Quality assurance in the area of further education is provided mainly by accreditation of further education programmes.

Secondary schools obtain accreditation for educational programmes of further education that are equivalent to study fields listed for the school concerned registered in the network. 

Higher education institutions obtain accreditation for educational programmes of further education based on valid accreditation of higher education study programmes.

Quality assurance is also monitored by systematic monitoring activity, carried out by the Ministry of Education, Research, Development, and Youth of the Slovak Republic.

Responsible bodies

Accreditation Commission for Further Education (SK) is an advisory body of the Ministry of Education, Research, Development, and Youth of the Slovak Republic. Details of the Accreditation Commission for Further Education activities are governed by its statute. Accreditation Commission for Further Education validates educational institutions’ capability of to provide educational programmes and it recommends that the Ministry issues a certificate of accreditation of an educational programme if the requirements are met.

In addition, Accreditation Commission for Further Education: 

• Performs evaluation and monitoring of the quality of the accredited educational activities provided.
• Performs professional counselling activities in the area of further education for central and regional state and self-governing authorities.
• Makes proposals for conceptual work of the ministry in further education. 
• Authorized persons are Ministry employees and professionals from the area of educational content authorised by the Ministry to perform monitoring activity.

Approaches and methods for quality assurance

Internal evaluation

All institutions providing accredited forms of education regardless of the founder, are obliged to perform evaluations concerning compliance with

• legal regulations, 
• educational norms and documents, 
• purposefulness and efficiency of using the material and technical means and financial resources and personnel conditions for the educational activity, etc.

External evaluation

Accreditation in the area of lifelong learning

Accreditation is a state validation of higher education institutions’ capability to provide accredited educational programmes in compliance with the conditions set by the Act on lifelong learning. The accreditation is granted by the Ministry of Education, Research, Development, and Youth of the Slovak Republic based on the statement of the Accreditation Commission for Further Education.

Accreditation of an education programme is:  

• assessment and confirmation of the educational programme content and extent;  
• assessment and confirmation of the assessed educational programme’s compliance  with the respective qualification standard; 
• validation of the educational institution’s capacity to provide educational programme in terms of personnel and equipment. 

In order for an educational programme accreditation certificate to be issued, the educational institution has to: 

1. submit the proof of an expert guarantee’s professional and teaching competence, 
2. submit the proof of lecturers/teachers’ professional and teaching competence, 
3. submit the proof of material, equipment and space required for the provision of an educational programme, 
4. submit an educational programme of appropriate extent and complexity, 
5. Accreditation Commission’s recommendation. 

Certificate of the accreditation of an educational programme for schools is issued for the period of the introduction of a study or educational field to the respective school in the network. Certificate of the accreditation of an educational programme is issued for the period of the validity of the respective accredited higher education study programme. Certificate of accreditation of an educational programme is issued for five years to all other educational institutions. Certificate of the accreditation of an educational programme is non-transferable and cannot be transferred to the educational institution’s legal successor.

Monitoring by the Ministry of Education, Research, Development, and Youth of the Slovak Republic

Subject of Monitoring by the Ministry of Education, Research, Development, and Youth of the Slovak Republic:

• Compliance of the accreditation requirements for educational programmes, 
• Compliance with the requirements under which the permission was granted to the educational institution.

Monitoring mainly concerns:

• Keeping the documentation of an educational programme. 
• Evaluation of the quality of an educational programme, adherence to the curriculum.
• Equipment and personnel resources of an educational programme as compared with the educational programme project that was the subject of accreditation.

The authorised person will make a protocol on the monitoring performed. 

The result of the monitoring performed are recorded in a protocol. If the requirements and obligations are not fulfilled, the ministry will impose measures to remedy deficiencies within a prescribed time period.Unless remedied, the ministry can use sanction mechanisms such as fines, withdrawal of the certificate of the accreditation of an educational programme and withdrawal of authorisation.