Curriculum, subjects, number of hours

Education at primary school is based on educational programmes 

• the state educational programme and
• the school educational programme.

State educational programmes define the general goals of schools and key competencies in a balanced development of pupils’ personalities as well as the framework educational content. State educational programmes provide the basis for the creation of school educational programmes, which reflect specific regional conditions and needs. Subjects from each educational area and the weekly number of compulsory and optional lessons for each grade are defined in the framework teaching plan.

The authority that is responsible for the state educational programme is the National Institute of Education and Youth (Národný inštitút vzdelávania a mládeže - NIVAM), which has central subject commissions for all subjects or educational areas. The commission members also include pedagogical and professional staff from all types of schools. When creating these pedagogical documents, NIVAM also closely cooperates with professional organisations such as the Association of Slovak Primary Schools, the Association of Private Schools and School Facilities, school heads, and practitioners.

The Ministry of Education, Research, Development, and Youth of the Slovak Republic approved the innovative state educational programme for the first stage of primary school (inovovaný Štátny vzdelávací program pre prvý stupeň základnej školy) and the innovative state educational programme for the second stage of primary school (inovovaný Štátny vzdelávací program pre druhý stupeň základnej školy) in February 2015. It was put into practice in September 2015. Based on the new curriculum reform, experimental verification of a new state educational programme for primary education (štátny vzdelávací program pre základné vzdelávanie), which will be compulsory from the school year 2026/2027, is underway.

The school educational programme is the key document of the school, according to which education in school takes place. The school education programme is published by the headteacher upon a discussion in the pedagogical board and the school board. It must comply with the principles and goals of education and the respective state educational programme. The compliance of the school educational programme with the state educational programme is monitored by the State School Inspection. The school educational programme contains the name of the educational programme, definition of its aims, level of education to be achieved upon its completion, the focus of the school, length of the study, the language of instruction, teaching plans and curricula, and the like. It reflects the focus of the school and the strategy set by the school management, region, and municipality. It considers the needs and possibilities of pupils and the pedagogical staff. It is the school’s statement on the idea of quality education. When creating the school educational programme, schools use optional lessons and create their teaching plan.

Teaching plans are based on the framework teaching plans from the state educational programme according to grades. They define the overall weekly number of lessons for respective grades of the school educational programme. Each type of school creates curricula at least to the extent defined by the educational standards of the respective state educational programme. The extent of the modifications to teaching plans and the creation of curricula must comply with the respective educational standards. The school educational plan uses all lessons at the school’s disposal. Schools can have more school educational plans if there are classes with a different focus. The teaching plan also lists new subjects that the school chose. The teaching plan also defines the manner of the implementation of transversal topics. If a school increases the number of hours for subjects from the state educational programme, it must create the curricula for each such subject. If new subjects are added, the school must create the curricula.

The framework teaching plans for primary education (ISCED 1) and lower secondary education (ISCED 2) are part of state educational programmes; they contain the educational areas and a list of compulsory and optional subjects and define the minimum number of lessons within the whole educational programme or its integrated part. Framework teaching plans:

• determine the minimum number of lessons for the whole educational period,
• determine the number of optional lessons for the whole educational period,
• determine the maximum number of lessons in a week in a grade,
• enable the school to distribute the lessons into grades at its discretion. 
   

Framework teaching plans and model curricula are created by the National Institute of Education and Youth (NIVAM). The institute cooperates with subject commissions, teachers, and methodologists and submits the proposal of framework teaching plans and model curricula to the Ministry of Education for approval. The approved framework teaching plans are binding. Schools that were not able to create their curricula can use the model curricula.

Framework teaching plans for primary schools of the State educational programme – ISCED 1, ISCED 2

Schools will use optional (available) lessons to complete school educational programme. Optional (available) lessons can be used for: 

• subjects that expand the content of the subjects included in the state educational programme,
• subjects that the school itself chooses and prepares their content, including subjects that form the school’s focus and experimentally verified innovative programmes implemented to school instruction,
• subjects which supplement the content of subjects for pupils with special educational needs who cannot progress within regular lessons and who follow individual educational programmes,
• specific subjects for pupils with special educational needs.

Schools are obliged to offer 7.–9.-grade pupils at least two lessons of a second foreign language a week using the optional lessons package: French, German, Russian, Spanish, and Italian – according to the possibilities of the school and pupils’ interest.

Transversal topics, which usually spread across more educational areas, are a mandatory part of the educational content. The transversal topics can be implemented in several forms – as an integral part of the educational content of educational areas and suitable subjects, as a separate subject within lessons forming the school’s focus, as a project (within the number of lessons allocated to the topic), or as a course. Non-formal implementation of the topics requires the use of activating and interactive teaching methods. The manner and time of the implementation is up to each school. At the lower secondary level of education, the state educational programme introduces the following transversal topics:

• Multicultural education (Multikultúrna výchova)
• Media education (Mediálna výchova)
• Personal and social development (Osobnostný a sociálny rozvoj)
• Environmental education (Environmentálna výchova)
• Traffic education – education on safety of the road traffic (Dopravná výchova - výchova k bezpečnosti v cestnej premávke)
• Protection of life and health (Ochrana života a zdravia)
• Regional education and traditional folk culture (Regionálna výchova a tradičná ľudová kultúra)
• Project creation and presentation skills (Tvorba projektu a prezentačné zručnosti)

To foster pupils’ specific interests and skills, schools can use the optional lessons and teaching plans with extended teaching of mathematics and sciences, sports, foreign language or foreign languages, technical education, arts, music, regional education, or regional history of the school. Schools can organise skiing or snowboarding courses, swimming courses, school trips, excursions, and schools in nature with the informed consent of pupils’ parents. They will provide substitute classes for pupils who do not take part in these activities.

The state educational programme also contains educational standards. Along with the teaching plan and curricula, they manage and regulate education in individual subjects. The educational standard comprises the content and performance part. The content part defines the elements of the basic the subject matter in individual thematic wholes. It represents the part of the subject matter that should be made available to every school and all pupils. The performance part of the education standard is comprised of requirements for pupils’ knowledge and skill – that is the new part of the subject matter that should be acquired by all pupils, be it on a qualitatively different level.
 

Teaching methods and materials

The choice of teaching methods is fully up to the teachers. The focus is on the goal that is to be achieved during the instruction in compliance with the content and performance standards of the state educational programme. Teachers use various combinations of teaching methods. Each of the teaching methods is applied depending on the aim of the lesson, the content of the subject matter, age peculiarities, etc. The teachers should encourage their pupils to participate in contests, exhibitions, subject Olympiads, and sports competitions, especially those that are aimed at the development of their talent, gifts, independent creative skills, and abilities.

From among common, traditional methods, a mention should be made of oral, object-demonstrative, practical, productive, motivational, exposition, fixation, diagnostic, and application methods. Recently, the following techniques have been much used in schools: cooperative learning, group work, work at the round table, brainstorming, face-to-face work, and jigsaw groups. The headteachers are advised to promote teaching strategies, methods, and procedures (interactive experience classes, project classes, and the like), which interlink the teaching and life, and develop the pupils’ competencies. Implementation of innovative pedagogical methods using information, communication, and digital technologies in schools should be favoured. Great attention should be paid to the protection of children using the internet. It is recommended to use supplementary digital educational content approved by NIVAM. Schools are recommended to take part in international school partnerships.

The headteachers are recommended to encourage the involvement of their teachers and pupils in competitions oriented at the development of their gifts and talents, independent creative professional theoretical skills and abilities, and various events connected with deepening their knowledge and skills and with preparation for career choice. Further, to create conditions for the realisation of classes and extra-curricular activities in the school library. To actively support and build the school library as the information, communication, and cultural centre of the school.

In compliance with Act no.245/2008 Coll. on education and training (Zákon  č. 245/2008 Z. z. o výchove a vzdelávaní), schools use educational publications approved by the Ministry of Education and other educational publications and software that are not approved by the Ministry of Education and that follow the principles and goals of education and training. Educational publications approved by a state-recognized church or religious society can be used to teach religion or religious education.

Schools can order textbooks through the publication portal (edičný portál) from the list of registered textbooks published on the ministry website. There might be more types of textbooks for each subject, and it is up to the school which textbook it will choose for its pupils. Textbooks are created by experienced teachers, who ask the ministry to issue the approval clause. A textbook is entered into the register based on the textbook reviewer’s recommendation. According to Act 597/2003 Coll. on financing primary schools, secondary schools, and school facilities (Zákon č. 597/2003 Z. z. o financovaní základných škôl), the Ministry of Education can allocate a subsidy to public school founders throughout the calendar year for purchasing educational publications listed in the register of educational publications with the clause issued under special legal regulation. The ministry can also allocate funding for educational publications to church and private school founders. Schools provide their pupils with educational publications, they can use them free of charge.

Different non-governmental organisations provide various methodological materials to support teachers, for example, in teaching global issues, human rights, environmental issues, etc. The National Institute of Education and Youth (NIVAM) and its regional offices provide teachers with training and schools with methodological support with the implementation of the new curriculum. NIVAM also prepared a set of accredited educational programmes that focus on developing reading comprehension. They are designed for all teachers regardless of the subject they teach. It also prepared different methodological materials to support the implementation of modern, innovative, and activating methods. Teachers can find methodological and support materials in the School Year Guide (Sprievodca školským rokom) published by the ministry every year.

Teachers assign homework at their own discretion as they have the right to choose and use pedagogical methods, forms, and didactic tools as they deem appropriate. At the same time, teachers should make sure that the homework is reasonable. In most schools, teachers assign homework.