 28 of this Act, the possibility of concluding an employment contract for supplementary work is also provided to these institutions. 

The draft law also introduces, among other things, micro-credentials as a new option for obtaining appropriate pedagogical, pedagogical-andragogic or special pedagogical education, as shorter education and training courses in accordance with the law regulating higher education, and intended to acquire specific knowledge, skills or competences in the pedagogical, pedagogical-andragogic or special pedagogical fields.

Due to the lack of appropriate teaching staff in the fields of natural sciences, technology, counselling and special needs, the Ministry of Education amended the previously published Public Call for Applications for Scholarships to Students of Pedagogical Study Programmes in the 2024/2025 academic year (Javni razpis za dodelitev štipendij študentom pedagoških študijskih programov v študijskem letu 2024/2025) in September and October 2024 by increasing the planned 100 scholarships in the amount of €200 per month to 300 scholarships in the amount of €300 per month, while at the same time providing existing scholarship holders with an additional 50 scholarships within the framework of the call, increasing the scholarship from the existing €200 to €300 per month. In November 2024 and January 2025, 345 scholarships were awarded on this basis. The purpose of the public call is to encourage young people to study in those pedagogical study programmes for obtaining education, according to which they are trained for the pursuit of professions for which there is a discrepancy between the current and future volume of available staff and the projected volume of jobs in the field of education. The scholarship mechanism motivates these graduates to be employed in the field of education for at least the same period (calculated as full-time) as the duration of the scholarship relationship.

In March 2025, within the framework of the Public Call for Study Aids for Subsidising Tuition Fees for Further Education of Education Staff in the 2024/25 academic year (Javni razpis študijskih pomoči za subvencioniranje šolnin za nadaljnje izobraževanje strokovnih delavcev v študijskem letu 2024/25), the Ministry of Education awarded a tuition subsidy of 99.12% of the tuition fee of the individual study programme to 437 professional workers enrolled in study programmes co-financed by the call and with which they will meet the conditions for a professional education staff. The subject of the call was primarily study programmes for further education, which provide an alternative path to the teaching profession or the expansion of professional qualifications for existing staff in education. Given the limited financial resources, the set of programmes for which it is possible to obtain a subsidy for further education also includes some study programmes for obtaining education, namely in the field of special needs and computer literacy.

In February 2025, the Ministry of Education prepared a draft Rules amending the Rules on traineeship of Education Staff (predlog Pravilnika o spremembi Pravilnika o pripravništvu strokovnih delavcev na področju vzgoje in izobraževanja). The draft amendment to the Rules stipulates that the selected candidate will carry out a traineeship in the kindergarten or school with which they applied to the call for applications, and now prescribes the method of changing kindergartens or schools during the traineeship. The amendment also deletes the provision that a candidate who does not agree with the selection can file an objection with the ministry, as this is unnecessary, given that they choose the institution with which they apply to the call for applications.

Incentives for professional development of education staff 

In February 2025, the Ministry of Education published an invitation to apply for co-funding of the professional development programmes for the 2025/2026 school year (Javni razpis za izbor in sofinanciranje programov profesionalnega usposabljanja za šolsko leto 2025/26). The subject of the invitation is the selection of professional training programmes for education staff to be published in the Catalogue of Continuing Education and Training Programmes for the school year 2025/26 and, among them, the selection of those to be co-financed from the budget of the Republic of Slovenia. Professional training programmes are shorter forms of career development programmes aimed at the professional and disciplinary development of an individual education worker or professional group.

The priority topics approved by the Council of the Republic of Slovenia for General Education:

• Teaching, learning and assessment of outcomes in the learning and study processes, with an emphasis on modern learning technologies and innovative approaches to teaching and learning
• Sustainable development and active citizenship
• Talented students in the educational process and the care and education of children with special needs (sensitization and training for the use of new pedagogical methods and approaches)
• Implementation of lifelong career guidance with an emphasis on ensuring equal opportunities for vulnerable groups
• Socio-emotional competences and well-being in care and education, and empowering education staff to deal with the topics of mental health and addiction
• Counselling in the educational and study process
• Development of communication skills in the Slovenian language, bilingualism/multilingualism and media literacy.

The estimated funds for co-funding the professional development programmes for the 2025/2026 school year is EUR 350.000,00.

The draft Act amending the Organisation and Financing of Education Act (Predlog Zakona o spremembah in dopolnitvah Zakona o organizaciji in financiranju vzgoje in izobraževanja) introduces, among other things, the possibility of promotion for the education staff who have not been promoted so far, such as laboratory assistants or practical instructors. This ensures that members of education staff are placed on an equal footing in terms of career progression.

Amending the educational requirements for teachers 

In January 2025, the Ministry of Education sent for inter-ministerial coordination the following regulations on the educational qualifications of educators and teachers:

• the Rules on educational qualification of teachers and other education staff in the vocational and technical education Pravilnik o izobrazbi učiteljev in drugih strokovnih delavcev v poklicnem in strokovnem izobraževanju)
• the Rules on educational qualification of teachers and other education staff in the basic school programme (Pravilnik o izobrazbi učiteljev in drugih strokovnih delavcev v izobraževalnem programu osnovne šole)
• the Rules on educational qualification of teachers and other education staff in gimnazija (Pravilnik o izobrazbi učiteljev in drugih strokovnih delavcev v izobraževalnih programih gimnazije)

The most important part of the changes are the result of programme extensions and modernisation of educational programmes, which also requires regulation in terms of the education staff and the conditions they have to fulfil. Thus, among other things, the completion of a university degree programme in translation and a translation and interpreting study programme in a relevant field, or a master's degree programme in translation, translation and interpreting, language mediation and translation and interpreting in a relevant field, are now recognised as appropriate for foreign language teachers. In addition, a master's degree in applied psychology and the national professional qualification of Slovenian sign language interpreter as a specific competence for teachers of communication in Slovenian sign language are recognised for certain education staff.

Supporting deafblind people in education

The draft Act amending the Organisation and Financing of Education Act (Predlog Zakona o spremembah in dopolnitvah Zakona o organizaciji in financiranju vzgoje in izobraževanja), among other things, establishes Slovenian sign language and the language of the deaf-blind as an official language in the education system, in line with the Constitution of the Republic of Slovenia. By introducing a provision on the possibility of educational work in Slovenian sign language or the language of the deafblind for children and adolescents with deafness or severe hearing loss or for children and adolescents with deaf blindness, the constitutional right to quality education or instruction in their natural language is thus guaranteed for these children.

In December 2024 and again in March 2025, the Ministry of Labour, Family, Social Affairs and Equal Opportunities sent a draft Act on the Use of the Language of the Deafblind (predlog Zakona o uporabi jezika gluhoslepih) for inter-ministerial coordination. Among other things, the draft law addresses support for deafblind people in education. The right to language development for deafblind persons, as defined in the law (Article 4), thus includes, inter alia:

• providing basic language resources, technology and didactic materials adapted to the needs of people with deafblindness,
• training for relatives to use adapted ways of communicating with people with deafblindness; and
• providing training for education staff and other workers in institutions and other organisations working with or coming into contact with people with deafblindness in the use of adapted communication methods.

The law provides for the competent ministries, including the ministries responsible for education and higher education, to call for tenders for annual and multiannual programmes and projects to guarantee this right.

Transport for students

The proposed amendments to the Basic School Act (predlog sprememb Zakona o osnovni šoli) specify that the mode of transport is to be agreed between the basic school and the local authority, which is obliged to adopt the regulations. For children with special needs who have a health risk, the transport provider must provide an accompanying person in addition to the driver.

The draft Act amending the Organisation and Financing of Education Act (Predlog Zakona o spremembah in dopolnitvah Zakona o organizaciji in financiranju vzgoje in izobraževanja) introduces a provision on the provision of transport for children and adolescents with special needs from the state budget; the transport is merged with the transport regulated in the individual regulations in the field of education and training of children, pupils and students in the Republic of Slovenia. At the same time, the personal data register for the financing of transport for children and adolescents with special needs reduces bureaucratic procedures and establishes a simplified and transparent procedure for the submission of transport needs, which are provided by the State in accordance with the laws adopted.

Inclusion of Roma children in education 

The draft Act amending the Basic School Act (predlog Zakona o spremembah in dopolnitvah Zakona o osnovni šoli) adds a provision that Slovenian language and culture remedial classes are also organised for pupils belonging to the Roma community. As the lack of understanding of Slovenian as a language of instruction is one of the major barriers to achieving the objectives and standards of many pupils belonging to the Roma community, the amendment aims to achieve a more successful integration of Roma pupils. The change in the law will make it possible to systemise more Slovenian language classes for schools attended by Roma pupils in a subordinate regulation.

The proposed amendments to the Basic School Act also create a legal basis for collecting data on pupils belonging to the Roma community. On the basis of the number of Roma pupils, schools are entitled to more favourable norms for constructing classes with Roma pupils, the systematisation of the post of Roma assistant and additional education staff to work with Roma. Data on the number of Roma pupils has so far been obtained on the basis of assessments.

In February, the Ministry of Labour, Family, Social Affairs and Equal Opportunities published a Call for Proposals to co-finance a network of multi-purpose Roma+ centres (Javni razpis za sofinanciranje mreže večnamenskih romskih centrov+). The subject of the call for proposals is the co-financing of projects for the establishment and operation of multi-purpose Roma Centres+, which will implement activities aimed at strengthening and improving the socio-economic situation of members of the Roma community in the Republic of Slovenia, improving the quality of their lives, promoting and strengthening their integration into the wider community, and building trust and cooperation with the majority population.

The Multi-purpose Roma Centre is a space dedicated to various activities for members of the Roma community. The activities follow the objectives of the call for proposals and are aimed at improving and strengthening the socio-economic situation of members of the Roma community and improving their quality of life, as well as promoting and strengthening their integration into the wider community and contributing to building trust and cooperation with the majority population. In this sense, the Centre is also a connecting hub and a space for cooperation between the local Roma community and the local majority population.

In accordance with the objectives of the call for proposals, the Centre must provide, inter alia, content aimed at social inclusion throughout the project implementation period, including content aimed at strengthening social and communication competences, content aimed at promoting the inclusion of Roma children, adolescents and adults in educational processes, content aimed at promoting integration into the labour market, and content aimed at improving financial and ICT literacy.

The call for proposals pursues, inter alia, the following specific objectives in the field of education:

• Acquiring and strengthening social, linguistic, communication and other functional competences;
• support for efforts to break the cycle of poverty through integration into the labour market, education and training or other activation programmes.

The total amount of grant funding available for the call for proposals for the years 2025, 2026, 2027, 2028 and 2029 is EUR 5.500.000,00. The call for proposals is part-financed by the European Union through the European Social Fund plus.

Enrolment, transfer and deferment of schooling

The proposed amendments to the Basic School Act (predlog sprememb Zakona o osnovni šoli) regulate in more detail the procedure for enrolment in the first grade and for enrolment in a basic school outside the school district where the pupil resides before the start of the school year. The possibility of transferring to another school during schooling is also regulated in more detail. The procedure for deferring schooling is also regulated in more detail, both for pupils who are not yet in basic school and for those who are in the first year of school. The deadlines by which parents must submit a proposal for deferment are defined.

Assessing students' knowledge

The draft Act amending the Basic School Act (predlog Zakona o spremembah in dopolnitvah Zakona o osnovni šoli) also introduces changes in the area of pupil assessment. The major change is in the assessment of pupils in the third grade, which will now be assessed descriptively rather than numerically. The draft law also introduces the possibility of objecting to the notification of final grades and not only to the grades in the certificate or the final certificate. The whole procedure for deciding on the repetition of pupils in grades 3 to 6 is defined in more detail. A definition has been added that pupils in grades 7 and 8 shall repeat a grade even in the case of non-attendance at a make-up examination, and not only in the case of a failing grade. The definition of pupils who are not assessed is further specified: those who are not assessed due to excused absences have the possibility to have their assessment adapted, while those who are not assessed due to unexcused absences have to take a subject examination. Failure to sit the subject examination means that the pupils must sit a make-up examination, in which case pupils in grades 4 to 6 who do not sit or pass the make-up examination will repeat the grade.

Home-schooling for children with special needs

The draft Act amending the Basic School Act (predlog Zakona o spremembah in dopolnitvah Zakona o osnovni šoli) provides that children with special needs can exercise their right to home-schooling during the school year. It also introduces the possibility for children with special needs who have failed to demonstrate their academic performance in school the following year to re-assert their right to home-schooling. 

Penalties

The draft Act amending the Basic School Act (predlog Zakona o spremembah in dopolnitvah Zakona o osnovni šoli) provides for an extension of the range of fines for schools and parents in the event of breaches of the provisions of the law. Fines are foreseen for schools in the event of breaches of educational responsibilities, and parents will also be liable to fines in the event of breaches of responsibility for the control of items brought to school by pupils.

Amending the components of the education programme

The draft Act amending Organisation and Financing of Education Act (Predlog Zakona o spremembah in dopolnitvah Zakona o organizaciji in financiranju vzgoje in izobraževanja) also contains provisions that change the components of educational programmes and constitute an interference with a specific part of the programmes. The components of the specific part of the curriculum are still defined in outline, but other curriculum documents have been added which form the basis for an important segment of educational work (e.g. guidelines, instructions, recommendations).

Changes to the competences of the institution's council

The essence of the proposed changes to the competences of the institution's council in the draft Act amending the Organisation and Financing of Education Act (predlog Zakona o spremembah in dopolnitvah Zakona o organizaciji in financiranju vzgoje in izobraževanja) is to ensure effective and professional legal protection for employees in relation to their rights under the employment relationship, while at the same time relieving the members of the institution's council of the burden of adjudicating on breaches of the employment relationship for school employees, for which they are usually not properly trained/do not have the relevant competences. This concerns cases of ordinary or extraordinary termination of employment contracts, where the institution's council will not be the appeal body, but only judicial redress before the competent court will be possible. 

Status of approved textbooks in the approval procedures for new subject-curricula and knowledge catalogues

In February 2025, the Ministry drafted the Regulation amending the Regulation on the validation of textbooks (predlog Pravilnika o spremembi Pravilnika o potrjevanju učbenikov). The proposed amendment concerns the status of textbooks already approved in the procedures for approving new or amended subject-curricula or catalogues of knowledge. Under the proposed amendment, in the process of validating a new or amended subject-curriculum or knowledge catalogue for a subject, a textbook already validated would continue to be valid for a maximum of three school years from the beginning of the school year in which the subject-curriculum or knowledge catalogue is introduced. 

Measures to reduce the physical activity deficit

In February 2025, the Ministry of Education published the draft Regulation on the co-financing of the implementation of the annual national sports programme in the field of sport education for children and young people (Pravilnik o sofinanciranju izvajanja letnega programa športa na državni ravni za področje športne vzgoje otrok in mladine), which, among other things, addresses the physical activity deficit of children and young people. Among other things, it includes the co-financing of classes with additional sports provision in all grades of basic school, redefines the subject, conditions, criteria and amount of co-financing for all national leisure-time sports programmes. The draft also provides for scientific research activities in the field of sport for children and young people - annual monitoring of the physical and motor development of school-age children and young people (in the framework of the Sport and Education Card) and co-financing of a campaign to raise awareness of the importance of sport, participation in sport and to encourage regular participation in sport among children and young people.

2024

Modernisation of basic school and gimnazija education

Reform of the wage system

In November 2024, representatives of the government and public sector unions signed collective agreements or annexes to contracts and agreements, which form the basis for the reform of the wage system. The annex to the Collective Agreement for the Education and Training Sector in the Republic of Slovenia (Aneks h Kolektivni pogodbi za dejavnost vzgoje in izobraževanja v Republiki Sloveniji) is being concluded in order to convert the salary grades and to classify the salary grades of posts and titles in salary group D - Posts in the education and training sector in accordance with the Act on the Common Foundations of the Public Sector Wage System (Official Gazzete of the Republic of Slovenia, No 95/24). This annex provides for the alignment of the job classification and employment contracts, the criteria for filling new and upgraded posts, the payment of increased and reduced teaching and additional teaching duties, the amendment of the provisions on annual leave and the protection of older workers, and the alignment of the conditions for the payment of the allowance for regular work in the afternoon with the collective agreement applicable to the public sector.

In addition to the annex to the Collective Agreement for Education and Training, an Agreement on the Classification of Posts and Grades in the Pillar of Salaries of Civil Servants in Research, Education and Culture (Dogovor o uvrstitvah delovnih mest in nazivov plačnega stebra javnih uslužbencev v raziskovalni dejavnosti, izobraževanju in kulturi) was signed. The signatories to the agreement will endeavour to regulate more appropriately the increased teaching obligation for teachers whose weekly teaching obligation is unequally distributed in accordance with the regulations by the beginning of the next school year. According to the agreement, the Ministry of Education undertakes, among other things, to start drafting amendments to the regulations laying down the conditions for promotion to the post of laboratory assistant within one month of the entry into force of the amendment to the law governing the organisation and financing of education and to coordinate with the representative trade unions in this respect. The amendments to the Regulations will apply from 1 September 2025 at the latest.

The reform of the salary system is also linked to changes in the upper secondary education regulations. 

In December 2024, the Official Gazette published amendments to the Rules amending the Rules on norms and standards for the implementation of educational programmes in the field of upper secondary education (Pravilnik o spremembah in dopolnitvah Pravilnika o normativih in standardih za izvajanje izobraževalnih programov in vzgojnega programa na področju srednjega šolstva), the Rules amending the Rules on norms and standards in bilingual upper secondary schools (Pravilnika o spremembah in dopolnitvah Pravilnika o normativih in standardih v dvojezični srednji šoli), and the Rules amending the Rules on norms and standards in upper secondary schools with Italian as the language of instruction (Pravilnika o spremembah in dopolnitvah Pravilnika o normativih in standardih v srednjih šolah z italijanskim učnim jezikom), which are related to the recruitment of new accounting and administrative posts in salary subgroup D9 and the post of computer equipment maintenance technician, newly established at grade VII/2 (computer equipment maintainer VII/2), and the post of cleaner in III. at grade VII. The following new posts are added: secretary viz vii/1, chief accountant VI, chief accountant VII/1, chief accountant VII/2, chief accountant vi and computer equipment maintainer VII/2 and cleaner III. The following changes are also related to this.

To the new or alternative posts defined in the above-mentioned amendments to the regulations on norms and standards (chief secretary VIZ VII/1, chief accountant VI, chief accountant VII/1, chief accountant VII/2, computer equipment maintainer VII/2, cleaner III) and the Annex to the Collective Agreement for the Education and Training Sector in the Republic of Slovenia (Aneks h Kolektivni pogodbi za dejavnost vzgoje in izobraževanja v Republiki Sloveniji) are also related the amendments in December to the Rules amending the Rules on the methodology for financing educational programmes and the educational programme in the field of upper secondary education (Pravilnika o spremembah in dopolnitvi Pravilnika o metodologiji financiranja izobraževalnih programov in vzgojnega programa na področju srednjega šolstva), the Rules amending the Rules on the methodology for financing educational programmes in upper secondary schools with Italian as the language of instruction (Pravilnik o spremembah in dopolnitvi Pravilnika o metodologiji financiranja izobraževalnih programov srednjih šol z italijanskim učnim jezikom) and the Rules amending the Rules on the methodology for financing educational programmes in bilingual upper secondary schools (Pravilnik o spremembah in dopolnitvah Pravilnika o metodologiji financiranja izobraževalnih programov dvojezične srednje šole). In addition, in line with the new wage legislation, the amendments to the Regulations establish new wage grades for all posts. The addition of new accounting-administrative and technical-maintenance posts also redefines the ratios or proportions of individual posts to be taken into account in determining the per-pupil price of the upper secondary education programme.

The above-mentioned Regulations on the on the methodology for financing were previously amended in November 2024 (Official Gazette No 110/2024) as on 1 April 2023, the job classifications or grades were increased by one grade, which necessitated amendments to the Regulations.

Inclusion of Roma in the education system

In December 2024, the Slovenian Government adopted the Baselines for the preparation of draft laws on Roma issues (Izhodišča za pripravo predlogov zakonov glede romske tematike). The baselines address key challenges facing the Roma community and include measures in the areas of education, employment, housing and strengthening cooperation between key stakeholders. The measures envisaged in the field of education include the inclusion of Roma children in the preschool education system in the year before they enter compulsory basic education, additional support for integration into the basic education system through the teaching of the Slovenian language, and more consistent measures to ensure attendance at classes. 

Planned amendments to the Basic School Act:

• Organisation of Slovenian language and culture classes for Roma pupils in the first educational period;
• collecting data on the basis of ethnicity to enable the right of Roma children to education to be implemented;
• ensuring the safety of pupils in such a way that the school can, from time to time, ensure the achievement of the educational objectives by other forms of organised work with the pupil outside the classes or group, if necessary;
• more precise definitions of the monitoring and justification of absenteeism, with the possibility of earlier involvement of the social work centre in family dynamics.

Strengthening the mental health of children and adolescents

In December 2024, the Ministry of Health launched the Call for Proposals "Development of a programme to overcome anxiety in children and adolescents" (Javni razpis »Razvoj programa za premagovanje anksioznosti otrok in mladostnikov«), which aims to create supportive environments to promote mental health in the family, kindergartens, schools and programmes to prevent the development of mental disorders. This will improve the accessibility, availability, comprehensiveness, interconnectedness and quality of mental health services. The implementation of the project will go beyond the health sector and will contribute to a more comprehensive cross-sectoral implementation of mental health interventions.

The main objectives of the call are:

• Systemic implementation of early, proven effective interventions; projects to overcome anxiety, including for particularly vulnerable groups of children and adolescents and their parents,
• upgrading the competences of different professionals in the health, education and social care sectors who come into contact with children, adolescents and their families in their work on overcoming anxiety,
• to upgrade the knowledge of professionals in order to improve early identification of high anxiety or anxiety disorders in the population of children and adolescents,
• understanding and recognition of anxiety,
• developing competences to manage anxiety.

The total amount of funding foreseen for this purpose is up to EUR 508,740.00. The project is co-financed by the Recovery and Resilience Fund.

Changes to the music education regulations

In November 2024, amendments to three music education regulations were published in the Official Gazette of the Republic of Slovenia. 

The amendment to the Regulations on school rules for music schools (sprememba Pravilnika o šolskem redu za glasbene šole) allows the head teacher to take such measures by means of house rules to ensure a healthy, safe and stimulating learning environment in the school premises, and to prevent the bringing and distribution on school premises of prohibited substances and objects which could endanger the life or health of a pupil or the life or health of another. 

The Regulation amending the Regulation on the examination and assessment of pupils and the promotion of pupils in music schools (Pravilnik o dopolnitvi in spremembah Pravilnika o preverjanju in ocenjevanju znanja ter napredovanju učencev v glasbenih šolah) provides, inter alia, for the possibility for candidates not enrolled in a music school to take an examination in the subject of chamber music. This entitles them to a certificate of completion of lower or upper level of education if they have not obtained an annual grade during the school year. 

The amendments to the Regulations on the conduct of lessons in music schools (Spremembe Pravilnika o izvajanju pouka v glasbenih šolah) are aligned with the Regulations on norms and standards for the conduct of the music school programme and the syllabus of the music education programme, which stipulate that music lessons or solfeggio lessons shall be conducted for 1 school hour (45 minutes), 1.33 school hours (60 minutes) or 2 school hours (90 minutes). In addition, the amendments to the Regulations provide for the teaching of new subjects in accordance with the amendment to the Music Schools Act. More specifically, the obligation for pupils to participate in musical groups (chamber ensembles, orchestras, choirs) is laid down in order to ensure that all pupils enrolled in a music school have the experience of playing or singing in a group.

Draft National Education Programme 2023–2033

In July 2024, the relevant working group developed the final draft National Education Programme for 2023–2033 (končni predlog Nacionalnega programa vzgoje in izobraževanja za obdobje 2023–2033). Its strategic objectives and actions for a system of quality and sustainable education are based on scientific evidence; they build on good practices of education staff at Slovenian kindergartens and schools and respond sensitively and flexibly to the challenges of modern society. The document identifies 21 strategic objectives, 55 sub-objectives, and 306 actions under 6 priority areas: social development and the role of education, provision of a safe environment to support the optimal development of the individual, teaching, learning, monitoring progress, assessment, professional and career development of education staff and leaders in education, system of quality assessment and assurance, and the education system.

The proposed strategic objectives and actions direct the education system, among others, in the following direction of development:

• Activities of education and guidance in kindergartens and schools
• Promotion of reading literacy and culture
• Development of digital literacy
• Supporting education in culture and arts
• Supporting psycho-social development and social-emotional learning of children and adolescents
• Promotion of inclusive attitude
• Provision of proper conditions for good mental and physical health
• Quality teaching and learning
• Quality trained, competent and content education staff and school leaders
• Upgraded system of quality assessment and assurance with self-evaluation
• Better cooperation among institutions and professionals in support of professionalism, and
• Better harmonised in terms of content activities of institutions: priority areas (development plan, annual work plan), continuous professional development, support of external professionals, and self-evaluation.

The main changes of this final draft compared to the initial draft of February concern, among others, secondary vocational and technical education, general and vocational matura, physical activity of learners, preschool education, music education, residence halls for secondary students, and the inclusion of migrant learners in the education system.

Furthermore, secondary education is considered a national standard; the state should make it possible for every individual to obtain at least a secondary educational qualification at any point in their lifetime.

Sports in school will increase by an hour a week in the last three-year period of the basic school programme, and students should be provided with proper settings for physical activity of five hours a week (within compulsory subjects, non-compulsory subjects, basic school extended programme, interest activities, sports day, and compulsory elective content). Further to the total increase of stable sources for funding educational institutions, the programme foresees additional funding for institutions that due to special circumstances within which they operate (e.g. geographical distance from economic and cultural centres, the social and economic prosperity of the locality, a higher number of migrant students, etc.) require added funds to respond adequately to their diverse needs.

Modernisation of education programmes by modernising subject-curricula

In May 2024, the National Education Institute appointed 917 members to the various curricular committees (different areas of work, common objectives, areas, subjects, 1^st three-year period – 63 in total) for the modernisation of education programmes (prenova izobraževalnih programov), of which almost a fifth (166) were the Institute’s advisers, others were members external to the Institute, 224 of whom were from the higher education institutions. In July 2024, the report on the progress of modernising the education system for green and digital transitions was published (Poročilo o napredku).

The revision of the subject curricula for basic schools and gimnazije has been ongoing in parallel. In August 2024, the curricular commissions introduced draft subject curricula and study groups of teachers and other education staff (študijske skupine) had the chance to discuss and examine them before the start of the new school year. In August 2024, at a conference of headteachers (konferenca ravnateljic in ravnateljev), the National Education Institute introduced the changes we strive to achieve with the modernisation of curricular documents, highlighting the role of headteachers and assessment of knowledge.

Reform of the National Assessment of Knowledge

The role of the national examination will be partially modified as of school year 2024/2025, but it retains the purpose of providing additional feedback on students’ knowledge. Taking the national examination will now be compulsory also for grade 3 students. Currently, only grade 6 and 9 students must sit it. The outcomes of the national examination in grade 9 will now be considered notably more in the selection criteria for upper secondary programmes under the cap on enrolment. The school calendar was amended to move the national examination to March and April.

In August 2024, the Rules on the national examination in the basic school (Pravilnik o nacionalnem preverjanju znanja v osnovni šoli) were published in the official gazette following the amended basic school law (novela Zakona o osnovni šoli). The Rules define in greater detail, among others, the responsibilities and duties of the state and subject commissions, the National Education Institute and the National Examination Centre. The Rules provide for students’ infringements, measures and relevant procedures of imposing; absence or ungraded assignments, additional points for one or more assignments for missing or ungraded assignments and avoiding errors in announcing outcomes. The method and duration of the national examination, access to assessed assignments, re-assessment of individual assignments, announcing the students’ outcomes and method and time limit for keeping documentation are defined in more detail, too.

In August 2024, the relevant Ordinance on the selection criteria for upper secondary vocational education, technical education and gimnazija programmes with a set cap on enrolment was published in the official gazette (Odredba o merilih za izbiro kandidatov v primeru omejitve vpisa v programe srednjega poklicnega izobraževanja, srednjega strokovnega izobraževanja ter gimnazij). It laid down that candidates will be allotted a place based on the sum of final marks in all compulsory subjects of grades 7 to 9 (up to 60 per cent of the total) and the achievement in the national examination in the language of instruction (Slovenian or Italian or Hungarian in nationally mixed areas) and mathematics (each up to 20 per cent). A special formula will be applied to calculate the total percentages for allotting a place. The new criteria also apply to the enrolment in programmes for which candidates must pass an aptitude test, and the latter results shall be considered an additional criterion.

Modified concept of the basic school extended programme

In February 2024, the Act amending the Basic School Act (Zakon o spremembah in dopolnitvah Zakona o osnovni šoli) was published in the official gazette. The law introduced the revision of the basic school extended programme concept. The amendments specify that the current elements of the extended programme (after-school classes, remedial and supplementary lessons, individual and group learning support and non-compulsory elective subjects) will be superseded by the contents in physical activity, health, cultural and citizenship education, and learning to learn. The law is linked to the adopted curricular document, which defines the areas in greater detail. The selection of content and pursuing activities is voluntary for students. The content will not be marked. Upon the law entering into force, schools could implement the programme before, during and after school hours. Schools must offer those contents to students in grades 1 to 3 before and after school (lessons). In this sense, structured activities will be provided to children before and after school ends (care with structured activities).

In August 2024, the Rules on educational qualification of teachers and other education staff in the basic school programme were published in the official gazette (Pravilnik o izobrazbi učiteljev in drugih strokovnih delavcev v izobraževalnem programu osnovne šole). It introduces new requirements for educational qualification of certain subject teachers within the extended programme, a teacher of additional support to talented students and a teacher for additional support to students with learning difficulties. Furthermore, it added to the requirements for the teacher of Slovenian sign language, teacher of individual and group support, teacher of communication in Slovenian sign language, counsellor, computer technician – organiser of information activities, and laboratory assistant.

In June 2024, the Rules on norms and standards for providing the basic school programme were published in the official gazette (Pravilnik o normativih in standardih za izvajanje programa osnovne šole). It specified modified norms following the introduction of the revised extended programme concept (prenovljeni koncept razširjenega programa). Due to putting an end to the after-school classes on which the job positions of accounting and administrative job posts and the post of a headteacher, assistant headteacher, and housekeeper, the relevant articles shall be accurately reassessed to only account for the compulsory programme classes and hospital classes.

The Rules defined unambiguously the functions of the headteacher and assistant headteacher in their role as pedagogical leaders. It specified the method of calculating hours of the extended programme based on the number of classes and students. Furthermore, the norms for setting up groups in the extended programme were defined and the norm for pursuing activities of the outdoor school programme during night rest.

Setting up home-schooling

In February 2024, the amendments to the Basic School Act were published (Zakon o spremembah in dopolnitvah Zakona o osnovni šoli). They pertain also to home education. Among others, they specify equal educational standards that homeschooled students must achieve, the same as their peers in school. This means that homeschooled students will now have to take exams in all subjects of a grade.

Earlier start of foreign language learning

With the amended Basic School Act (novela Zakona o osnovni šoli) of February 2024 the compulsory start of first foreign language learning was moved from 2^nd down to 1^st grade following the trial introduction of foreign language learning into the compulsory programme and testing of the concept of the basic school extended programme. At that time, it was determined that in the 2016/2017 school year, 92.73 percent of first graders had already opted to take lessons in the first foreign language, and that share only increased in the following years.

Modification of the system for greater inclusiveness of education

The amended Basic School Act (novela Zakona o osnovni šoli) of February 2024 made provisions for lessons of Slovenian sign language and tactile sign language in basic schools.

In June 2024, the Rules on norms and standards for providing the basic school programme (Pravilnik o normativih in standardih za izvajanje programa osnovne šole) were published in the official gazette. They made provisions for a job post of a teacher for communication in Slovenian sign language, a teacher to support deafblind students, and the option to assign a classroom assistant following the recommendation by the mobile team. Furthermore, they specified a transitional regime applying to schools that will have assumed the revised extended programme concept by 2028.

The latter amendments are supported by relevant rules on norms and standards for provision of education programmes for SEN children (Pravilnik o normativih in standardih za izvajanje vzgojno-izobraževalnih programov za otroke s posebnimi potrebami), rules on home education of SEN children (Pravilnik o izobraževanju učencev s posebnimi potrebami na domu), and rules on norms and standards for provision of the basic school programme in bilingual schools and schools with Italian medium of instruction (Pravilnik o spremembah in dopolnitvah Pravilnika o normativih in standardih za izvajanje programa osnovne šole v dvojezičnih osnovnih šolah in osnovnih šolah z italijanskim učnim jezikom).

In June 2024, the Act amending the Gimnazija Act was published in the official gazette (Zakon o spremembah in dopolnitvah Zakona o gimnazijah). It specified the reason in point of law to run the Slovenian language course for newly arrived upper secondary students who have not completed the basic school education in Slovenian or who started basic education in grade 9 for the first time in Slovenia and failed to pass the test of proficiency in Slovenian at level A2 of the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages. It has been shown in practice that students who entered basic education in Slovenia in grade 9, failed to reach proficiency in Slovenian needed to do well in upper secondary education.

In August 2024, following the amended Gimnazija Act (Zakon o gimnazijah) and Vocational and Technical Education Act (Zakon o poklicnem in strokovnem izobraževanju), the Rules amending the Rules on the Slovenian course for upper secondary students (Pravilnik o spremembah in dopolnitvah Pravilnika o tečaju slovenščine za dijake v srednjih šolah) were published in the official gazette.

Proposal for one-stage appointment of headteachers

In May 2024, the Ministry of Education published the draft Act amending the Organisation and Financing of Education Act (predlog Zakona o spremembah in dopolnitvah Zakona o organizaciji in financiranju vzgoje in izobraževanja). The proposed amendment relates, among other, to the modified procedure of appointing and dismissing a school or kindergarten headteacher, modified competences of the council of a public school or kindergarten, and the treatment and record keeping of personal data to fund student transportation and records of information about physical mobility and morphological characteristics of basic school and upper secondary students.

The most important change in the procedure for appointing the headteacher or director is replacing the Minister’s opinion with the institution of consent. Thus, it became a one-stage procedure. Previously, the institution’s council selected the candidate and sought the opinion of the Minister; after obtaining the opinion or the deadline for giving the opinion expired, the Council appointed the chosen candidate. The two-stage procedure (the institution’s council first select the candidate, and then appoints them after obtaining the opinion) imposed an increased risk of possible corrupt practices within the interim period, which was also determined by the Commission for the Prevention of Corruption. To prevent the Minister from exerting political influence on the selection of the candidate, the law now specifies the cases the Minister can refuse to consent to the headteacher’s appointment.

The draft law now also sets out the reasons that bind the Institution’s council to dismiss the headteacher or director before the end of the term of office. To date, these grounds have not been specified in the umbrella law and the statutory grounds laid down in the act governing institutions have been considered in the dismissal. In addition to the reasons already arising from the law governing institutions, the council would now be required to dismiss a headteacher who fails to implement an inspection or final court decision and a headteacher who has been convicted by final judgment of a criminal offence against human rights and freedoms, against honour and goodwill, against human health, against the employment relationship and social security, and against official duty, public authority and public funds. As practice has shown, in certain cases the councils of institutions did not perform their duties and responsibilities and, despite legal reasons, did not dismiss the headteacher, with the proposed amendments this power is now given to the Minister.

Formalisation of the Quality assessment and assurance framework

With the May 2024 draft Act amending the Organisation and Financing of Education Act, the Ministry of Education also published an exposure draft reason in point of law for the quality assessment and assurance framework in education. The proposed amendment summarises the basic elements of the quality assessment and assurance framework in one place. It stipulates, among others, that kindergartens and schools determine and ensure quality through self-evaluation, thereby establishing institutional self-evaluation as a fundamental systemic approach to determine and ensure quality in education. It places external examinations, inspections, international research and the activities of the Quality and Evaluation Council within the quality framework.

In June 2024, the Act amending the Gimnazija Act (Zakon o spremembah in dopolnitvah Zakona o gimnazijah) was published in the official gazette, introducing a new body – a five-member team of experts in quality assessment and assurance – into basic schools. The law stipulates that schools pursue self-evaluation and set quality indicators by themselves as part of their annual planning, the expert team develops a self-evaluation report in cooperation with the headteacher, which is published on the school's website as part of the annual report.

Other policy developments

Amendments to the basic school calendar: Standardisation of the pedagogical hour’s length, pushing back the national examination, new exam terms for homeschooled students

In July 2024, the Ministry of Education published the Rules mending the Basic school calendar Rules (Pravilnik o spremembah in dopolnitvah Pravilnika o šolskem koledarju za osnovne šole) following the amendments to the concept of the basic school extended programme and its integration in the amended basic school law (novela Zakona o osnovni šoli). The Rules standardised a pedagogical hour at 45 minutes. The amendment introduced updated terms for the national examination that shall be moved to March and April. Homeschooled students will have the option to take exams in individual subjects for a longer time.

The transitional regime shall apply to schools that will not yet provide the extended programme by law, and the provisions of the current rules that specify the length of an hour of after-school class, an hour of morning care, and organisation of remedial lessons for students who must retake exams shall apply.

Modification for a more stable planning of providing the programme of the European School Ljubljana

In July 2024, the Minister of Education published the Rules amending the Rules on the implementation of the programme of the European School Ljubljana (Pravilnik o spremembah in dopolnitvah Pravilnika o izvajanju programa Evropske šole Ljubljana). The amendments concern, among others, amendments to the norms and standards for combined classes, groups for second language – first foreign language, third language – second foreign language, and elective subjects. In addition, the Rules provide for reduced teaching time for the European matura coordinator, the coordinator of additional activities, the assistant headteacher, the counsellor, and the librarian.

Changes in norms mean more predictable and thus more stable planning, organisation, and implementation of the programme and more efficient management of the education staff. They consider the personal circumstances of the European Schools programme students, including the European School Ljubljana programme. As a rule, these are likelier to change school and educational settings, and do so faster and oftener, which, for this type of school, means constant fluctuation and a change in the dynamics of planning, organisation and implementation of the programme.

Improvement of competition setting to support excellence

In June 2024, the Ministry of Labour, Family, Social Affairs and Equal Opportunities published the Zois Scholarship Act (Pravilnik o spremembah in dopolnitvah Pravilnika o dodeljevanju Zoisovih štipendij), which, among other things and under requirements for the award of the Zois scholarships, defines selection and interest competitions, while at the same time, adding new ones to the existing requirements that must be met by national competitions in knowledge and research, namely:

• Gold and silver awards are presented to a maximum of 60% of competitors or competition groups;
• They are provided in ethnically mixed areas by the law governing the special rights of the Italian and Hungarian national communities in the field of education;
• Provide design and technical modifications for children and adolescents with special needs.

Furthermore, under requirements for an international competition in knowledge, research, development or art, the Rules now stipulate that at least 15 countries must participate (previously 5). The regulation enters into force with the school year 2026/2027.

Assessment for homeschooled migrant students

In July 2024, the amended Rules on assessment and progression of basic school students (Pravilnik o spremembah in dopolnitvah Pravilnika o preverjanju in ocenjevanju znanja ter napredovanju učencev v osnovni šoli) were published in the official gazette. They have been harmonised with the amendments of the Basic School Act (spremembe in dopolnitve Zakona o osnovni šoli). Among others, the amendments relate to home education and knowledge assessment for migrant and SEN students.

New subjects in music schools

In June 2024, the Act amending the Music School Act (Zakon o spremembah in dopolnitvah Zakona o glasbenih šolah) was published in the official gazette. It defines new subjects in jazz and popular music. Furthermore, it specifies homeschooling procedures and updates to collecting and protecting data by entering the child's personal registration number and parent's tax identification number. The content-related amendment defines competence and criteria in greater detail for implementing supplementary lessons for the individual student. It specifies the progression in the first period at a lower level of music education programme. The new law specifies equal rights for second-grade students after extending their education for a year in case of prolonged justifiable absence.

Development of digital competences and computer thinking

In June 2024, the Ministry of Education published the invitation to apply for co-funding the project on developing computer thinking by integrating STEM kits in kindergartens and schools for classes 1 to 5 (Javni razpis »Razvoj računalniškega mišljenja z vključevanjem STEM kompletov v vrtcih in osnovnih šolah od 1. do 5. razreda«). Its purpose is to improve digital competences and basic knowledge of computer science and informatics by developing computer thinking of education staff and children or students in kindergartens, and basic schools, basic schools with adapted programme and institutions for the education of children and adolescents with special needs, with an emphasis on the role of modern learning approaches and methods of work and cross-curricular integration. The objective is to develop computer thinking by including STEM kits for achieving kindergarten curriculum objectives or the operational objectives of the subject-curricula from basic school grades 1 to 5. The amount of funds from the Recovery and Resilience Facility available up to and including 2026 is €700.000,00.

In May 2024, the Ministry of Education published an invitation to apply for co-funding the project for 2024–2026 (Javni razpis Razvoj digitalnih kompetenc in temeljnih znanj računalništva in informatike 2024–2026) to develop and assess digital competences and basic knowledge of computer science and informatics of learners in educational institutions, considering the results so far at home and abroad. The target groups are children, basic school, upper secondary and higher education students, and education staff and leaders in educational institutions. The invitation to apply is divided into three lots:

• Lot 1: Development and assessment of learners’ digital competences
• Lot 2: Development and assessment of digital competences of learners in basic schools with the adapted programme and institutions for the education of children and adolescents with special needs
• Lot 3: Development of basic knowledge of computer science and informatics of learners

The amount of funds from the Recovery and Resilience Facility available up to and including 2026 is €3,100,000.00.

In November 2022, the Ministry of Education published the invitation to apply for co-funding the project of improving digital competences, knowledge of basic computer science and informatics, competences for sustainable development and financial literacy of education staff and leaders in education (javni razpis za krepitev digitalnih kompetenc, temeljnih vsebin računalništva in informatike, kompetenc za trajnostni razvoj ter finančne pismenosti strokovnih in vodstvenih delavcev v vzgoji in izobraževanju). The selected project was “Digitralni učitelj” (Digital and sustainable teacher). The coordinator and manager of the project is Rokus Klett publishing house on behalf of the Community of institutions of the consortium of school centres and other consortium institutions in the field of education. The project is funded in part by the Republic of Slovenia through the Ministry of Education and the European Union through the NextGenerationEU instrument, the Recovery and Resilience Facility. The total amount of available funds is €17,576,000.00, including VAT, of a maximum of €16,900,000.00 of European funds.

In April 2024, the Act amending the Digital Inclusion Promotion Act (Zakon o spremembah in dopolnitvi Zakona o spodbujanju digitalne vključenosti) was published in the official gazette. It made provisions to ensure the effective functioning of the mechanism to access the computer equipment by the vulnerable populations. The amendment specifies beneficiaries with at least one child enrolled in basic education and those classified as beneficiaries of a child benefit in the first income bracket. This means beneficiaries whose monthly income per person does not exceed €221.46. If the equipment remains, the circle of beneficiaries can be extended to another income bracket, where the average monthly income per person does not exceed €369.11.

Actions to reduce the shortage of education staff

In June, the Ministry of Education invited to apply for study aid to subsidise tuition fees for the further education of education staff (Javni razpis študijskih pomoči za subvencioniranje šolnin za nadaljnje izobraževanje strokovnih delavcev v študijskem letu 2024/2025) employed in kindergartens, basic schools, basic schools with the adapted programme, schools and institutions for the education of children and adolescents with special needs, music schools, secondary schools, higher vocational colleges, adult education organisations, residence halls for upper secondary students and public institutions that carry out educational activities in an adapted programme for pre-school children with special needs or in the special programme for the education of children and adolescents with special needs. The amount of available funds is €420,000.00. The tuition fee subsidy for an individual recipient enrolled in a study or training programme as specified with the invitation is 50 per cent of the relevant tuition fee.

In April 2024, the Ministry of Education published a call for applications for internships (Javni razpis pripravniških mest v šolah za leto 2024/25) in basic schools, schools and institutions for the education of children and adolescents with special needs, music schools, residence halls for basic school students, secondary schools or residence halls for upper secondary students, which are entered in the register as providers of officially recognised education programmes. The Ministry announces 170 traineeship places with an employment relationship, based on the employment contract of the trainee at the traineeship place, for providing educational activities by a teacher, educator, counsellor or librarian in the mentioned educational institutions. The estimated amount of funds allocated by the Ministry to finance the provision of traineeships with an employment relationship is €3,375,350.00.

In February 2024, the Ministry of Education published an invitation to apply for scholarships for study programmes in education (Javni razpis za dodelitev štipendij študentom pedagoških študijskih programov v študijskem letu 2024/25) to encourage young people to continue education in pedagogical study programmes and to acquire the educational qualification needed to pursue the professions for which there is a discrepancy between the current and future volume of available staff and the projected volume of jobs in the field of education and training. The objective is to award 100 scholarships. For this, €280,000.00 is foreseen.

In January 2024, the Minister responsible for education adopted the Rules amending the Rules on scholarships in the field of education (Pravilnik o spremembah in dopolnitvah Pravilnika dodeljevanju štipendij za področje vzgoje in izobraževanja).

Incentive for professional development

In February, the Ministry of Education published an invitation to apply for co-funding of the professional development programmes for the 2024/2025 school year (Javni razpis za izbor in sofinanciranje programov profesionalnega usposabljanja za šolsko leto 2024/25). The relevant programmes for education staff are published in the Catalogue of continuing education and training programmes for the 2024/2025 school year, among them the selection of those co-funded from the state budget. Professional training programmes are shorter career development programmes intended for the expert and disciplinary development of an individual education worker or professional group.

The priority topics approved by the Council of the Republic of Slovenia for general education:

1. Teaching, learning and assessment of outcomes in the learning and study processes, with an emphasis on modern learning technologies and innovative approaches to teaching and learning
2. Sustainable development and active citizenship
3. Talented students in the educational process and the care and education of children with special needs (sensitization and training for the use of new pedagogical methods and approaches)
4. Implementation of lifelong career guidance with an emphasis on ensuring equal opportunities for vulnerable groups
5. Socio-emotional competences and well-being in care and education, and empowering education staff to deal with the topics of mental health and addiction
6. Counselling in the educational and study process
7. Development of communication skills in the Slovenian language, bilingualism/multilingualism and media literacy.

The estimated funds for co-funding the professional development programmes for the 2024/2025 school year is €350,000.00.

Social dialogue in education

In February 2024, the Agreement to amend the Strike Agreement (Sporazum o spremembah in dopolnitvah Stavkovnega sporazuma) signed between the Government of the Republic of Slovenia and the Trade Union of Education, Science and Culture of Slovenia (SVIZ) was published in the official gazette. The August floods caused fiscal consequences, which delayed the renewal of the salary system in the public sector. This required the amendment of some unrealised points of the initial Strike Agreement initialled between the Government Negotiating Team and SVIZ on 10 January 2024.

In February 2024, the Annex to the Collective Agreement for the Education Sector in the Republic of Slovenia (Aneks h Kolektivni pogodbi za dejavnost vzgoje in izobraževanja v Republiki Sloveniji) was published in the official gazette signed by the Government of the Republic of Slovenia and the representative trade unions in education and higher education. The amendment regulates, among others, the situation of employees who are posted to carry out educational activities or to accompany children, basic school and upper secondary students outside the seat of the institution for a continuous period of two or more days (e.g. various camps, stays in nature, outdoor school, expert excursions, Erasmus exchanges, etc.), by determining a longer reference period for the daily and weekly rest of workers who are posted to multi-day educational activities or escort outside the seat of the institution (such as outdoor schools and other forms of multi-day stays in the field with children, basic school and upper secondary students, persons in care). It makes relevant provisions for the multi-day stay in the field payment. Following the government's platform for action, it was agreed between the social partners that this payment should be included in Article 105a of the Collective Agreement for the activity of education, so that employees who are assigned to several-day educational activities or escort outside the seat of the institution are entitled to a payment in the amount of two and a half daily allowances for business trips in the Republic of Slovenia of over 12 hours, for each day of working outside the seat of the institution.

In February 2024, the Decision to define job posts in kindergartens, schools and education institutions for children and adolescents with special needs at which public employees are entitled to a bonus under item 8 Article 39 of the Collective Agreement for the public sector (Sklep o določitvi delovnih mest v vrtcih, šolah in zavodih za vzgojo in izobraževanje otrok in mladostnikov s posebnimi potrebami) was published in the official gazette. It replaced the initial decision and defined job posts on which education staff is entitled to the bonus for providing adapted programme and for other direct activities in kindergartens, and to implement the adapted, special and behaviour-related education programme and for direct activities in schools or institutions for education of children and adolescents with special needs.

Standardised transition for education staff between the system of education and social care

In August 2024, the Rules on the procedures and requirements for titles of education staff in social-care institutions when employed in the field of education (Pravilnik o postopku in pogojih za pridobitev naziva strokovnih sodelavcev in strokovnih delavcev socialnovarstvenih zavodov ob zaposlitvi na področju vzgoje in izobraževanja) were published in the official gazette. It regulates relevant procedures and requirements for education staff employed in social-care centres that provide the adapted programme for preschool children and the special education programme for children and adolescents with special needs as specified by the Organisation and Financing of Education Act. It stipulated among others that education staff who obtain the title by these Rules fulfil the requirement for pursuing activities at the same or similar job posts referred to in Article 20 of the Salary System in the Public Sector Act and for retaining the salary brackets of promotions achieved in the position of education staff to implement the adapted programme for preschool children or the special education programme for children and adolescents with special needs in a social-care institution.

System support to talented learners through competitions

In May 2024, the Ministry of Education published an invitation to apply for co-funding selection and interest school competitions in the 2024/2025 school year (Javni razpis za sofinanciranje selekcijskih in interesnih šolskih tekmovanj v šolskem letu 2024/2025). In basic education, the Ministry co-funds one selection competition in an individual subject area from the sixth grade onwards, and one in secondary education. Interest-based competitions are organised at one or more levels (school, regional, national), with the first level being accessible to all basic school, upper secondary students, apprentices or higher vocational college students. The estimated total indicative value of funds available is €340,000.00.

Matura

In May, the Act amending the Matura Act (Zakon o spremembah in dopolnitvah Zakona o maturi) was published in the official gazette. It makes it possible to consult the exam documentation and file an objection to the mark received in the digital environment and the related management of personal data. After the announcement of the results of the general matura examination, each matura candidate will become acquainted with their assessed examination papers and get an insight into the digital environment to decide on a possible objection to the mark in a particular subject. It will also be able to object electronically. The main addition is also the criteria according to which the merits of the reasons for the approval to take the matura examination are determined in two parts, which are also considered when deciding on the recognition of the matura examination in the first examination term. At the same time, two-part matura examinations were also arranged for athletes competing at the international level.

According to the amendments of the Matura Act, the Ministry of Education published in May also the Rules amending the General Matura Rules (Pravilnik o spremembah in dopolnitvah Pravilnika o splošni maturi), Rules amending the Vocational Matura Rules (Pravilnik o spremembah in dopolnitvah Pravilnika o poklicni maturi), and Rules amending the Classifying Matura Information Rules (Pravilnik o spremembah Pravilnika o varovanju izpitne tajnosti pri maturi). The first defined the provisions relevant to examination terms and supporting documentation. Due to the non-exclusion of the possibility of selecting elective matura subjects in the general matura, it is necessary to provide additional time for the smooth implementation of the matura calendar in the general matura, therefore the articles defining the assessment of fulfilment of requirements and deregistration from the general matura are being amended. Due to the difficulties for schools to provide an adequate number of supervising teachers in the matura examination, the provision on the number of supervising teachers in the examination room and in the corridor is also amended for when there are seven or fewer candidates in the examination room who are granted the right to an adapted method of conducting the matura examination.

Supporting the physical development of students

In April 2024, the Ministry of Education published an invitation to apply for co-funding classes offering additional sports activities in basic schools for the 2024/2025 school year (Javni razpis za sofinanciranje oddelkov z dodatno športno ponudbo v osnovnih šolah za šolsko leto 2024/2025). The objectives are to increase the number of hours of sports for basic school students and to increase the quality and attractiveness of sports education programmes for children and young people. The invitation is open to basic schools that implement the officially recognised education programme, which will in the school year 2024/2025, set up classes with additional sports activities offered to students of grades 1 to 3. The funds reserved in the Ministry's financial plan 2025 is €1,000,000.00.

In May 2024, the Ministry of Education submitted for public discussion a draft Act amending the Organisation and Financing of Education Act (predlog Zakona o spremembah in dopolnitvah Zakona o organizaciji in financiranju vzgoje in izobraževanja). It introduces new records about the schoolchildren’s physical abilities and morphological characteristics. The Faculty of Sports of the University of Ljubljana will be responsible for processing the information and reporting to schools.

Amendments to the education programmes

In March 2024, the Minister of Education adopted the following orders to amend the:

• Basic school education programme (Odredba o spremembah in dopolnitvah vzgojno-izobraževalnega programa osnovna šola)
• Adapted 9-year basic school programme of lower education standard ( Odredba o spremembah in dopolnitvah Prilagojenega izobraževalnega programa devetletne osnovne šole z nižjim izobrazbenim standardom)
• Adapted 9-year basic school programmes of equal education standard (Odredba o spremembah prilagojenih izobraževalnih programov devetletne osnovne šole z enakovrednim izobrazbenim standardom)
• Adapted basic school education programme of equal education standard (Odredba o dopolnitvi Odredbe o spremembi prilagojenih izobraževalnih programov osnovne šole z enakovrednim izobrazbenim standardom)

Order to amend the basic school education programme defines that with the amendments under the special part of the programme the following will be set out:

• Curriculum of the basic school expanded programme
• Basic school timetable
• Adapted timetable for basic school with Slovenian medium of instruction in an ethnically mixed area of the Slovenian Istra
• Adapted timetable for bilingual basic school in an ethnically mixed area of Prekmurje
• Adapted timetable for basic school with Italian medium of instruction in an ethnically mixed area of Slovenian Istra
• Subject-curriculum for first foreign language in grade 1 as a compulsory subject in the basic school programme.

Order to amend the adapted 9-year basic school programme of lower educational standard defines amendments to the following timetables and subject-curricula:

• Timetable of the adapted 9-year basic school programme of lower educational standard
• Timetable of the adapted 9-year basic school programme of lower educational standard for bilingual basic school
• Subject-curriculum for the compulsory subject of music arts
• Subject-curriculum for the compulsory subject of housekeeping
• Subject-curriculum for the elective subject Food and diets.

Order to amend the adapted education programme of the 9-year basic school of equal educationa standard defines amendments to the following timetables:

• Timetable of the adapted 9-year basic school programme of equal educational standard for blind and partially sighted
• Timetable of the adapted 9-year basic school programme of equal educational standard for deaf and hard of hearing
• Timetable of the adapted 9-year basic school programme of equal educational standard for learners with speech impairment
• Timetable of the adapted 9-year basic school programme of equal educational standard for mobility-impaired learners
• Timetable of the adapted 9-year basic school programme of equal educational standard for learners with autism spectrum disorders

In January, the Order to amend the Gimnazija of economics education programme was published in the Official Gazette. The minister responsible for education adopted the amendments following the decision of the relevant council of experts. It replaced the programme of the same name, adopted by the Order to adopt the education programmes for general and vocational gimnazije (Official Gazette of RS, No. 13/20). The education programme will start in the 2024/2025 school year.

Outdoor school

In March, the Rules amending the Rules on funding outdoor school. It no longer includes a section on payments to education staff, as the rights of education staff to payments (basic salary and supplements) for work performed in outdoor school are regulated by laws governing salaries in the public sector and the collective agreement of the sector and cannot be the subject of a subordinate regulation. It also aligned the article text with the Basic School Act. Outdoor school is defined as an organized form of educational activity that takes place intensively over three or more days during school time and is conducted outside the school premises. The regulation is also aligned with the new Annex h to the collective agreement for the education sector in the Republic of Slovenia (Official Gazette of RS, No. 13/24), which stipulates in Article 105.a that an employee accompanying or performing educational work two or more consecutive days (camps, stays in nature, outdoor school, professional excursions, Erasmus exchanges, etc.), is entitled to payment amounting to 2.5 daily allowances for business trips in the Republic of Slovenia exceeding 12 hours, for each day of work outside the institution's location. New definitions are provided for the costs of outdoor schools, the costs of education staff, and external providers. The regulation no longer includes a limit on costs per student or limits on education staff's costs based on the accommodation price per day per student.

Strategic integration of education and culture

In May 2024, the Government of the Republic of Slovenia adopted the Resolution on the National Programme for Culture 2024–2031 (Resolucija o nacionalnem programu za kulturo 2024–2031). It determines the role of culture in the development of the Republic of Slovenia and the public interest in it, defines areas of culture and envisages key directions in the field of investment. The resolution places the fundamental strategic objectives guiding actions and cultural policy in three pillars: Culture for a cohesive society, Culture as a public good and Culture for a sustainable future.

The resolution states, among others, that the Ministry of Culture will strive to connect stakeholders who provide quality cultural content with educational institutions. At the same time, it will develop conditions for creating cultural content as a complementary part of cultural programmes and projects in the context of lifelong learning. In the context of formal and non-formal education, children and young people should be able to learn about different areas of culture from the point of view of reception, research and creation, as stated in the resolution. Great emphasis will therefore be placed on the additional training of professionals in education, culture and the wider professional public.

Action plan on drugs

In February 2024, the Government adopted the Action Plan on Drugs for 2024–2025. The substantive basis of the action plan is the Resolution on the National Programme on Illicit Drugs 2023–2030, whose overarching goal is to reduce and limit the harm to individuals, families, and society caused by abusing illicit drugs. Within the set goals of the resolution, the action plan envisages, among others, the following implementation activities:

• Improving education for the implementation of early prevention programmes in the educational, social, and health sectors
• Improving the programmes, education, and other actions for the systematic integration of preventive content at all levels of the education system
• Training education and healthcare staff in the implementation of preventive programmes and activities for children and young people, parents

Funding for the activities from the action plan is planned within the adopted financial plans of the Ministry of Health, the Ministry of Education, and the Ministry of Labor, Family, Social Affairs, and Equal Opportunities for 2024 and 2025. Furthermore, activities are included in the financial plan of the Health Insurance Institute of Slovenia for 2024, with further funding expected from local communities and the Foundation for Financing Disability and Humanitarian Organizations in Slovenia.

Draft Resolution on the Youth National Programme for 2024–2032

In February 2024, the Ministry of Education sent a draft Resolution on the Youth National Programme for 2024–2032) (predlog Resolucije o nacionalnem programu za mladino za obdobje 2024–2032) for inter-ministerial coordination. It is a basic programming document identifying priorities and actions of public interest in the youth sector.

The key policies of the draft resolution are as follows:

• Provide better opportunities to young people with education and training, both formal and non-formal
• Following the policy of employment, to enable young people to provide for their own economic and social security, and thus conditions to facilitate their gaining independence
• Promote participation of young people in managing public affairs
• Adhering to the principles of sustainable development
• Focus on the health and well-being of young people and inequalities in health
• Enable young people to enter their occupational path safely
• Promote and enable the participation of young people in culture and arts

In the field of education, the draft resolution sets out the following objectives:

• Care of a safe and supportive environment
• Integrated treatment in the field of supervisors
• Modernisation of the education system for green and digital transition
• Modernisation of upper secondary vocational and technical education, including apprenticeship, modernisation of higher vocational college study programmes, and setting up digitally supported learning posts
• Integration of education with economy
• Development of a supportive environment for practices of cooperation in open learning environments – cases of linking formal and non-formal settings of education and learning

Following the interdepartmental coordination, the interdepartmental coordinated material was submitted to the correspondence session of the Council of the Government of the Republic of Slovenia for Youth in June 2024 for approval, following the decision of the Council of the Government of the Republic of Slovenia for Youth. Representatives of organisations in the youth sector rejected the inter-ministerial coordinated proposal, which is why the proposal has not yet been submitted to the Government of the Republic of Slovenia for adoption.

2023

Modernisation of basic and upper secondary general education (gimnazije)

The tasks defined by the Action Plan for drafting the proposal of incorporation of Slovenian sign language into the preschool, basic school, and upper secondary education systems for 2021–2024 were conducted. Among others, a final report was developed with data analysis on the inclusion of deaf and hard-of-hearing adults in basic and upper secondary education programmes, including experiences from abroad and recommendations, the material on information and counselling approaches for deaf and hard-of-hearing adults in adult education counselling activities, which is carried out as a public service, as well as guidelines for sign language interpreter assistants, advice to interpreter assistants, and tables of possible adjustments when conducting national knowledge assessments.

Within the project "Modernisation of education programmes with the modernisation of key programme documents (Kindergarten curriculum, subject-curricula, and knowledge catalogues)", most curricular commissions were appointed in 2023: commission for the development of the document on common goals, curricular commission for the first educational period, and subject-specific curricular commissions. The National Education Institute Slovenia conducted training for members of the curricular commissions on the modernisation of the programme documents, incorporating common goals into subject-curricula and knowledge catalogues for developing didactic recommendations and using the computer application for designing subject curricula and knowledge catalogues.

In December 2023, the relevant Curriculum Council approved the document "Common goals and their incorporation into the subject-curricula and knowledge catalogues" developed by the relevant Commission.

The Commission identified five areas of common goals:

• Language, citizenship, culture, and art
• Sustainable development
• Health and wellbeing
• Digital competence
• Entrepreneurship (including financial literacy).

Within these areas, the Commission selected sub-areas or competences, and defined key (fundamental) goals, which the subject-specific curricular commissions could sensibly incorporate among the subject goals and knowledge standards in their subject-curriculum and didactic recommendations.

In November 2023, the Government adopted the Strategy for the Integration of Non-European Union Nationals into the Cultural, Economic, and Social Life of the Republic of Slovenia. It is based on the fundamental principles of integration policy, which in an open and democratic society enables the integration of all social subsystems into society. The goals of the strategy are defined by individual sections in a way that aims for the broadest social and societal integration of foreigners into society.

Sections of the strategy are:

• Language integration
• Integration in the field of education
• Integration into the labour market
• Integration into the local environment
• Optimization of administrative procedures and elimination of administrative barriers
• Cooperation with diasporas.

Within the segment on integration in the field of education, the following goals are envisioned:

• Creating normative foundations that will enable the successful linguistic integration of immigrant children and students into the education system.
• Further development of learning materials and ensuring quality teaching of Slovenian as a second and foreign language.
• Establishing normative foundations for the successful inclusion of immigrant children and students in the educational environment.
• Training of education staff to promote the social and cultural integration of immigrant children and students and a supportive learning environment.

In August 2023, the Government of the Republic of Slovenia adopted the strategy and action plan for the greenefication of the public educational and research infrastructure in Slovenia until 2030. It was a strategic document that served as the basis of the systematic and development-centred system of funding public educational and research infrastructure until 2030. The strategy aims to upgrade public infrastructure to satisfy the requirements of modern educational and research processes.

In June 2023, the ministry responsible for labour, family, social matters and equal opportunities laid before the Government the draft resolution on the national programme for equal opportunities for women and men until 2030. This strategic document includes goals and actions, as well as key institutions that will spearhead the policies of equal opportunities for women and men in individual areas of life in the Republic of Slovenia from 2021 to 2040. For the sector of education, the draft document determines this goal and foresees two actions aimed at lowering gender segregation:

• Including the content of gender equality in the subject-curricula, learning material and programmes of professional development in education, as well as establishing gender equality during lessons and after-school activities along with diversity and transversal attributes.
• Promoting non-gender stereotyped choices of education programmes and studies at all levels of education.

In March 2023, the ministry responsible for labour, family, social matters and equal opportunities released for public consultation the draft resolution on the national programme of preventing domestic violence and violence against women that lists seven aims:

• Diverse, continuous, quality and widely accessible social care and other support programmes for domestic violence victims and victims of violence against women, and programmes for perpetrators of domestic violence and violence against women.
• Better treatment and protection of domestic violence victims and victims of violence against women, as well as better procedures (practices) for managing these problems.
• Highly competent professional staff who know how and have experience in dealing with matters of domestic violence and violence against women, and victims of such violence.
• Zero tolerance towards domestic violence and violence against women, high level of awareness of this area and preventive activities in the society.
• Improved/modernised/up-to-date rules on preventing domestic violence and violence against women by including the aspect of gender.
• Providing quality information about domestic violence and violence against women.
• Improved organisation of the preventing domestic violence and violence against women, human and financial sources for sustainable operations of the system and improved and consistent cooperation of all relevant stakeholders.

Within those aims, the draft resolution foresees certain actions in the area of education, too, such as setting up a single approach to keeping records and administrating the database about child victims of domestic violence and victims of bullying (by gender, age), and regular raising awareness and education about the problems of online violence against women and children, namely for students of basic school, upper secondary school and education staff.

In January 2023, the Service of the Republic of Slovenia for digital transformation developed the draft Digital Slovenia 2030 strategy. See Chapter 14.5.

Other policy developments

In December, the Public call for co-funding the status rights of athletes included in the education system for the year 2024 was published in the Official Gazette.

The goals of the public call are to:

• Improve the quality of incentives for sport-talented schoolchildren
• Provide support in coordinating school and sports obligations
• Increase the quality of work in sports departments in secondary schools.

The anticipated co-funding of the mentioned content in 2024 amounts to up to €372,752.00.

In December 2023, the Act amending the Scholarship Act was published in the Official Gazette. It enabled a student with a socially weaker background, who achieves exceptional achievements, to receive both a need-based state and merit-based Zois scholarship simultaneously starting from the 2024/2025 school year. The amendment also specified that the state scholarships as of January 1, 2024, will remain at the same level as they were at the end of 2023.

One of the novelties is the transfer of the Ad futura scholarships to the ministry responsible for higher education and the ministry responsible for education. Currently, its implementation is in the realm of the Ministry of Labor, Family, Social Affairs, and Equal Opportunities, for which the procedures at the first level are conducted by the Public Scholarship, Development, Disability, and Maintenance Fund. Since it primarily promotes study abroad, the funding and authority for this type of scholarship was transferred with the amendment to the Ministry for Higher Education, Science and Innovation, and the Ministry of Education. The transfer of the Ad futura scholarships will be conducted for the school or academic year 2025/2026.

The amendment also unified the naming and aligned the legislation with the new concept of selection and co-funding of school competitions, adopted in May 2021 by the then Ministry of Education, Science, and Sport. The School competition co-funding Rules adopted at that time classified competitions into selection and interest competitions, which was inconsistent with the terminology defined in the Scholarship Act.

In November 2023, the minister responsible for education adopted the Rules amending the Rules on the teaching certification examination. Among others, an additional condition was specified for education staff applying to take the professional examination for a preschool teacher, preschool teacher assistant, teacher, lecturer of higher vocational school, accompanist, instructor, or laboratory assistant, with completed five practical performances, namely, that they must now also do the practical performance as education staff in the officially recognised education programme or education programme with official recognition for which they have to by law pass the professional examination in education.

In October 2023, the Act amending the Act on Special Rights of the Italian and Hungarian National Communities in Education was published in the Official Gazette. The amendment allowed children with special needs to be placed into a relevant adapted and special educational programme regardless of the municipality of their permanent residence. Previously, only children from the ethnically mixed area could be placed in a bilingual school implementing adapted and special educational programmes. Now, this is also an option for children with special needs who have a permanent residence outside this area.

In October 2023, the Ministry of Education issued draft amendments to the following rules:

• Rules amending the Rules on the methods of funding education programmes of the bilingual upper secondary school
• Rules amending the Rules on the methods of funding education programmes and the behaviour-related education programme in upper secondary education
• Rules amending the Rules on the methods of funding education programmes of the upper secondary schools with Italian language of instruction
• Rules amending the Rules on norms for funding higher vocational colleges.

The proposed changes add new alternative posts for accounting-administrative and technical staff, which will be considered in calculating the cost per student of upper secondary education programmes and which schools can classify from December 1, 2021, onward, and changes in the area of salaries, as determined by Annex H to the Collective Agreement for the Education Sector in the Republic of Slovenia (Off. Gaz. RS, No. 136/22) and Annex H to the Collective Agreement for the Education Sector in the Republic of Slovenia (Off. Gaz. RS, No. 11/23), relevant from April 1, 2023. On April 1, 2023, the classifications of posts or titles were raised by one pay bracket.

In September 2023, the minister responsible for education and training adopted the new Rules on the criteria and methods for the valuation of material expenses in educational institutions for children with special needs. The new regulation included among the criteria for valuing material costs for professional centres also an intensive group, an apartment for youth, and a group in a daily form of work. It also provided for an allowance for telecommunications costs for the institution or professional centre that does not have free broadband internet access.

In September 2023, the Public call for the co-funding of the "Modernization of Computer Networks in Educational Institutions" project within the Recovery and Resilience Plan was published in the Official Gazette. It is aiming to update the computer networks at educational institutions in basic and upper secondary education, as well as adult education organizations by June 30, 2026, thereby ensuring appropriate technology for the remote automatic management of networks. The total amount of funds allocated under the public call amounts to €3,525,800.00, including VAT.

In September 2023, the Act Determining Intervention Measures for Recovery from the Floods and Landslides of August 2023 was published in the Official Gazette. To facilitate the renovation and elimination of flood consequences for parents who suffered property damage, among other provisions, the law specified that for the school year 2023/2024, students are provided with free lunch or snack based on the decision of the Social Work Centre.

In September 2023, the Act Determining the Intervention Measures to Remedy the Consequences of the Floods and Landslides in August 2023 to provide immediate help to affected people in natural disasters and it determined an intervention to help pay for school meals. By this law, the children now have the right based on the decision on the extraordinary funds for floods and landslides relief to a subsidy for school meals in the amount of the school snack and/or school lunch (upper secondary students to the subsidy for a school snack in the amount of the price for a school snack). The funds for subsidies of school meals will be provided by the state budget. The eligibility period will be from 1 September 2023 to 31 December 2023.

In September 2023, a group of parliament members laid before the National Assemble draft Act amending the Scholarship Act. See chapter 14.4.

In August 2023, the minister responsible for education adopted the Rules on the promotion of education staff to titles. The rules were adopted as required with the amendment of the 105 Article Organisation and Financing of Education Act that introduced a new title senior advisor in education and is read as the realisation of the Strike Agreement between the Government of the Republic and the Education, Science and Culture Trade Union of Slovenia. The rules also determine the extended selection of criteria on the evaluation of extra professional activities, include and address in particular promotion extra/lenient criteria for professional staff in officially recognised education programmes for children and youth with special educational needs, and provides for preschool teachers who carry out the modified education programme for SEN preschool children to be promoted as it applies for preschool teachers in kindergartens (before the promotion rules for other education staff applied).

In July 2023, the minister responsible for education adopted the Order to amend the Music education programme in basic music and dance education. The amendment introduced to the timetable of the Music in basic music and dance education programme a new subject cimbalom and the relevant subject-curriculum. The amended timetable and the new subject-curriculum will be put into effect with the 2024/2025 school year.

In June 2023, the National Assembly adopted the Act amending the School Meals Act. From 1 September 2027, all basic school children will be entitled to free school lunches. During transitional period, for basic school students in households with average monthly income per person as determined with the child benefit decision below income bracket 4 as specified by the Act on Right to Public Funds the entitlement to the free lunch will start with 1 September 2023; for those above the upper threshold of the income bracket 4 and below upper threshold of the income bracket 5 the entitlement to the subsidy for lunch in the amount of 50 percent of the lunch price will start with 1 September 2024. The Act also determined that the ministry will within three months since the Act had entered into force publish a public call for proposals for a pilot project on a central school kitchen to allow for a more modern food preparation for several educational institution. The central school kitchen would be organised in the scope of a public educational institution. The funds for the pilot project will be provided from the state budget and the budget of a local community.

In June 2023, the minister responsible for education adopted amendment to the following rules as required by the amendment to the norms and standards in basic and upper secondary school:

• Rules amending the Rules on norms and standards of implementing the basic school programme
• Rules on norms and standards of implementing education programmes for SEN children
• Rules amending the Rules on norms and standards of implementing music school programme
• Rules amending the Rules on norms and standards of implementing the basic school programme in bilingual basic schools and basic schools with Italian language of instruction
• Rules amending the Rules on norms and standards for the implementation of education programmes and the education programme for students with emotional and behavioural disorders in upper secondary education
• Rules amending the Rules on norms and standards in the bilingual upper secondary school
• Rules amending the Rules on norms and standards in upper secondary schools with Italian languages of instruction
• Rules amending the Rules on methods of funding education programmes and the education programme for students with emotional and behavioural problems in upper secondary education

The main amendments to the norms and standards in basic schools relate to lowering the requirement for school meals organisers in basic schools, more favourable requirements for a counselling staff, more favourable criteria for the post of head teacher assistants, change in norm for a teaching load in schools with fewer classes, new criteria for classification of the accountant post, optional classification of administrative posts, lower norm of implementing the outdoor school programme, and classification of extra hours in Slovenian or initial lessons of Slovenian for students foreigners.

Amended norms and standards of implementing education programmes for SEN children relate to pursuing by analogy the amendments proposed to basic schools and upper secondary schools also to amended obligation within educational activities and number of preschool teachers in an individual group, classification of the new posts teacher and preschool teacher to communicate with students in the Slovenian sign language, and teacher and preschool teacher to pursue activities with deaf blind, a more favourable requirement for the classification of carers, norm for setting up classes of only children with serious or severe intellectual disabilities, and new criteria for setting up classes for mobile service of the mobile team.

Amended norms and standards in upper secondary schools introduce changes that apply by analogy to all levels of education and for upper secondary SEN students and relate also among others to more appropriate evaluation of teacher's activities of organising and coordinating other forms of educational activities, and to the implementation of norms for accompanying students in all forms of organised activities with students that are part of education programme and run outside school space.

In July 2023, the ministry responsible for education put into inter-ministerial coordination the draft Act amending the Basic School Act. The main solutions introduced in the draft law relate to changes in national assessment, introduction of the new concept of the extended basic school programme, introduction of compulsory learning the first foreign language from grades 1 to 9 and the second foreign language from grades 7 to 9, and stricter requirements for home-schooling. It makes the national assessment compulsory for grade 3 students. The aim is to observe the results also in the first educational period, and to give an option of making the national assessment testing high-stakes or use the results as one of the selection criteria in case of capped enrolment in upper secondary education.

The draft amendments to the law propose a new concept of the extended programme in the scope of which the school develop a stimulating and safe learning environment with more room for cooperation among students, more options for applying the principle of equal opportunities and considering the needs and interests of students. The law introduces three thematic areas: movement and health for good psychical and physical well-being, culture and tradition, and the life and work of basic school.

The draft amendments to the law also propose the beginning of compulsory learning of the second foreign language in the third educational period (grades 7 to 9) and the beginning of the compulsory learning the first foreign language in grade 1. As to home schooling the draft proposes making home-schooled students equal to students at school whereby the main goal is for the first to acquire the equal educational standard. Now the knowledge of home-schooled students would be assessed in all subjects of the relevant timetable of the officially recognised basic school programme in which the student is taking part.

In June 2023, the Act amending the Organisation and Financing of Education Act was published in the official gazette Uradni list Republike Slovenije. It established among others the legal background for continuing the trial implementation of innovation if the innovation had not yet been introduced into the education system at the end of its trial implementation, so that would mean a temporary discontinuation of the activities. To avoid this, the act determined that after the end of the trial at the national level, the minister will issue a decision to continue the implementation of the new programme or innovation at schools and kindergartens that participated in the trail and under the same conditions as they applied during the trial and do so until the end of the school year following the end of the trial.

By law now, the barriers to employment in the education of individuals without all requirements fulfilled have been reduced. It determined that an employer could enter into agreement with a candidate who does fulfil the requirements for level and field of education but no certificate of professional examination for a fixed term of two years. During this term the newly employed professional staff can pass the professional examination, and then enter an open-ended employment agreement. Candidates who fulfil the requirements for level and field of education, but do not have a pedagogical, pedagogical-andragogical or special-pedagogical educational qualification can be offered to enter a fixed-term employment agreement of three years if they enrol within one year of entering the employment agreement on a relevant study programme to obtain pedagogical, pedagogical-andragogical or special-pedagogical educational qualification. If the professional staff fulfil all the requirements, they can be offered to enter an open-ended employment agreement.

In May 2023, the Government of the Republic of Slovenia adopted the draft Act amending the Act on Special Rights of Italian and Hungarian National Communities in Education. The draft provided for SEN children to be placed in relevant modified and special education programme irrespective of the permanent residence. It established legal background for SEN children without residence in a bilingual area to enrol in schools in bilingual areas.

In April 2023, the ministry responsible for education issued a public call for applications for co-funding of classes offering extra sports in basic schools for the 2023/2024 school year. The aim is to increase hours of sports in basic schools and improve the quality and attractiveness of sports education for children and youth. The subject of the call is co-funding classes offering extra sports in basic schools that carry out the officially recognised programme at the level of the first educational period. Eligible applicants are basic schools that carry out the officially recognised education programme and will in the 2023/2024 school year, set up classes offering extra sports for students enrolled in grades 1 2 and 3 whereby the programme must include at least 1 extra hour of sports per week.

In April 2023, the minister responsible for education adopted the Rules amending the Rules on additional professional and physical assistance for children with special needs. It determined among others that in special circumstances, additional professional assistance to overcome disabilities, barriers and disorders and in the form of counselling will be granted also to children placed in a special programme if they need additional professional assistance in tyflopedagogy, surdopedagogcy, social pedagogy and speech therapy. It also determined that deaf-blind children placed in a modified programme and with entitlement by a placement decision to an interpreter, receive assistance in the language of deaf-blind persons or in other relevant forms of communication from a teacher or preschool teacher or interpreter for deaf-blind persons. A teacher or preschool teacher for communication in the Slovenian sign language or a teacher to work with deaf-blind students can be provided to schools, in which students have been placed, by institutes for education of SEN children and youth established for activities with deaf and hard of hearing or with blind children and youth, or the school can enter an agreement for provision of a service.

In April 2023, the Government of the Republic of Slovenia adopted the Action plan of the Republic of Slovenia for child guarantee 2022 to 2030. The aim of the plan is to establish equal opportunities for all children and prevent intergenerational poverty. It will help to raise the level of well-being of children, enable to all children equal opportunities and rights, strengthen the protections and security, and improve the options of inclusion and participation for children. Special focus is on general accessibility of early childhood education and care, education (including school activities), at least one healthy meal every school day for all children, widely accessible health care, and efficient access to healthy nutrition and proper accommodation. In developing target actions, a special attention was on children migrants, children with migrant background or children from ethnic minorities (in particular Roma children), children with special needs, children with mental health problems and/or mental disorders, and children who live in dysfunctional, uncertain family circumstances and/or children with disadvantaged socio-economic background, and children in alternative care (in particular institutional).

In April 2023, the minister responsible for education adopted the Order to amend the adapted education programme with lower educational standard of nine-year basic school. It determined following the decisions by the Council of experts of the Republic of Slovenia for general education subject-curricula for a compulsory subject Technics and technology, optional subjects in Treatment of materials: wood, man-made material and metals, and a compulsory subject of Fine art. Subject curricula will start to apply with the 2023/2024 school year.

In March 2023, the ministry responsible for education advertised a call for applications for 170 traineeship posts for the 2023/2024 school year. Selected candidates enter the traineeship employment relationship for pursuing educational activities of a teacher, preschool teachers, counselling staff or librarian in basic school and institutes for education of SEN children and youth, music school, residential hall for basic school and upper secondary students, upper secondary schools that are registered under providers of officially recognised programmes. The eligible candidates meet specific requirements for trainees in education for educational qualification and seek first employment in education or have fewer experience than required to be able to take professional examination.

In March 2023, the Strike Agreement between the Government of the Republic and the Education, Science and Culture Trade Union of Slovenia was published in the official gazette. Among others, it determined agreement about norms and standards in education, relations between salary brackets of education staff and salaries of staff in other subgroups, introduction of the new senior Councillor title, resolving of open issues of a worker posted on a several day educational activity or accompanying outside the school’s or institute’s catchment area, overall regime and valuation of extra work of education staff for increased weekly teaching load and replacements that is pursued in the form of teaching lessons, and agreement to consider the principle of equal valuation of teaching and research jobs for which a doctoral degree is required.

In March 2023, the ministry responsible for education advertised an call for selection and co-funding of the continuous professional development for the 2023/2023 school year. It was an invitation to apply to providers of the CPD programmes for education staff that will be listed in the Catalogue of further education and training programmes for the 2023/2024 school year. Among the programmes proposed, certain will be selected for co-funding from the state budget. Besides general themes, the call lists also the following priority themes:

• Teaching, learning and assessment of results in the learning and study process aimed in particular at the modern teaching technology and innovative approaches to teaching and learning
• Sustainable development and active citizenship
• Talented in the educational process and education of SEN children (sensibilisation and training for new pedagogical methods and approaches)
• Implementation of life-long career guidance and provision of equal opportunities aimed in particular at vulnerable groups
• Socio-emotional competence and well-being in education, and raising awareness in education staff to be able to cope with topics of mental health and addiction
• Counselling activities within educational and study process
• Development of proficiency in Slovenian language, bilingual/plurilingual and media literacy.

In March 2023, the Act amending the Matura Act was put into inter-ministerial coordination. It further elaborated on the right to take matura examination in two parts and the method on how to obtain that right; it further elaborated on the circumstances, too, that would apply as justified for recognising the autumn term as the same as the spring term when enrolling in tertiary education.

In February 2023, the ministry responsible for education put up for inter-ministerial coordination the draft Act amending the Act on Special Rights of Italian and Hungarian National Communities in Education. The amendment proposed allows for children with special educational needs to be placed in adapted and special education programmes not considering the municipality of the child’s permanent residence. By law now, only children from ethnically mixed areas can be placed in bilingual schools providing adapted and special education programmes. According to the amendment, this option will not be limited, so children with special educational needs whose permanent residence is outside that area could be placed there.

In February 2023, the ministry responsible for education issued a public call for applications for scholarships for students in initial teacher education study programmes for the academic year 2023/2024. See chapter 14.4.

In February 2023, the minister responsible for education adopted the Rules amending the Rules on the teaching certification examination. It introduced the pedagogical practice as working experience suitable for taking the professional examination for trainees, too, in the share of one-third at most of the scope determined for pedagogical practice in education or study programmes; and the organised direct activity aimed to educate in the scope of 55 hours at most for education staff with upper secondary educational qualification and of 80 hours for education staff with short-cycle higher vocational or higher education. Before, it applied only to education staff who had not done traineeship in education but had conducted educational activities in a kindergarten or school. The Rules introduced also the option of complementary taking the professional examination for candidates who had been or will be education staff in a kindergarten or school with the Italian medium of instruction or bilingual kindergarten or school and who had already passed the professional examination according to this Rules but not according to the Act on Special Rights of the Italian and Hungarian National Communities in Education. The amendment gives the national communities a greater guarantee for a higher quality of lessons in their respective language.

In February 2023, the minister responsible for education adopted the Rules amending the Rules on the selection and co-funding of continuing education and training programmes for education staff. The Rules included programmes of public institutes and programmes of higher education institutions among the programmes of career development. The relevant public institutes are those tasked to develop and provide advisory services. The Government of the Republic of Slovenia established them to pursue activities and responsibilities needed for the provision of education. So, the programmes of those institutes are programmes of career development which are organised according to the annual plan of the institutes. The study groups and mentor networks are on the list. Programmes of higher education institutions are programmes for the career development of education staff which are provided and organised by the higher education institutions or public research institutes.

In February 2023, the minister responsible for education adopted three rules for education in ethnically mixed areas:

• Rules on the Italian language proficiency level in kindergartens and schools with Italian medium of instruction
• Rules on Hungarian language proficiency in bilingual kindergartens and schools
• Rules on the national community language level test for education in ethnically mixed areas.

The first two determine requirements for:

• Proficiency in Italian or Hungarian language as the medium of instruction which education staff in kindergartens and schools must demonstrate.
• Proficiency in Italian or Hungarian language as the languages of national communities which administrative-technical staff must demonstrate in schools and kindergartens.

The third Rules determined requirements and schemes for granting or revoking a public authorisation for organising the exam in Italian or Hungarian language proficiency as mediums of instruction or languages of national communities, as well as the scope, content and method of administering examination for pursuing educational and other activities in kindergartens or schools with Italian medium of instruction or bilingual kindergartens and schools.

In January 2023, the Annex to the Collective Agreement for the Education Sector in the Republic of Slovenia was published in the official gazette Uradni list Republike Slovenije. See chapter 14.1.