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Eurydice

EACEA National Policies Platform:Eurydice
Support measures for learners in early childhood and school education

Slovakia

12.Educational support and guidance

12.3Support measures for learners in early childhood and school education

Last update: 22 July 2024

Definition of the target groups

According to a report from the Institute of Education Policy in the Field of Early Childhood Education and Care (Inštitútu vzdelávacej politiky v oblasti ranej starostlivosti a vzdelávania), the groups most at risk of early school leaving were identified as children from socially disadvantaged backgrounds and children with health disadvantages. Children with disadvantages tend to have lower attendance rates in preschools, poorer results in international and national testing, higher rates of grade repetition, and a greater likelihood of early school dropout.

Both groups of children are considered children with special educational needs.

The Catalogue of Support Measures (Katalóg podporných opatrení) describes the target group of pupils at risk of failure or leaving school early as follows: 

  • pupils repeating a grade,  
  • pupils with significantly worse resultt in a specific subject compared to the previous quarter-term, 
  • pupils with a higher number of unjustified missed classes compared to the average in the respective grade, 
  • pupils with a higher number of justified missed classes compared to the average in the respective grade, 
  • pupils from families in material need, 
  • pupils from socially disadvantaged environments, 
  • pupils who returned from abroad, 
  • pupils with different mother tongues, 
  • pupils with disabilities, 
  • pupils prone to reclusion, disinterest, apathy, anxiety, 
  • pupils with emotional problems (strong emotions, silné emócie, hostile behaviour towards classmates, abrupt mood swings), 
  • pupils at risk of social exclusion. bullying, etc.  
  • pupils not interested in school, 
  • pupils with long-term unfavourable home environment, 
  • pupils who found themselves in a sudden critical family situation, 
  • other...

Specific support measures

As both groups identified as groups of pupils at risk of leaving school early are defined by the Education Act (Školský zákon) as pupils with special educational needs, measures described in 12.1 Special education needs provision within mainstream education: Specific support measures apply to them. 

Desegregation

The Education Act (Školský zákon) explicitly prohibits the segregation of children from socially disadvantaged environments. Children with special educational needs who are not disabled are assigned to classes with other children. Children cannot be assigned to separate classes for children with special educational needs solely based on the fact that they come from a socially disadvantaged environment.

Attendance in pre-primary education.

Compared to the EU average, there is a low rate of children's attendance in early childhood education in Slovakia. This rate is even lower among vulnerable groups of children who benefit the most from quality early childhood education. One of the reasons for this situation is inadequate capacity in kindergartens. Several municipalities with marginalized Roma communities face particularly severe capacity constraints.

In recent years, several measures have been implemented to support increased children's attendance in early childhood education. Since 2021, an amendment to the Education Act has introduced compulsory pre-primary education for children at the age of 5, as well as a legal entitlement for children to be admitted to pre-primary education. The implementation of this reform is gradual. Starting from the school year 2024/2025, there will be a legal entitlement to admission to kindergarten for children aged 4, and from the school year 2025/2026, for children aged 3.

The expansion of kindergarten capacities is also supported under Slovakia's Recovery and Resilience Plan through calls to increase kindergarten capacities (výzvy na zvýšenie kapacít materských škôl).

Counselling and prevention system

In 2023, the counselling and prevention system was transformed so that services and counselling were provided according to the child’s, pupil’s, and family’s needs and not only the diagnosis.

The counselling system works on interconnected levels which range from prevention and professional activities provided by the class teacher, educational counsellor, and multidisciplinary team directly at school to professional activities (diagnostics, reeducation, rehabilitation, prevention programmes, etc.)  provided in counselling and prevention centres and specialised counselling and prevention centre. All elements of the counselling system cooperate. 

Pupils at risk of leaving school early are therefore provided support in terms of increasing inclusiveness of the educational system and provision of career guidance in schools or counselling centres.

To identify students at risk of early school leaving, the Ministry of Education issued an application tool called 'How to Be Successful in School' (Ako byť v škole úspešnejší). This methodological resource includes specific steps to help identify students at risk of early school dropout and to establish collaboration with counselling centres, school heads, teachers, parents, and the students themselves. The manual is part of a strategy aimed at minimizing grade repetition. As part of efforts to increase inclusiveness in the education system, there is a focus on training pedagogical and professional staff in schools to work effectively with children from socially disadvantaged backgrounds and those with disabilities.

Under Slovakia's Recovery Plan, the Ministry of Education announces calls for the allocation of financial resources aimed at building inclusive education and supporting groups of students at risk of early school leaving. 

The call 'Assistant educator for kindergartens' (Pomocný vychovávateľ pre materské školy aims to support kindergartens and special kindergartens through employing an assistant educator as a non-pedagogical employee to assist with providing compulsory pre-primary education to children with health disadvantages and/or children from socially disadvantaged environments.

The call 'Wiser together' (Spolu múdrejší)  aims to support primary schools which will employ quality and accessible extra after-school lessons for their pupils to create conditions for the pupils to improve their knowledge and skills outside school hours.

The call 'After-school club fee compensation for pupils from socially disadvantaged environments and in material need' (Kompenzácia poplatku v školskom klube detí za žiakov zo sociálne znevýhodneného prostredia a v hmotnej núdzi) je odstrániť hlavnú prekážku (poplatky) pri zapojení sa žiakov zo sociálne znevýhodneného prostredia do činnosti školkého klubu detí.

Catalogue of support measures

The Catalogue of Support Measures is a detailed set of measures that schools, either independently or in collaboration with counselling centres, provide to support children at any risk, including the risk of early school leaving. This catalogue specifies supportive measures in education offered by schools or educational facilities, which are necessary to enable children or pupils to fully engage in education and development of their knowledge, skills, and abilities. Some supportive measures include activities aimed at preventing early school dropout before the final year of primary or secondary school.

Debarrierisation

The Ministry of Education, through a call for proposals, allocated financial resources from the Recovery and Resilience Mechanism to fund projects aimed at removing architectural barriers within school premises. The call intends to simplify the access to education in secondary schools for students with disabilities. The absence of architectural barriers should become a fundamental condition so that students can choose their secondary school education and future career path based not on the extent of a school's barrier removal, but primarily on their interests and goals.

Scholarship for pupils from socially disadvantaged environments

Financial support for pupils from socially disadvantaged environments is provided in the form of a scholarship. For more information see chapter 3.1 Early childhood and school education funding

Second-chance education 

People who did not complete primary school can continue their education in two-year or three-year lower secondary vocational education study fields (F-study fields). They can also complete primary school and obtain lower-secondary education (so-called second-chance education courses) organised by primary and secondary vocational schools.   More detailed information can be found in chapter 8.4 Main types of provision.

Speech therapy

Any child can receive speech therapy, if required due to their health disadvantage – provided by a school speech therapist either directly in school or in a counselling and prevention centre or special counselling and prevention centre.

A school speech therapist performs diagnostic, therapeutic, prevention and counselling activities focusing on impaired communication abilities. They keep records of their professional activities, which are a part of centres’ documentation. They create:

  • report on speech therapy diagnostic for the children's education needs,
  • documents supporting the proposals for the form of children's education,
  • documents promoting the provision of optimum conditions for children's education,
  • reports on the course of the therapy for the purpose of education or other purpose in the children's interest, if necessary.

A school speech therapist who is an employee of a centre specialising in counselling for children with impaired communication ability also provides professional-methodological help to

  • professional employees from other special pedagogical counselling centres,
  • school special pedagogues,
  • other professional employees of schools and school facilities including pedagogical staff in schools,
  • general practitioners for children and youth,   
  • specialist doctor,
  • clinical speech therapists and
  • professional employees of facilities providing social care to children.

Language course - support measure

Language support should ensure that children/pupils learn the school’s language of instruction faster and complete the educational process more successfully.   The support measure focuses on mastering the school’s language of instruction 

  • By children/pupils whose mother tongue is different from the language of instruction  of the school they attend and 

  • By children/pupils, whose knowledge of the school’s language of instruction is not appropriate for their age. 

As part of the negotiation process and upon the founder’s request, the Ministry may adjust the amount of allocated normative financial resources for the provision of the school's instruction language courses or other support for acquiring proficiency in the school's instruction language.