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Eurydice

EACEA National Policies Platform:Eurydice
National reforms related to adult education and training
Slovenia

Slovenia

14.Ongoing reforms and policy developments

14.5National reforms related to adult education and training

Last update: 16 September 2024
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2024

Modernisation of adult education

Financial literacy in adult education programmes

In May 2024, following the decisions of the Council of experts of the Republic of Slovenia for adult education, the Minister responsible for education ordered the adoption of the financial literacy education programmes for adults:

Developing competences for sustainability in adult learning

In March 2024, following the decisions of the Council of experts of the Republic of Slovenia for adult education, the Minister responsible for education ordered to adopt two education programmes for adults: Let’s discover the power of nature – Developing knowledge and skills about the environment (Odkrivajmo moč narave – Razvoj znanj in spretnosti o okolju in trajnostnosti) and sustainability and Understanding health – the path to a healthy lifestyle (Razumevanje zdravja – pot do zdravega načina življenja).

Other policy developments

Participation in the international assessment of adult skills

In July 2024, the Government took note of the Information on Slovenia joining the project OECD PIAAC 2024–2029 (Program for the International Assessment of Adult Competencies). The Slovenian Institute for Adult Education has been appointed to develop and coordinate the implementation of the project.

Annual Adult Education Programme

In February 2024, the Government adopted the Annual Adult Education Programme in the Republic of Slovenia for 2024. It adheres to the guidelines from the Resolution on the National Programme of Adult Education in the Republic of Slovenia for 2022–2030 and the Amending Budget of the Republic of Slovenia for 2024. It defines the following objectives:

  1. Increase adult participation in lifelong learning
  2. Improve the level of core competences and improve the overall education of adults
  3. Raise the level of educational qualification of adults
  4. Increase the population's capacity to respond effectively to the needs of the labour market
  5. Boost research and development in the field of adult education
  6. Improve and boost activities in the field of adult learning.

Target groups of adults for the programmes and activities in the annual plan (LPIO 2024):

  • Adults with low basic skills in terms of employment status, age or other characteristics
  • Adults in need of improving their general education for personal needs and addressing challenges in their community
  • Adults in need of further vocational or professional upskilling or training in line with labour market needs
  • Early leavers from education and training and dropouts
  • Seniors (65+)
  • Adults with limited access to social, cultural, economic and educational goods.

€92,502,916.75 of the state budget is planned for the LPIO 2024, of which € 32,788, 959.77 from the budget of the Ministry of Education.

Extending the profiles of adult educators

In May 2024, the Ministry of Education published several Rules on the educational qualification of educators and other education staff in the adult education programmes:

Navedeni pravilniki določajo smeri izobrazbe, ki jih morajo imeti učitelji in drugi strokovni delavci v izobraževalnih programih za navedene programe, ki jih je sprejel minister, pristojen za izobraževanje, z odredbami o sprejemu izobraževalnih programov za odrasle (Uradni list RS, št. 110/22, Uradni list RS, št. 125/23, Uradni list RS, št. 112/22).

Support for the organisation of adult learning

In March 2024, the Ministry of Education published a call to apply for co-funding salaries of employed adult education organisers in public adult education organisations and public upper secondary schools in 2024 (Javni razpis za sofinanciranje plač zaposlenih organizatorjev izobraževanja odraslih v javnih organizacijah za izobraževanje odraslih in javnih srednjih šolah v letu 2024). The objective is to financially support providers and provide funds for salaries and monitoring institutions in planning the number of hours of educational activities, the number of participants, the number of employees and other capacities, and the number of hours of realised educational activities. The indicative amount of available funds is €412,745.00.

Inclusion of migrants in non-formal learning of the Slovenian language

In March 2024, the Ministry of Education published the Rules on criteria and knowledge standards for the non-formal adult education programme in Slovenian Language learning at a breakthrough level. The programme is aimed at candidates who must renew their residence permits for family reunification. The achievement of knowledge standards is assessed with a compulsory examination in the Slovenian language. The objective is to develop the basic proficiency to communicate in the most predictable and repeatable situations, i.e. at the level pre-A1 and A1 of the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages, or to survive in a new local environment

Development of digital competences

In February 2024, the Ministry for Digital Transformation published a call to apply for funding for non-formal adult education in digital competences for 2024 and 2025 (Javni razpis za financiranje izvajanja neformalnih izobraževanj za odrasle na področju digitalnih kompetenc za leti 2024 in 2025). The target group are citizens of 30 and older with no or only basic digital competences. The indicative amount available is €6,000,000.00.

In April 2024, the Act amending the Digital Inclusion Promotion Act was published in the official gazette (Zakon o spremembah in dopolnitvi Zakona o spodbujanju digitalne vključenosti) It will provide for a more efficient operation of the mechanism to open access to computer equipment for vulnerable groups of population. The detailed definition of groups of beneficiaries entitled to borrow computer equipment in the context of every call for applications is linked by law to a current plan for promoting digital inclusion. In February 2024, a working group developed the draft National Education Programme for 2023–2033. See Chapter 14.2.

Youth work against youth precarity

On 10 November 2023, the Ministry of Education published a call for applications ‘With youth work against youth precarity'. The purpose is to increase the safety of young people who are a vulnerable group in the labour market. The aim is to train and empower young people and youth workers on the issue of precarity through an established supportive environment in the youth sector. The selection of operations was carried out within the European Cohesion Policy Programme 2021–2027 framework. 50 projects, 1 national project in the form of a consortium of partners and 49 pilot projects were selected for a total value of €5,008,269.50.

2023

Modernisation of adult education

In December 2023, the Ministry of Education published the Public call for applications for co-funding adult education programmes and activities in 2024. It aims to increase participation in lifelong learning targeted at adults with lower educational qualifications and other vulnerable groups.

The following sections are co-funded:

  • Study clubs
  • Programmed of intergenerational cooperation and learning of popular education universities
  • Learning parade – Day of learning communities
  • Coordination of subtractors and events of the Lifelong Learning Week 2024
  • Nationally significant activities in adult education

The provisional funds available is €979,754.60.

In December 2023, the Operation to raise awareness, provide information to various groups of public and promote participation in lifelong learning within the European Cohesion Policy programme 2021 2021–2027 was approved. The aim is to raise awareness about the significance of learning and thereby contribute to improving the participation of adults in lifelong learning, developing competences of adult learners for their functioning in society and responding to the technological, demographic and climate changes. The plan is to spread the positive attitude towards lifelong learning within the wider society, and thereby, facilitating progress in personal, social and work life, and improving cooperation between providers of adult education at national and local levels. The total of public funds allocated amounts to €5,732,500.00. The beneficiary is the Slovenian Institute for Adult Education.

In November 2023, the minister responsible for education issued two decrees on the adoption of adult education programmes, specifically "Initial Integration of Immigrants" and "Computer Literacy for Adults", replacing previous programmes of the same name.

In June 2023, the ministry responsible for family, social matters and equal opportunities laid before the Government the draft Resolution on the national programme for equal opportunities of women and men until 2030. See chapter 14.2.

In March 2023, the Government of the Republic of Slovenia adopted the draft Digital Slovenia 2030 strategy. See chapter 14.5.

In March 2023, the ministry responsible for labour, family, social matters and equal opportunities released to public consultation the draft Resolution on the national programme of prevention of domestic violence and violence against women. See chapter 14.2.

In March 2023, the ministry responsible for education advertised the Call for applications for co-funding salaries of organisers of adult education on staff in public adult education organisation and public upper secondary school in 2023. It involved a financial assistance to providers to secure funds for salaries of employees and to monitor planning the number of hours of educational activities, participants, employees and other capacities, and to monitor the realisation of educational activities performed. The indicative scope of funds available is €400,000.

In March 2023, the ministry responsible for education advertised the Call for applications for co-funding activities in adult education. It aimed at increasing the participation in adult learning, in particular, targeted at low-skilled adults and other volnerable groups. The co-funding covered study courses, the Learning parade – a day of learning communities, coordination of subcontractors and events in the Lifelong learning week 2023, and nationally relevant activities in adult education. The indicate scope of funds available was €750,000.

In January 2023, the minister responsible for education adopted the new Rules on standards and norms for funding and provision of programmes and activities for adults. It specified norms and standards for placing value on officially recognised education programmes for adults which do not lead to officially recognised educational qualification; non-formal education programmes for adults, study programmes for training and continuous education, methodology for placing value to other activities as specified by the Adult Education Act, and standards for rooms and equipment for the provision of officially recognised programmes for adults which lead to officially recognised educational qualifications. The Rules specified the up to now undetermined field of funding the programmes and activities of adult education when it goes for public funding.

2022

Modernisation of adult education

In May 2022, the minister responsible for education signed the decision to approve the “Financial literacy for adults” project. It runs in the scope of the Economic recovery plan. The project aims to analyse the situations in adult education and develop two new officially recognised programmes of financial literacy for adults that would become the cornerstones for the provision of financial literacy for adults.

In April 2022, the minister responsible for education signed the decision to approve the “Modernisation of education programmes by modernising the key programme documents (kindergarten curriculum, subject-curricula, and knowledge catalogues)” project. It runs on the recovery and resilience plan. The purpose of the project is the modernisation of kindergarten curriculum, basic school and gimnazija subject-curricula, and knowledge catalogues for general subjects of upper-secondary vocational and technical education so as to include reasonably the digital competences and basic content of computer science and informatics, and sustainable development competences and financial literacy. It will include the modernisation of basic school programme for adults. In April, one appointed the curricular council to monitor and steer the modernisation. It met for the first time in August 2022. There is a total of roughly €4 m planned for the implementation in the scope of the recovery and resilience plan for the period of 2022 to 2025. The project operator is the National Education Institute Slovenia.

In March 2022, the National Assembly adopted the new Resolution on the National Programme of Adult Education in the Republic of Slovenia 2021–2030.
It articulates the vision of all adult citizens of Slovenia in all lifecycles having the same opportunities and incentives for quality learning and education for full development and sustainable living.

Objectives of the resolution are:

  • More adults in lifelong learning
  • Improve basic skills and knowledge of adults
  • Raise the level of educational qualification
  • Improve the skills of citizens for a successful responding to the labour market demands
  • Facilitate the development and research in adult education, and
  • Improve and strengthen the activity in adult education (guidance in adult education, assessment and recognition of knowledge of adults, training and upskilling of education staff and trainers for adults, auditing and developing quality, raising awareness, providing information, and promoting inclusion of adults in lifelong learning, as well as information activity).

Other policy developments

In December 2022, the Government of the Republic of Slovenia adopted the annual adult education programme 2023. It is accordant with the Resolution on the National programme of adult education in the Republic of Slovenia for 2022 to 2030. It determined the goals and indicators of the national programmes, priority areas, actions for providing adult education, the provisional scope of relevant public funds, and ministries responsible for individual actions. It also determined the monitoring and supervision. The annual programmes for 2023 foresaw €48,897,252.02 of which €11.7 mio funds of the ministry responsible for education. Groups of adults targeted by the annual programme:

  • Adults with low basic skills in terms of employability, age or other characteristics
  • Adults who need to improve their general education for personal needs and respond to the challenges of the community
  • Adults who need to continue vocational or professional education and training in line with the labour market needs
  • Young adults who leave education and training early or dropouts
  • Adults over 65 years of age
  • Adults with limited access to social, cultural, economic and educational goods.

In August 2022, the minister responsible for education issued several orders to adopt adult education programmes, namely:

In the officially recognised education programmes for adults, learners acquire and improve literacy and basic skills, as well as improve general knowledge.