The main aim of evaluation is:

• evaluating quality depending on efficiency and efficacy,
• to provide assistance at decision-making on questions of education,
• to monitor not only the content, but also to consider the conditions of teaching and learning, to support the formative aspects of the teaching process,
• to record both the strengths and weaknesses in development of the children and pupils, and
• successive results of educational process at the level of classes, schools and the entire system.

The quality of the school and institution work is monitored and evaluated both internally (self-evaluation) and externally (evaluation).

Regional Education

Internal evaluation of institutions - kindergartens, primary schools, secondary schools and school facilities - is carried out in compliance with the Decree on Structure and Content of Reports on Educational Activity, its Results and Conditions of Schools and School Facilities. Schools can also perform optional self-evaluation in compliance with the defined rules, procedures and tools of self-evaluation, results of which will be used to improve the quality of their work.

Individual evaluation of a

1. teacher is performed based on the Act  on Professional and Pedagogical Employees and Professional Employees.

Results, quality and difficulty of the performance of pedagogical or professional activity, the extent of acquirement and use of professional competencies of pedagogical or professional staff are assessed by

• the induction teacher - in the case of newly qualified teacher - continuously and at the end of the adaptation period,
• head teacher/ deputy head teacher, once a year, by the end of the school year.

A written report on the evaluation is made, whose content, extent and form are the responsibility of the head teacher, who will elaborate on the principles of teachers' evaluation in the work order.

2. head teacher is performed based on the Act  on State Administration in Education and School Self-government.

The external evaluation is based on:

• national external evaluation of pupils and students of primary and secondary schools
• control and evaluation of schools and school facilities by the school inspection;
• external evaluation of final examinations, state examinations and certification in further education,
• involvement in international projects (e.g., PIRLS, PISA, TIMSS, IALS, etc.).

Higher education institutions

Internal evaluation of higher education institutions is performed in a form of an annual report on the higher education institution's activity compiled in compliance with the Directive defining the form and deadline for the submission of the annual report on higher education institution’s activity and the annual report on the higher education institution's management.

Independent external evaluation of the quality of educational, research, development, and artistic activities of higher education institutions falls under the responsibility of the Accreditation commission which assesses conditions in which the higher education institutions' activity takes place.

In the statement of government policy of the Slovak Republic for the period of 2012-2016 for the area of knowledge society, education and culture, in the part of education, youth, science, technology, research and sport, it is emphasized that:

• the government shall guarantee larger independence of the State school inspection,  by providing better personal, material-technical and legislative conditions for its expertly high and professional activity, extended by the methodical help.
• the government shall create such conditions that the Accreditation commission takes more expressively into account the quality of the alumni measured by means of internal systems of securing quality at higher educational institutions, which shall be transparent, based on international standards and provide objective information in sufficient measure on the successfulness of the graduates of individual programmes, disciplines, faculties and universities.
• the government shall aim particular attention to the systematic provision of conditions in order to keep or provide for the return of the graduates from the doctoral studies from abroad, and on the position of post-doctorate students at higher educational institutions and in the Slovak Academy of Sciences. It shall support growth of the quality of work with doctorate students and their implementation to domestic and international science projects and educational activities.

Legislative References

Act No. 245/2008 on Education and Training (Education Act) and on the Change and Supplement to Some Acts as Amended by Subsequent Provisions (Act of the National Council of the SR).
Act No. 596/2003 on State Administration in Education and School Self-government and on Change and Supplements of Some Acts as Amended by Subsequent Provisions (Act of the National Council of the SR).
Act No. 317/2009 on Professional and Pedagogical Employees and Professional Employees and on the Change and Supplement to Some Acts (Act of the National Council of the SR).
Decree No. 9/2006 on Structure and Content of Reports on Educational Activity, its Results and Conditions of Schools and School Facilities (Decree of the Ministry of Education of the SR).
Directive no. 46/2011 of 19th September 2011 Defining the Form and Deadline for the Submission of the Annual Report on Higher Education Institution’s Activity and the Annual Report on the Higher Education Institution's Management.