2024

Modernisation of basic school and gimnazija education

Draft National Education Programme 2023–2033

In July 2024, the relevant working group developed the final draft National Education Programme for 2023–2033 (končni predlog Nacionalnega programa vzgoje in izobraževanja za obdobje 2023–2033). Its strategic objectives and actions for a system of quality and sustainable education are based on scientific evidence; they build on good practices of education staff at Slovenian kindergartens and schools and respond sensitively and flexibly to the challenges of modern society. The document identifies 21 strategic objectives, 55 sub-objectives, and 306 actions under 6 priority areas: social development and the role of education, provision of a safe environment to support the optimal development of the individual, teaching, learning, monitoring progress, assessment, professional and career development of education staff and leaders in education, system of quality assessment and assurance, and the education system.

The proposed strategic objectives and actions direct the education system, among others, in the following direction of development:

• Activities of education and guidance in kindergartens and schools
• Promotion of reading literacy and culture
• Development of digital literacy
• Supporting education in culture and arts
• Supporting psycho-social development and social-emotional learning of children and adolescents
• Promotion of inclusive attitude
• Provision of proper conditions for good mental and physical health
• Quality teaching and learning
• Quality trained, competent and content education staff and school leaders
• Upgraded system of quality assessment and assurance with self-evaluation
• Better cooperation among institutions and professionals in support of professionalism, and
• Better harmonised in terms of content activities of institutions: priority areas (development plan, annual work plan), continuous professional development, support of external professionals, and self-evaluation.

The main changes of this final draft compared to the initial draft of February concern, among others, secondary vocational and technical education, general and vocational matura, physical activity of learners, preschool education, music education, residence halls for secondary students, and the inclusion of migrant learners in the education system.

Furthermore, secondary education is considered a national standard; the state should make it possible for every individual to obtain at least a secondary educational qualification at any point in their lifetime.

Sports in school will increase by an hour a week in the last three-year period of the basic school programme, and students should be provided with proper settings for physical activity of five hours a week (within compulsory subjects, non-compulsory subjects, basic school extended programme, interest activities, sports day, and compulsory elective content). Further to the total increase of stable sources for funding educational institutions, the programme foresees additional funding for institutions that due to special circumstances within which they operate (e.g. geographical distance from economic and cultural centres, the social and economic prosperity of the locality, a higher number of migrant students, etc.) require added funds to respond adequately to their diverse needs.

Modernisation of education programmes by modernising subject-curricula

In May 2024, the National Education Institute appointed 917 members to the various curricular committees (different areas of work, common objectives, areas, subjects, 1^st three-year period – 63 in total) for the modernisation of education programmes (prenova izobraževalnih programov), of which almost a fifth (166) were the Institute’s advisers, others were members external to the Institute, 224 of whom were from the higher education institutions. In July 2024, the report on the progress of modernising the education system for green and digital transitions was published (Poročilo o napredku).

The revision of the subject curricula for basic schools and gimnazije has been ongoing in parallel. In August 2024, the curricular commissions introduced draft subject curricula and study groups of teachers and other education staff (študijske skupine) had the chance to discuss and examine them before the start of the new school year. In August 2024, at a conference of headteachers (konferenca ravnateljic in ravnateljev), the National Education Institute introduced the changes we strive to achieve with the modernisation of curricular documents, highlighting the role of headteachers and assessment of knowledge.

Reform of the National Assessment of Knowledge

The role of the national examination will be partially modified as of school year 2024/2025, but it retains the purpose of providing additional feedback on students’ knowledge. Taking the national examination will now be compulsory also for grade 3 students. Currently, only grade 6 and 9 students must sit it. The outcomes of the national examination in grade 9 will now be considered notably more in the selection criteria for upper secondary programmes under the cap on enrolment. The school calendar was amended to move the national examination to March and April.

In August 2024, the Rules on the national examination in the basic school (Pravilnik o nacionalnem preverjanju znanja v osnovni šoli) were published in the official gazette following the amended basic school law (novela Zakona o osnovni šoli). The Rules define in greater detail, among others, the responsibilities and duties of the state and subject commissions, the National Education Institute and the National Examination Centre. The Rules provide for students’ infringements, measures and relevant procedures of imposing; absence or ungraded assignments, additional points for one or more assignments for missing or ungraded assignments and avoiding errors in announcing outcomes. The method and duration of the national examination, access to assessed assignments, re-assessment of individual assignments, announcing the students’ outcomes and method and time limit for keeping documentation are defined in more detail, too.

In August 2024, the relevant Ordinance on the selection criteria for upper secondary vocational education, technical education and gimnazija programmes with a set cap on enrolment was published in the official gazette (Odredba o merilih za izbiro kandidatov v primeru omejitve vpisa v programe srednjega poklicnega izobraževanja, srednjega strokovnega izobraževanja ter gimnazij). It laid down that candidates will be allotted a place based on the sum of final marks in all compulsory subjects of grades 7 to 9 (up to 60 per cent of the total) and the achievement in the national examination in the language of instruction (Slovenian or Italian or Hungarian in nationally mixed areas) and mathematics (each up to 20 per cent). A special formula will be applied to calculate the total percentages for allotting a place. The new criteria also apply to the enrolment in programmes for which candidates must pass an aptitude test, and the latter results shall be considered an additional criterion.

Modified concept of the basic school extended programme

In February 2024, the Act amending the Basic School Act (Zakon o spremembah in dopolnitvah Zakona o osnovni šoli) was published in the official gazette. The law introduced the revision of the basic school extended programme concept. The amendments specify that the current elements of the extended programme (after-school classes, remedial and supplementary lessons, individual and group learning support and non-compulsory elective subjects) will be superseded by the contents in physical activity, health, cultural and citizenship education, and learning to learn. The law is linked to the adopted curricular document, which defines the areas in greater detail. The selection of content and pursuing activities is voluntary for students. The content will not be marked. Upon the law entering into force, schools could implement the programme before, during and after school hours. Schools must offer those contents to students in grades 1 to 3 before and after school (lessons). In this sense, structured activities will be provided to children before and after school ends (care with structured activities).

In August 2024, the Rules on educational qualification of teachers and other education staff in the basic school programme were published in the official gazette (Pravilnik o izobrazbi učiteljev in drugih strokovnih delavcev v izobraževalnem programu osnovne šole). It introduces new requirements for educational qualification of certain subject teachers within the extended programme, a teacher of additional support to talented students and a teacher for additional support to students with learning difficulties. Furthermore, it added to the requirements for the teacher of Slovenian sign language, teacher of individual and group support, teacher of communication in Slovenian sign language, counsellor, computer technician – organiser of information activities, and laboratory assistant.

In June 2024, the Rules on norms and standards for providing the basic school programme were published in the official gazette (Pravilnik o normativih in standardih za izvajanje programa osnovne šole). It specified modified norms following the introduction of the revised extended programme concept (prenovljeni koncept razširjenega programa). Due to putting an end to the after-school classes on which the job positions of accounting and administrative job posts and the post of a headteacher, assistant headteacher, and housekeeper, the relevant articles shall be accurately reassessed to only account for the compulsory programme classes and hospital classes.

The Rules defined unambiguously the functions of the headteacher and assistant headteacher in their role as pedagogical leaders. It specified the method of calculating hours of the extended programme based on the number of classes and students. Furthermore, the norms for setting up groups in the extended programme were defined and the norm for pursuing activities of the outdoor school programme during night rest.

Setting up home-schooling

In February 2024, the amendments to the Basic School Act were published (Zakon o spremembah in dopolnitvah Zakona o osnovni šoli). They pertain also to home education. Among others, they specify equal educational standards that homeschooled students must achieve, the same as their peers in school. This means that homeschooled students will now have to take exams in all subjects of a grade.

Earlier start of foreign language learning

With the amended Basic School Act (novela Zakona o osnovni šoli) of February 2024 the compulsory start of first foreign language learning was moved from 2^nd down to 1^st grade following the trial introduction of foreign language learning into the compulsory programme and testing of the concept of the basic school extended programme. At that time, it was determined that in the 2016/2017 school year, 92.73 percent of first graders had already opted to take lessons in the first foreign language, and that share only increased in the following years.

Modification of the system for greater inclusiveness of education

The amended Basic School Act (novela Zakona o osnovni šoli) of February 2024 made provisions for lessons of Slovenian sign language and tactile sign language in basic schools.

In June 2024, the Rules on norms and standards for providing the basic school programme (Pravilnik o normativih in standardih za izvajanje programa osnovne šole) were published in the official gazette. They made provisions for a job post of a teacher for communication in Slovenian sign language, a teacher to support deafblind students, and the option to assign a classroom assistant following the recommendation by the mobile team. Furthermore, they specified a transitional regime applying to schools that will have assumed the revised extended programme concept by 2028.

The latter amendments are supported by relevant rules on norms and standards for provision of education programmes for SEN children (Pravilnik o normativih in standardih za izvajanje vzgojno-izobraževalnih programov za otroke s posebnimi potrebami), rules on home education of SEN children (Pravilnik o izobraževanju učencev s posebnimi potrebami na domu), and rules on norms and standards for provision of the basic school programme in bilingual schools and schools with Italian medium of instruction (Pravilnik o spremembah in dopolnitvah Pravilnika o normativih in standardih za izvajanje programa osnovne šole v dvojezičnih osnovnih šolah in osnovnih šolah z italijanskim učnim jezikom).

In June 2024, the Act amending the Gimnazija Act was published in the official gazette (Zakon o spremembah in dopolnitvah Zakona o gimnazijah). It specified the reason in point of law to run the Slovenian language course for newly arrived upper secondary students who have not completed the basic school education in Slovenian or who started basic education in grade 9 for the first time in Slovenia and failed to pass the test of proficiency in Slovenian at level A2 of the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages. It has been shown in practice that students who entered basic education in Slovenia in grade 9, failed to reach proficiency in Slovenian needed to do well in upper secondary education.

In August 2024, following the amended Gimnazija Act (Zakon o gimnazijah) and Vocational and Technical Education Act (Zakon o poklicnem in strokovnem izobraževanju), the Rules amending the Rules on the Slovenian course for upper secondary students (Pravilnik o spremembah in dopolnitvah Pravilnika o tečaju slovenščine za dijake v srednjih šolah) were published in the official gazette.

Proposal for one-stage appointment of headteachers

In May 2024, the Ministry of Education published the draft Act amending the Organisation and Financing of Education Act (predlog Zakona o spremembah in dopolnitvah Zakona o organizaciji in financiranju vzgoje in izobraževanja). The proposed amendment relates, among other, to the modified procedure of appointing and dismissing a school or kindergarten headteacher, modified competences of the council of a public school or kindergarten, and the treatment and record keeping of personal data to fund student transportation and records of information about physical mobility and morphological characteristics of basic school and upper secondary students.

The most important change in the procedure for appointing the headteacher or director is replacing the Minister’s opinion with the institution of consent. Thus, it became a one-stage procedure. Previously, the institution’s council selected the candidate and sought the opinion of the Minister; after obtaining the opinion or the deadline for giving the opinion expired, the Council appointed the chosen candidate. The two-stage procedure (the institution’s council first select the candidate, and then appoints them after obtaining the opinion) imposed an increased risk of possible corrupt practices within the interim period, which was also determined by the Commission for the Prevention of Corruption. To prevent the Minister from exerting political influence on the selection of the candidate, the law now specifies the cases the Minister can refuse to consent to the headteacher’s appointment.

The draft law now also sets out the reasons that bind the Institution’s council to dismiss the headteacher or director before the end of the term of office. To date, these grounds have not been specified in the umbrella law and the statutory grounds laid down in the act governing institutions have been considered in the dismissal. In addition to the reasons already arising from the law governing institutions, the council would now be required to dismiss a headteacher who fails to implement an inspection or final court decision and a headteacher who has been convicted by final judgment of a criminal offence against human rights and freedoms, against honour and goodwill, against human health, against the employment relationship and social security, and against official duty, public authority and public funds. As practice has shown, in certain cases the councils of institutions did not perform their duties and responsibilities and, despite legal reasons, did not dismiss the headteacher, with the proposed amendments this power is now given to the Minister.

Formalisation of the Quality assessment and assurance framework

With the May 2024 draft Act amending the Organisation and Financing of Education Act, the Ministry of Education also published an exposure draft reason in point of law for the quality assessment and assurance framework in education. The proposed amendment summarises the basic elements of the quality assessment and assurance framework in one place. It stipulates, among others, that kindergartens and schools determine and ensure quality through self-evaluation, thereby establishing institutional self-evaluation as a fundamental systemic approach to determine and ensure quality in education. It places external examinations, inspections, international research and the activities of the Quality and Evaluation Council within the quality framework.

In June 2024, the Act amending the Gimnazija Act (Zakon o spremembah in dopolnitvah Zakona o gimnazijah) was published in the official gazette, introducing a new body – a five-member team of experts in quality assessment and assurance – into basic schools. The law stipulates that schools pursue self-evaluation and set quality indicators by themselves as part of their annual planning, the expert team develops a self-evaluation report in cooperation with the headteacher, which is published on the school's website as part of the annual report.

Other policy developments

Amendments to the basic school calendar: Standardisation of the pedagogical hour’s length, pushing back the national examination, new exam terms for homeschooled students

In July 2024, the Ministry of Education published the Rules mending the Basic school calendar Rules (Pravilnik o spremembah in dopolnitvah Pravilnika o šolskem koledarju za osnovne šole) following the amendments to the concept of the basic school extended programme and its integration in the amended basic school law (novela Zakona o osnovni šoli). The Rules standardised a pedagogical hour at 45 minutes. The amendment introduced updated terms for the national examination that shall be moved to March and April. Homeschooled students will have the option to take exams in individual subjects for a longer time.

The transitional regime shall apply to schools that will not yet provide the extended programme by law, and the provisions of the current rules that specify the length of an hour of after-school class, an hour of morning care, and organisation of remedial lessons for students who must retake exams shall apply.

Modification for a more stable planning of providing the programme of the European School Ljubljana

In July 2024, the Minister of Education published the Rules amending the Rules on the implementation of the programme of the European School Ljubljana (Pravilnik o spremembah in dopolnitvah Pravilnika o izvajanju programa Evropske šole Ljubljana). The amendments concern, among others, amendments to the norms and standards for combined classes, groups for second language – first foreign language, third language – second foreign language, and elective subjects. In addition, the Rules provide for reduced teaching time for the European matura coordinator, the coordinator of additional activities, the assistant headteacher, the counsellor, and the librarian.

Changes in norms mean more predictable and thus more stable planning, organisation, and implementation of the programme and more efficient management of the education staff. They consider the personal circumstances of the European Schools programme students, including the European School Ljubljana programme. As a rule, these are likelier to change school and educational settings, and do so faster and oftener, which, for this type of school, means constant fluctuation and a change in the dynamics of planning, organisation and implementation of the programme.

Improvement of competition setting to support excellence

In June 2024, the Ministry of Labour, Family, Social Affairs and Equal Opportunities published the Zois Scholarship Act (Pravilnik o spremembah in dopolnitvah Pravilnika o dodeljevanju Zoisovih štipendij), which, among other things and under requirements for the award of the Zois scholarships, defines selection and interest competitions, while at the same time, adding new ones to the existing requirements that must be met by national competitions in knowledge and research, namely:

• Gold and silver awards are presented to a maximum of 60% of competitors or competition groups;
• They are provided in ethnically mixed areas by the law governing the special rights of the Italian and Hungarian national communities in the field of education;
• Provide design and technical modifications for children and adolescents with special needs.

Furthermore, under requirements for an international competition in knowledge, research, development or art, the Rules now stipulate that at least 15 countries must participate (previously 5). The regulation enters into force with the school year 2026/2027.

Assessment for homeschooled migrant students

In July 2024, the amended Rules on assessment and progression of basic school students (Pravilnik o spremembah in dopolnitvah Pravilnika o preverjanju in ocenjevanju znanja ter napredovanju učencev v osnovni šoli) were published in the official gazette. They have been harmonised with the amendments of the Basic School Act (spremembe in dopolnitve Zakona o osnovni šoli). Among others, the amendments relate to home education and knowledge assessment for migrant and SEN students.

New subjects in music schools

In June 2024, the Act amending the Music School Act (Zakon o spremembah in dopolnitvah Zakona o glasbenih šolah) was published in the official gazette. It defines new subjects in jazz and popular music. Furthermore, it specifies homeschooling procedures and updates to collecting and protecting data by entering the child's personal registration number and parent's tax identification number. The content-related amendment defines competence and criteria in greater detail for implementing supplementary lessons for the individual student. It specifies the progression in the first period at a lower level of music education programme. The new law specifies equal rights for second-grade students after extending their education for a year in case of prolonged justifiable absence.

Development of digital competences and computer thinking

In June 2024, the Ministry of Education published the invitation to apply for co-funding the project on developing computer thinking by integrating STEM kits in kindergartens and schools for classes 1 to 5 (Javni razpis »Razvoj računalniškega mišljenja z vključevanjem STEM kompletov v vrtcih in osnovnih šolah od 1. do 5. razreda«). Its purpose is to improve digital competences and basic knowledge of computer science and informatics by developing computer thinking of education staff and children or students in kindergartens, and basic schools, basic schools with adapted programme and institutions for the education of children and adolescents with special needs, with an emphasis on the role of modern learning approaches and methods of work and cross-curricular integration. The objective is to develop computer thinking by including STEM kits for achieving kindergarten curriculum objectives or the operational objectives of the subject-curricula from basic school grades 1 to 5. The amount of funds from the Recovery and Resilience Facility available up to and including 2026 is €700.000,00.

In May 2024, the Ministry of Education published an invitation to apply for co-funding the project for 2024–2026 (Javni razpis Razvoj digitalnih kompetenc in temeljnih znanj računalništva in informatike 2024–2026) to develop and assess digital competences and basic knowledge of computer science and informatics of learners in educational institutions, considering the results so far at home and abroad. The target groups are children, basic school, upper secondary and higher education students, and education staff and leaders in educational institutions. The invitation to apply is divided into three lots:

• Lot 1: Development and assessment of learners’ digital competences
• Lot 2: Development and assessment of digital competences of learners in basic schools with the adapted programme and institutions for the education of children and adolescents with special needs
• Lot 3: Development of basic knowledge of computer science and informatics of learners

The amount of funds from the Recovery and Resilience Facility available up to and including 2026 is €3,100,000.00.

In November 2022, the Ministry of Education published the invitation to apply for co-funding the project of improving digital competences, knowledge of basic computer science and informatics, competences for sustainable development and financial literacy of education staff and leaders in education (javni razpis za krepitev digitalnih kompetenc, temeljnih vsebin računalništva in informatike, kompetenc za trajnostni razvoj ter finančne pismenosti strokovnih in vodstvenih delavcev v vzgoji in izobraževanju). The selected project was “Digitralni učitelj” (Digital and sustainable teacher). The coordinator and manager of the project is Rokus Klett publishing house on behalf of the Community of institutions of the consortium of school centres and other consortium institutions in the field of education. The project is funded in part by the Republic of Slovenia through the Ministry of Education and the European Union through the NextGenerationEU instrument, the Recovery and Resilience Facility. The total amount of available funds is €17,576,000.00, including VAT, of a maximum of €16,900,000.00 of European funds.

In April 2024, the Act amending the Digital Inclusion Promotion Act (Zakon o spremembah in dopolnitvi Zakona o spodbujanju digitalne vključenosti) was published in the official gazette. It made provisions to ensure the effective functioning of the mechanism to access the computer equipment by the vulnerable populations. The amendment specifies beneficiaries with at least one child enrolled in basic education and those classified as beneficiaries of a child benefit in the first income bracket. This means beneficiaries whose monthly income per person does not exceed €221.46. If the equipment remains, the circle of beneficiaries can be extended to another income bracket, where the average monthly income per person does not exceed €369.11.

Actions to reduce the shortage of education staff

In June, the Ministry of Education invited to apply for study aid to subsidise tuition fees for the further education of education staff (Javni razpis študijskih pomoči za subvencioniranje šolnin za nadaljnje izobraževanje strokovnih delavcev v študijskem letu 2024/2025) employed in kindergartens, basic schools, basic schools with the adapted programme, schools and institutions for the education of children and adolescents with special needs, music schools, secondary schools, higher vocational colleges, adult education organisations, residence halls for upper secondary students and public institutions that carry out educational activities in an adapted programme for pre-school children with special needs or in the special programme for the education of children and adolescents with special needs. The amount of available funds is €420,000.00. The tuition fee subsidy for an individual recipient enrolled in a study or training programme as specified with the invitation is 50 per cent of the relevant tuition fee.

In April 2024, the Ministry of Education published a call for applications for internships (Javni razpis pripravniških mest v šolah za leto 2024/25) in basic schools, schools and institutions for the education of children and adolescents with special needs, music schools, residence halls for basic school students, secondary schools or residence halls for upper secondary students, which are entered in the register as providers of officially recognised education programmes. The Ministry announces 170 traineeship places with an employment relationship, based on the employment contract of the trainee at the traineeship place, for providing educational activities by a teacher, educator, counsellor or librarian in the mentioned educational institutions. The estimated amount of funds allocated by the Ministry to finance the provision of traineeships with an employment relationship is €3,375,350.00.

In February 2024, the Ministry of Education published an invitation to apply for scholarships for study programmes in education (Javni razpis za dodelitev štipendij študentom pedagoških študijskih programov v študijskem letu 2024/25) to encourage young people to continue education in pedagogical study programmes and to acquire the educational qualification needed to pursue the professions for which there is a discrepancy between the current and future volume of available staff and the projected volume of jobs in the field of education and training. The objective is to award 100 scholarships. For this, €280,000.00 is foreseen.

In January 2024, the Minister responsible for education adopted the Rules amending the Rules on scholarships in the field of education (Pravilnik o spremembah in dopolnitvah Pravilnika dodeljevanju štipendij za področje vzgoje in izobraževanja).

Incentive for professional development

In February, the Ministry of Education published an invitation to apply for co-funding of the professional development programmes for the 2024/2025 school year (Javni razpis za izbor in sofinanciranje programov profesionalnega usposabljanja za šolsko leto 2024/25). The relevant programmes for education staff are published in the Catalogue of continuing education and training programmes for the 2024/2025 school year, among them the selection of those co-funded from the state budget. Professional training programmes are shorter career development programmes intended for the expert and disciplinary development of an individual education worker or professional group.

The priority topics approved by the Council of the Republic of Slovenia for general education:

1. Teaching, learning and assessment of outcomes in the learning and study processes, with an emphasis on modern learning technologies and innovative approaches to teaching and learning
2. Sustainable development and active citizenship
3. Talented students in the educational process and the care and education of children with special needs (sensitization and training for the use of new pedagogical methods and approaches)
4. Implementation of lifelong career guidance with an emphasis on ensuring equal opportunities for vulnerable groups
5. Socio-emotional competences and well-being in care and education, and empowering education staff to deal with the topics of mental health and addiction
6. Counselling in the educational and study process
7. Development of communication skills in the Slovenian language, bilingualism/multilingualism and media literacy.

The estimated funds for co-funding the professional development programmes for the 2024/2025 school year is €350,000.00.

Social dialogue in education

In February 2024, the Agreement to amend the Strike Agreement (Sporazum o spremembah in dopolnitvah Stavkovnega sporazuma) signed between the Government of the Republic of Slovenia and the Trade Union of Education, Science and Culture of Slovenia (SVIZ) was published in the official gazette. The August floods caused fiscal consequences, which delayed the renewal of the salary system in the public sector. This required the amendment of some unrealised points of the initial Strike Agreement initialled between the Government Negotiating Team and SVIZ on 10 January 2024.

In February 2024, the Annex to the Collective Agreement for the Education Sector in the Republic of Slovenia (Aneks h Kolektivni pogodbi za dejavnost vzgoje in izobraževanja v Republiki Sloveniji) was published in the official gazette signed by the Government of the Republic of Slovenia and the representative trade unions in education and higher education. The amendment regulates, among others, the situation of employees who are posted to carry out educational activities or to accompany children, basic school and upper secondary students outside the seat of the institution for a continuous period of two or more days (e.g. various camps, stays in nature, outdoor school, expert excursions, Erasmus exchanges, etc.), by determining a longer reference period for the daily and weekly rest of workers who are posted to multi-day educational activities or escort outside the seat of the institution (such as outdoor schools and other forms of multi-day stays in the field with children, basic school and upper secondary students, persons in care). It makes relevant provisions for the multi-day stay in the field payment. Following the government's platform for action, it was agreed between the social partners that this payment should be included in Article 105a of the Collective Agreement for the activity of education, so that employees who are assigned to several-day educational activities or escort outside the seat of the institution are entitled to a payment in the amount of two and a half daily allowances for business trips in the Republic of Slovenia of over 12 hours, for each day of working outside the seat of the institution.

In February 2024, the Decision to define job posts in kindergartens, schools and education institutions for children and adolescents with special needs at which public employees are entitled to a bonus under item 8 Article 39 of the Collective Agreement for the public sector (Sklep o določitvi delovnih mest v vrtcih, šolah in zavodih za vzgojo in izobraževanje otrok in mladostnikov s posebnimi potrebami) was published in the official gazette. It replaced the initial decision and defined job posts on which education staff is entitled to the bonus for providing adapted programme and for other direct activities in kindergartens, and to implement the adapted, special and behaviour-related education programme and for direct activities in schools or institutions for education of children and adolescents with special needs.

Standardised transition for education staff between the system of education and social care

In August 2024, the Rules on the procedures and requirements for titles of education staff in social-care institutions when employed in the field of education (Pravilnik o postopku in pogojih za pridobitev naziva strokovnih sodelavcev in strokovnih delavcev socialnovarstvenih zavodov ob zaposlitvi na področju vzgoje in izobraževanja) were published in the official gazette. It regulates relevant procedures and requirements for education staff employed in social-care centres that provide the adapted programme for preschool children and the special education programme for children and adolescents with special needs as specified by the Organisation and Financing of Education Act. It stipulated among others that education staff who obtain the title by these Rules fulfil the requirement for pursuing activities at the same or similar job posts referred to in Article 20 of the Salary System in the Public Sector Act and for retaining the salary brackets of promotions achieved in the position of education staff to implement the adapted programme for preschool children or the special education programme for children and adolescents with special needs in a social-care institution.

System support to talented learners through competitions

In May 2024, the Ministry of Education published an invitation to apply for co-funding selection and interest school competitions in the 2024/2025 school year (Javni razpis za sofinanciranje selekcijskih in interesnih šolskih tekmovanj v šolskem letu 2024/2025). In basic education, the Ministry co-funds one selection competition in an individual subject area from the sixth grade onwards, and one in secondary education. Interest-based competitions are organised at one or more levels (school, regional, national), with the first level being accessible to all basic school, upper secondary students, apprentices or higher vocational college students. The estimated total indicative value of funds available is €340,000.00.

Matura

In May, the Act amending the Matura Act (Zakon o spremembah in dopolnitvah Zakona o maturi) was published in the official gazette. It makes it possible to consult the exam documentation and file an objection to the mark received in the digital environment and the related management of personal data. After the announcement of the results of the general matura examination, each matura candidate will become acquainted with their assessed examination papers and get an insight into the digital environment to decide on a possible objection to the mark in a particular subject. It will also be able to object electronically. The main addition is also the criteria according to which the merits of the reasons for the approval to take the matura examination are determined in two parts, which are also considered when deciding on the recognition of the matura examination in the first examination term. At the same time, two-part matura examinations were also arranged for athletes competing at the international level.

According to the amendments of the Matura Act, the Ministry of Education published in May also the Rules amending the General Matura Rules (Pravilnik o spremembah in dopolnitvah Pravilnika o splošni maturi), Rules amending the Vocational Matura Rules (Pravilnik o spremembah in dopolnitvah Pravilnika o poklicni maturi), and Rules amending the Classifying Matura Information Rules (Pravilnik o spremembah Pravilnika o varovanju izpitne tajnosti pri maturi). The first defined the provisions relevant to examination terms and supporting documentation. Due to the non-exclusion of the possibility of selecting elective matura subjects in the general matura, it is necessary to provide additional time for the smooth implementation of the matura calendar in the general matura, therefore the articles defining the assessment of fulfilment of requirements and deregistration from the general matura are being amended. Due to the difficulties for schools to provide an adequate number of supervising teachers in the matura examination, the provision on the number of supervising teachers in the examination room and in the corridor is also amended for when there are seven or fewer candidates in the examination room who are granted the right to an adapted method of conducting the matura examination.

Supporting the physical development of students

In April 2024, the Ministry of Education published an invitation to apply for co-funding classes offering additional sports activities in basic schools for the 2024/2025 school year (Javni razpis za sofinanciranje oddelkov z dodatno športno ponudbo v osnovnih šolah za šolsko leto 2024/2025). The objectives are to increase the number of hours of sports for basic school students and to increase the quality and attractiveness of sports education programmes for children and young people. The invitation is open to basic schools that implement the officially recognised education programme, which will in the school year 2024/2025, set up classes with additional sports activities offered to students of grades 1 to 3. The funds reserved in the Ministry's financial plan 2025 is €1,000,000.00.

In May 2024, the Ministry of Education submitted for public discussion a draft Act amending the Organisation and Financing of Education Act (predlog Zakona o spremembah in dopolnitvah Zakona o organizaciji in financiranju vzgoje in izobraževanja). It introduces new records about the schoolchildren’s physical abilities and morphological characteristics. The Faculty of Sports of the University of Ljubljana will be responsible for processing the information and reporting to schools.

Amendments to the education programmes

In March 2024, the Minister of Education adopted the following orders to amend the:

• Basic school education programme (Odredba o spremembah in dopolnitvah vzgojno-izobraževalnega programa osnovna šola)
• Adapted 9-year basic school programme of lower education standard ( Odredba o spremembah in dopolnitvah Prilagojenega izobraževalnega programa devetletne osnovne šole z nižjim izobrazbenim standardom)
• Adapted 9-year basic school programmes of equal education standard (Odredba o spremembah prilagojenih izobraževalnih programov devetletne osnovne šole z enakovrednim izobrazbenim standardom)
• Adapted basic school education programme of equal education standard (Odredba o dopolnitvi Odredbe o spremembi prilagojenih izobraževalnih programov osnovne šole z enakovrednim izobrazbenim standardom)

Order to amend the basic school education programme defines that with the amendments under the special part of the programme the following will be set out:

• Curriculum of the basic school expanded programme
• Basic school timetable
• Adapted timetable for basic school with Slovenian medium of instruction in an ethnically mixed area of the Slovenian Istra
• Adapted timetable for bilingual basic school in an ethnically mixed area of Prekmurje
• Adapted timetable for basic school with Italian medium of instruction in an ethnically mixed area of Slovenian Istra
• Subject-curriculum for first foreign language in grade 1 as a compulsory subject in the basic school programme.

Order to amend the adapted 9-year basic school programme of lower educational standard defines amendments to the following timetables and subject-curricula:

• Timetable of the adapted 9-year basic school programme of lower educational standard
• Timetable of the adapted 9-year basic school programme of lower educational standard for bilingual basic school
• Subject-curriculum for the compulsory subject of music arts
• Subject-curriculum for the compulsory subject of housekeeping
• Subject-curriculum for the elective subject Food and diets.

Order to amend the adapted education programme of the 9-year basic school of equal educationa standard defines amendments to the following timetables:

• Timetable of the adapted 9-year basic school programme of equal educational standard for blind and partially sighted
• Timetable of the adapted 9-year basic school programme of equal educational standard for deaf and hard of hearing
• Timetable of the adapted 9-year basic school programme of equal educational standard for learners with speech impairment
• Timetable of the adapted 9-year basic school programme of equal educational standard for mobility-impaired learners
• Timetable of the adapted 9-year basic school programme of equal educational standard for learners with autism spectrum disorders

In January, the Order to amend the Gimnazija of economics education programme was published in the Official Gazette. The minister responsible for education adopted the amendments following the decision of the relevant council of experts. It replaced the programme of the same name, adopted by the Order to adopt the education programmes for general and vocational gimnazije (Official Gazette of RS, No. 13/20). The education programme will start in the 2024/2025 school year.

Outdoor school

In March, the Rules amending the Rules on funding outdoor school. It no longer includes a section on payments to education staff, as the rights of education staff to payments (basic salary and supplements) for work performed in outdoor school are regulated by laws governing salaries in the public sector and the collective agreement of the sector and cannot be the subject of a subordinate regulation. It also aligned the article text with the Basic School Act. Outdoor school is defined as an organized form of educational activity that takes place intensively over three or more days during school time and is conducted outside the school premises. The regulation is also aligned with the new Annex h to the collective agreement for the education sector in the Republic of Slovenia (Official Gazette of RS, No. 13/24), which stipulates in Article 105.a that an employee accompanying or performing educational work two or more consecutive days (camps, stays in nature, outdoor school, professional excursions, Erasmus exchanges, etc.), is entitled to payment amounting to 2.5 daily allowances for business trips in the Republic of Slovenia exceeding 12 hours, for each day of work outside the institution's location. New definitions are provided for the costs of outdoor schools, the costs of education staff, and external providers. The regulation no longer includes a limit on costs per student or limits on education staff's costs based on the accommodation price per day per student.

Strategic integration of education and culture

In May 2024, the Government of the Republic of Slovenia adopted the Resolution on the National Programme for Culture 2024–2031 (Resolucija o nacionalnem programu za kulturo 2024–2031). It determines the role of culture in the development of the Republic of Slovenia and the public interest in it, defines areas of culture and envisages key directions in the field of investment. The resolution places the fundamental strategic objectives guiding actions and cultural policy in three pillars: Culture for a cohesive society, Culture as a public good and Culture for a sustainable future.

The resolution states, among others, that the Ministry of Culture will strive to connect stakeholders who provide quality cultural content with educational institutions. At the same time, it will develop conditions for creating cultural content as a complementary part of cultural programmes and projects in the context of lifelong learning. In the context of formal and non-formal education, children and young people should be able to learn about different areas of culture from the point of view of reception, research and creation, as stated in the resolution. Great emphasis will therefore be placed on the additional training of professionals in education, culture and the wider professional public.

Action plan on drugs

In February 2024, the Government adopted the Action Plan on Drugs for 2024–2025. The substantive basis of the action plan is the Resolution on the National Programme on Illicit Drugs 2023–2030, whose overarching goal is to reduce and limit the harm to individuals, families, and society caused by abusing illicit drugs. Within the set goals of the resolution, the action plan envisages, among others, the following implementation activities:

• Improving education for the implementation of early prevention programmes in the educational, social, and health sectors
• Improving the programmes, education, and other actions for the systematic integration of preventive content at all levels of the education system
• Training education and healthcare staff in the implementation of preventive programmes and activities for children and young people, parents

Funding for the activities from the action plan is planned within the adopted financial plans of the Ministry of Health, the Ministry of Education, and the Ministry of Labor, Family, Social Affairs, and Equal Opportunities for 2024 and 2025. Furthermore, activities are included in the financial plan of the Health Insurance Institute of Slovenia for 2024, with further funding expected from local communities and the Foundation for Financing Disability and Humanitarian Organizations in Slovenia.

Draft Resolution on the Youth National Programme for 2024–2032

In February 2024, the Ministry of Education sent a draft Resolution on the Youth National Programme for 2024–2032) (predlog Resolucije o nacionalnem programu za mladino za obdobje 2024–2032) for inter-ministerial coordination. It is a basic programming document identifying priorities and actions of public interest in the youth sector.

The key policies of the draft resolution are as follows:

• Provide better opportunities to young people with education and training, both formal and non-formal
• Following the policy of employment, to enable young people to provide for their own economic and social security, and thus conditions to facilitate their gaining independence
• Promote participation of young people in managing public affairs
• Adhering to the principles of sustainable development
• Focus on the health and well-being of young people and inequalities in health
• Enable young people to enter their occupational path safely
• Promote and enable the participation of young people in culture and arts

In the field of education, the draft resolution sets out the following objectives:

• Care of a safe and supportive environment
• Integrated treatment in the field of supervisors
• Modernisation of the education system for green and digital transition
• Modernisation of upper secondary vocational and technical education, including apprenticeship, modernisation of higher vocational college study programmes, and setting up digitally supported learning posts
• Integration of education with economy
• Development of a supportive environment for practices of cooperation in open learning environments – cases of linking formal and non-formal settings of education and learning

Following the interdepartmental coordination, the interdepartmental coordinated material was submitted to the correspondence session of the Council of the Government of the Republic of Slovenia for Youth in June 2024 for approval, following the decision of the Council of the Government of the Republic of Slovenia for Youth. Representatives of organisations in the youth sector rejected the inter-ministerial coordinated proposal, which is why the proposal has not yet been submitted to the Government of the Republic of Slovenia for adoption.

2023

Modernisation of basic and upper secondary general education (gimnazije)

The tasks defined by the Action Plan for drafting the proposal of incorporation of Slovenian sign language into the preschool, basic school, and upper secondary education systems for 2021–2024 were conducted. Among others, a final report was developed with data analysis on the inclusion of deaf and hard-of-hearing adults in basic and upper secondary education programmes, including experiences from abroad and recommendations, the material on information and counselling approaches for deaf and hard-of-hearing adults in adult education counselling activities, which is carried out as a public service, as well as guidelines for sign language interpreter assistants, advice to interpreter assistants, and tables of possible adjustments when conducting national knowledge assessments.

Within the project "Modernisation of education programmes with the modernisation of key programme documents (Kindergarten curriculum, subject-curricula, and knowledge catalogues)", most curricular commissions were appointed in 2023: commission for the development of the document on common goals, curricular commission for the first educational period, and subject-specific curricular commissions. The National Education Institute Slovenia conducted training for members of the curricular commissions on the modernisation of the programme documents, incorporating common goals into subject-curricula and knowledge catalogues for developing didactic recommendations and using the computer application for designing subject curricula and knowledge catalogues.

In December 2023, the relevant Curriculum Council approved the document "Common goals and their incorporation into the subject-curricula and knowledge catalogues" developed by the relevant Commission.

The Commission identified five areas of common goals:

• Language, citizenship, culture, and art
• Sustainable development
• Health and wellbeing
• Digital competence
• Entrepreneurship (including financial literacy).

Within these areas, the Commission selected sub-areas or competences, and defined key (fundamental) goals, which the subject-specific curricular commissions could sensibly incorporate among the subject goals and knowledge standards in their subject-curriculum and didactic recommendations.

In November 2023, the Government adopted the Strategy for the Integration of Non-European Union Nationals into the Cultural, Economic, and Social Life of the Republic of Slovenia. It is based on the fundamental principles of integration policy, which in an open and democratic society enables the integration of all social subsystems into society. The goals of the strategy are defined by individual sections in a way that aims for the broadest social and societal integration of foreigners into society.

Sections of the strategy are:

• Language integration
• Integration in the field of education
• Integration into the labour market
• Integration into the local environment
• Optimization of administrative procedures and elimination of administrative barriers
• Cooperation with diasporas.

Within the segment on integration in the field of education, the following goals are envisioned:

• Creating normative foundations that will enable the successful linguistic integration of immigrant children and students into the education system.
• Further development of learning materials and ensuring quality teaching of Slovenian as a second and foreign language.
• Establishing normative foundations for the successful inclusion of immigrant children and students in the educational environment.
• Training of education staff to promote the social and cultural integration of immigrant children and students and a supportive learning environment.

In August 2023, the Government of the Republic of Slovenia adopted the strategy and action plan for the greenefication of the public educational and research infrastructure in Slovenia until 2030. It was a strategic document that served as the basis of the systematic and development-centred system of funding public educational and research infrastructure until 2030. The strategy aims to upgrade public infrastructure to satisfy the requirements of modern educational and research processes.

In June 2023, the ministry responsible for labour, family, social matters and equal opportunities laid before the Government the draft resolution on the national programme for equal opportunities for women and men until 2030. This strategic document includes goals and actions, as well as key institutions that will spearhead the policies of equal opportunities for women and men in individual areas of life in the Republic of Slovenia from 2021 to 2040. For the sector of education, the draft document determines this goal and foresees two actions aimed at lowering gender segregation:

• Including the content of gender equality in the subject-curricula, learning material and programmes of professional development in education, as well as establishing gender equality during lessons and after-school activities along with diversity and transversal attributes.
• Promoting non-gender stereotyped choices of education programmes and studies at all levels of education.

In March 2023, the ministry responsible for labour, family, social matters and equal opportunities released for public consultation the draft resolution on the national programme of preventing domestic violence and violence against women that lists seven aims:

• Diverse, continuous, quality and widely accessible social care and other support programmes for domestic violence victims and victims of violence against women, and programmes for perpetrators of domestic violence and violence against women.
• Better treatment and protection of domestic violence victims and victims of violence against women, as well as better procedures (practices) for managing these problems.
• Highly competent professional staff who know how and have experience in dealing with matters of domestic violence and violence against women, and victims of such violence.
• Zero tolerance towards domestic violence and violence against women, high level of awareness of this area and preventive activities in the society.
• Improved/modernised/up-to-date rules on preventing domestic violence and violence against women by including the aspect of gender.
• Providing quality information about domestic violence and violence against women.
• Improved organisation of the preventing domestic violence and violence against women, human and financial sources for sustainable operations of the system and improved and consistent cooperation of all relevant stakeholders.

Within those aims, the draft resolution foresees certain actions in the area of education, too, such as setting up a single approach to keeping records and administrating the database about child victims of domestic violence and victims of bullying (by gender, age), and regular raising awareness and education about the problems of online violence against women and children, namely for students of basic school, upper secondary school and education staff.

In January 2023, the Service of the Republic of Slovenia for digital transformation developed the draft Digital Slovenia 2030 strategy. See Chapter 14.5.

Other policy developments

In December, the Public call for co-funding the status rights of athletes included in the education system for the year 2024 was published in the Official Gazette.

The goals of the public call are to:

• Improve the quality of incentives for sport-talented schoolchildren
• Provide support in coordinating school and sports obligations
• Increase the quality of work in sports departments in secondary schools.

The anticipated co-funding of the mentioned content in 2024 amounts to up to €372,752.00.

In December 2023, the Act amending the Scholarship Act was published in the Official Gazette. It enabled a student with a socially weaker background, who achieves exceptional achievements, to receive both a need-based state and merit-based Zois scholarship simultaneously starting from the 2024/2025 school year. The amendment also specified that the state scholarships as of January 1, 2024, will remain at the same level as they were at the end of 2023.

One of the novelties is the transfer of the Ad futura scholarships to the ministry responsible for higher education and the ministry responsible for education. Currently, its implementation is in the realm of the Ministry of Labor, Family, Social Affairs, and Equal Opportunities, for which the procedures at the first level are conducted by the Public Scholarship, Development, Disability, and Maintenance Fund. Since it primarily promotes study abroad, the funding and authority for this type of scholarship was transferred with the amendment to the Ministry for Higher Education, Science and Innovation, and the Ministry of Education. The transfer of the Ad futura scholarships will be conducted for the school or academic year 2025/2026.

The amendment also unified the naming and aligned the legislation with the new concept of selection and co-funding of school competitions, adopted in May 2021 by the then Ministry of Education, Science, and Sport. The School competition co-funding Rules adopted at that time classified competitions into selection and interest competitions, which was inconsistent with the terminology defined in the Scholarship Act.

In November 2023, the minister responsible for education adopted the Rules amending the Rules on the teaching certification examination. Among others, an additional condition was specified for education staff applying to take the professional examination for a preschool teacher, preschool teacher assistant, teacher, lecturer of higher vocational school, accompanist, instructor, or laboratory assistant, with completed five practical performances, namely, that they must now also do the practical performance as education staff in the officially recognised education programme or education programme with official recognition for which they have to by law pass the professional examination in education.

In October 2023, the Act amending the Act on Special Rights of the Italian and Hungarian National Communities in Education was published in the Official Gazette. The amendment allowed children with special needs to be placed into a relevant adapted and special educational programme regardless of the municipality of their permanent residence. Previously, only children from the ethnically mixed area could be placed in a bilingual school implementing adapted and special educational programmes. Now, this is also an option for children with special needs who have a permanent residence outside this area.

In October 2023, the Ministry of Education issued draft amendments to the following rules:

• Rules amending the Rules on the methods of funding education programmes of the bilingual upper secondary school
• Rules amending the Rules on the methods of funding education programmes and the behaviour-related education programme in upper secondary education
• Rules amending the Rules on the methods of funding education programmes of the upper secondary schools with Italian language of instruction
• Rules amending the Rules on norms for funding higher vocational colleges.

The proposed changes add new alternative posts for accounting-administrative and technical staff, which will be considered in calculating the cost per student of upper secondary education programmes and which schools can classify from December 1, 2021, onward, and changes in the area of salaries, as determined by Annex H to the Collective Agreement for the Education Sector in the Republic of Slovenia (Off. Gaz. RS, No. 136/22) and Annex H to the Collective Agreement for the Education Sector in the Republic of Slovenia (Off. Gaz. RS, No. 11/23), relevant from April 1, 2023. On April 1, 2023, the classifications of posts or titles were raised by one pay bracket.

In September 2023, the minister responsible for education and training adopted the new Rules on the criteria and methods for the valuation of material expenses in educational institutions for children with special needs. The new regulation included among the criteria for valuing material costs for professional centres also an intensive group, an apartment for youth, and a group in a daily form of work. It also provided for an allowance for telecommunications costs for the institution or professional centre that does not have free broadband internet access.

In September 2023, the Public call for the co-funding of the "Modernization of Computer Networks in Educational Institutions" project within the Recovery and Resilience Plan was published in the Official Gazette. It is aiming to update the computer networks at educational institutions in basic and upper secondary education, as well as adult education organizations by June 30, 2026, thereby ensuring appropriate technology for the remote automatic management of networks. The total amount of funds allocated under the public call amounts to €3,525,800.00, including VAT.

In September 2023, the Act Determining Intervention Measures for Recovery from the Floods and Landslides of August 2023 was published in the Official Gazette. To facilitate the renovation and elimination of flood consequences for parents who suffered property damage, among other provisions, the law specified that for the school year 2023/2024, students are provided with free lunch or snack based on the decision of the Social Work Centre.

In September 2023, the Act Determining the Intervention Measures to Remedy the Consequences of the Floods and Landslides in August 2023 to provide immediate help to affected people in natural disasters and it determined an intervention to help pay for school meals. By this law, the children now have the right based on the decision on the extraordinary funds for floods and landslides relief to a subsidy for school meals in the amount of the school snack and/or school lunch (upper secondary students to the subsidy for a school snack in the amount of the price for a school snack). The funds for subsidies of school meals will be provided by the state budget. The eligibility period will be from 1 September 2023 to 31 December 2023.

In September 2023, a group of parliament members laid before the National Assemble draft Act amending the Scholarship Act. See chapter 14.4.

In August 2023, the minister responsible for education adopted the Rules on the promotion of education staff to titles. The rules were adopted as required with the amendment of the 105 Article Organisation and Financing of Education Act that introduced a new title senior advisor in education and is read as the realisation of the Strike Agreement between the Government of the Republic and the Education, Science and Culture Trade Union of Slovenia. The rules also determine the extended selection of criteria on the evaluation of extra professional activities, include and address in particular promotion extra/lenient criteria for professional staff in officially recognised education programmes for children and youth with special educational needs, and provides for preschool teachers who carry out the modified education programme for SEN preschool children to be promoted as it applies for preschool teachers in kindergartens (before the promotion rules for other education staff applied).

In July 2023, the minister responsible for education adopted the Order to amend the Music education programme in basic music and dance education. The amendment introduced to the timetable of the Music in basic music and dance education programme a new subject cimbalom and the relevant subject-curriculum. The amended timetable and the new subject-curriculum will be put into effect with the 2024/2025 school year.

In June 2023, the National Assembly adopted the Act amending the School Meals Act. From 1 September 2027, all basic school children will be entitled to free school lunches. During transitional period, for basic school students in households with average monthly income per person as determined with the child benefit decision below income bracket 4 as specified by the Act on Right to Public Funds the entitlement to the free lunch will start with 1 September 2023; for those above the upper threshold of the income bracket 4 and below upper threshold of the income bracket 5 the entitlement to the subsidy for lunch in the amount of 50 percent of the lunch price will start with 1 September 2024. The Act also determined that the ministry will within three months since the Act had entered into force publish a public call for proposals for a pilot project on a central school kitchen to allow for a more modern food preparation for several educational institution. The central school kitchen would be organised in the scope of a public educational institution. The funds for the pilot project will be provided from the state budget and the budget of a local community.

In June 2023, the minister responsible for education adopted amendment to the following rules as required by the amendment to the norms and standards in basic and upper secondary school:

• Rules amending the Rules on norms and standards of implementing the basic school programme
• Rules on norms and standards of implementing education programmes for SEN children
• Rules amending the Rules on norms and standards of implementing music school programme
• Rules amending the Rules on norms and standards of implementing the basic school programme in bilingual basic schools and basic schools with Italian language of instruction
• Rules amending the Rules on norms and standards for the implementation of education programmes and the education programme for students with emotional and behavioural disorders in upper secondary education
• Rules amending the Rules on norms and standards in the bilingual upper secondary school
• Rules amending the Rules on norms and standards in upper secondary schools with Italian languages of instruction
• Rules amending the Rules on methods of funding education programmes and the education programme for students with emotional and behavioural problems in upper secondary education

The main amendments to the norms and standards in basic schools relate to lowering the requirement for school meals organisers in basic schools, more favourable requirements for a counselling staff, more favourable criteria for the post of head teacher assistants, change in norm for a teaching load in schools with fewer classes, new criteria for classification of the accountant post, optional classification of administrative posts, lower norm of implementing the outdoor school programme, and classification of extra hours in Slovenian or initial lessons of Slovenian for students foreigners.

Amended norms and standards of implementing education programmes for SEN children relate to pursuing by analogy the amendments proposed to basic schools and upper secondary schools also to amended obligation within educational activities and number of preschool teachers in an individual group, classification of the new posts teacher and preschool teacher to communicate with students in the Slovenian sign language, and teacher and preschool teacher to pursue activities with deaf blind, a more favourable requirement for the classification of carers, norm for setting up classes of only children with serious or severe intellectual disabilities, and new criteria for setting up classes for mobile service of the mobile team.

Amended norms and standards in upper secondary schools introduce changes that apply by analogy to all levels of education and for upper secondary SEN students and relate also among others to more appropriate evaluation of teacher's activities of organising and coordinating other forms of educational activities, and to the implementation of norms for accompanying students in all forms of organised activities with students that are part of education programme and run outside school space.

In July 2023, the ministry responsible for education put into inter-ministerial coordination the draft Act amending the Basic School Act. The main solutions introduced in the draft law relate to changes in national assessment, introduction of the new concept of the extended basic school programme, introduction of compulsory learning the first foreign language from grades 1 to 9 and the second foreign language from grades 7 to 9, and stricter requirements for home-schooling. It makes the national assessment compulsory for grade 3 students. The aim is to observe the results also in the first educational period, and to give an option of making the national assessment testing high-stakes or use the results as one of the selection criteria in case of capped enrolment in upper secondary education.

The draft amendments to the law propose a new concept of the extended programme in the scope of which the school develop a stimulating and safe learning environment with more room for cooperation among students, more options for applying the principle of equal opportunities and considering the needs and interests of students. The law introduces three thematic areas: movement and health for good psychical and physical well-being, culture and tradition, and the life and work of basic school.

The draft amendments to the law also propose the beginning of compulsory learning of the second foreign language in the third educational period (grades 7 to 9) and the beginning of the compulsory learning the first foreign language in grade 1. As to home schooling the draft proposes making home-schooled students equal to students at school whereby the main goal is for the first to acquire the equal educational standard. Now the knowledge of home-schooled students would be assessed in all subjects of the relevant timetable of the officially recognised basic school programme in which the student is taking part.

In June 2023, the Act amending the Organisation and Financing of Education Act was published in the official gazette Uradni list Republike Slovenije. It established among others the legal background for continuing the trial implementation of innovation if the innovation had not yet been introduced into the education system at the end of its trial implementation, so that would mean a temporary discontinuation of the activities. To avoid this, the act determined that after the end of the trial at the national level, the minister will issue a decision to continue the implementation of the new programme or innovation at schools and kindergartens that participated in the trail and under the same conditions as they applied during the trial and do so until the end of the school year following the end of the trial.

By law now, the barriers to employment in the education of individuals without all requirements fulfilled have been reduced. It determined that an employer could enter into agreement with a candidate who does fulfil the requirements for level and field of education but no certificate of professional examination for a fixed term of two years. During this term the newly employed professional staff can pass the professional examination, and then enter an open-ended employment agreement. Candidates who fulfil the requirements for level and field of education, but do not have a pedagogical, pedagogical-andragogical or special-pedagogical educational qualification can be offered to enter a fixed-term employment agreement of three years if they enrol within one year of entering the employment agreement on a relevant study programme to obtain pedagogical, pedagogical-andragogical or special-pedagogical educational qualification. If the professional staff fulfil all the requirements, they can be offered to enter an open-ended employment agreement.

In May 2023, the Government of the Republic of Slovenia adopted the draft Act amending the Act on Special Rights of Italian and Hungarian National Communities in Education. The draft provided for SEN children to be placed in relevant modified and special education programme irrespective of the permanent residence. It established legal background for SEN children without residence in a bilingual area to enrol in schools in bilingual areas.

In April 2023, the ministry responsible for education issued a public call for applications for co-funding of classes offering extra sports in basic schools for the 2023/2024 school year. The aim is to increase hours of sports in basic schools and improve the quality and attractiveness of sports education for children and youth. The subject of the call is co-funding classes offering extra sports in basic schools that carry out the officially recognised programme at the level of the first educational period. Eligible applicants are basic schools that carry out the officially recognised education programme and will in the 2023/2024 school year, set up classes offering extra sports for students enrolled in grades 1 2 and 3 whereby the programme must include at least 1 extra hour of sports per week.

In April 2023, the minister responsible for education adopted the Rules amending the Rules on additional professional and physical assistance for children with special needs. It determined among others that in special circumstances, additional professional assistance to overcome disabilities, barriers and disorders and in the form of counselling will be granted also to children placed in a special programme if they need additional professional assistance in tyflopedagogy, surdopedagogcy, social pedagogy and speech therapy. It also determined that deaf-blind children placed in a modified programme and with entitlement by a placement decision to an interpreter, receive assistance in the language of deaf-blind persons or in other relevant forms of communication from a teacher or preschool teacher or interpreter for deaf-blind persons. A teacher or preschool teacher for communication in the Slovenian sign language or a teacher to work with deaf-blind students can be provided to schools, in which students have been placed, by institutes for education of SEN children and youth established for activities with deaf and hard of hearing or with blind children and youth, or the school can enter an agreement for provision of a service.

In April 2023, the Government of the Republic of Slovenia adopted the Action plan of the Republic of Slovenia for child guarantee 2022 to 2030. The aim of the plan is to establish equal opportunities for all children and prevent intergenerational poverty. It will help to raise the level of well-being of children, enable to all children equal opportunities and rights, strengthen the protections and security, and improve the options of inclusion and participation for children. Special focus is on general accessibility of early childhood education and care, education (including school activities), at least one healthy meal every school day for all children, widely accessible health care, and efficient access to healthy nutrition and proper accommodation. In developing target actions, a special attention was on children migrants, children with migrant background or children from ethnic minorities (in particular Roma children), children with special needs, children with mental health problems and/or mental disorders, and children who live in dysfunctional, uncertain family circumstances and/or children with disadvantaged socio-economic background, and children in alternative care (in particular institutional).

In April 2023, the minister responsible for education adopted the Order to amend the adapted education programme with lower educational standard of nine-year basic school. It determined following the decisions by the Council of experts of the Republic of Slovenia for general education subject-curricula for a compulsory subject Technics and technology, optional subjects in Treatment of materials: wood, man-made material and metals, and a compulsory subject of Fine art. Subject curricula will start to apply with the 2023/2024 school year.

In March 2023, the ministry responsible for education advertised a call for applications for 170 traineeship posts for the 2023/2024 school year. Selected candidates enter the traineeship employment relationship for pursuing educational activities of a teacher, preschool teachers, counselling staff or librarian in basic school and institutes for education of SEN children and youth, music school, residential hall for basic school and upper secondary students, upper secondary schools that are registered under providers of officially recognised programmes. The eligible candidates meet specific requirements for trainees in education for educational qualification and seek first employment in education or have fewer experience than required to be able to take professional examination.

In March 2023, the Strike Agreement between the Government of the Republic and the Education, Science and Culture Trade Union of Slovenia was published in the official gazette. Among others, it determined agreement about norms and standards in education, relations between salary brackets of education staff and salaries of staff in other subgroups, introduction of the new senior Councillor title, resolving of open issues of a worker posted on a several day educational activity or accompanying outside the school’s or institute’s catchment area, overall regime and valuation of extra work of education staff for increased weekly teaching load and replacements that is pursued in the form of teaching lessons, and agreement to consider the principle of equal valuation of teaching and research jobs for which a doctoral degree is required.

In March 2023, the ministry responsible for education advertised an call for selection and co-funding of the continuous professional development for the 2023/2023 school year. It was an invitation to apply to providers of the CPD programmes for education staff that will be listed in the Catalogue of further education and training programmes for the 2023/2024 school year. Among the programmes proposed, certain will be selected for co-funding from the state budget. Besides general themes, the call lists also the following priority themes:

• Teaching, learning and assessment of results in the learning and study process aimed in particular at the modern teaching technology and innovative approaches to teaching and learning
• Sustainable development and active citizenship
• Talented in the educational process and education of SEN children (sensibilisation and training for new pedagogical methods and approaches)
• Implementation of life-long career guidance and provision of equal opportunities aimed in particular at vulnerable groups
• Socio-emotional competence and well-being in education, and raising awareness in education staff to be able to cope with topics of mental health and addiction
• Counselling activities within educational and study process
• Development of proficiency in Slovenian language, bilingual/plurilingual and media literacy.

In March 2023, the Act amending the Matura Act was put into inter-ministerial coordination. It further elaborated on the right to take matura examination in two parts and the method on how to obtain that right; it further elaborated on the circumstances, too, that would apply as justified for recognising the autumn term as the same as the spring term when enrolling in tertiary education.

In February 2023, the ministry responsible for education put up for inter-ministerial coordination the draft Act amending the Act on Special Rights of Italian and Hungarian National Communities in Education. The amendment proposed allows for children with special educational needs to be placed in adapted and special education programmes not considering the municipality of the child’s permanent residence. By law now, only children from ethnically mixed areas can be placed in bilingual schools providing adapted and special education programmes. According to the amendment, this option will not be limited, so children with special educational needs whose permanent residence is outside that area could be placed there.

In February 2023, the ministry responsible for education issued a public call for applications for scholarships for students in initial teacher education study programmes for the academic year 2023/2024. See chapter 14.4.

In February 2023, the minister responsible for education adopted the Rules amending the Rules on the teaching certification examination. It introduced the pedagogical practice as working experience suitable for taking the professional examination for trainees, too, in the share of one-third at most of the scope determined for pedagogical practice in education or study programmes; and the organised direct activity aimed to educate in the scope of 55 hours at most for education staff with upper secondary educational qualification and of 80 hours for education staff with short-cycle higher vocational or higher education. Before, it applied only to education staff who had not done traineeship in education but had conducted educational activities in a kindergarten or school. The Rules introduced also the option of complementary taking the professional examination for candidates who had been or will be education staff in a kindergarten or school with the Italian medium of instruction or bilingual kindergarten or school and who had already passed the professional examination according to this Rules but not according to the Act on Special Rights of the Italian and Hungarian National Communities in Education. The amendment gives the national communities a greater guarantee for a higher quality of lessons in their respective language.

In February 2023, the minister responsible for education adopted the Rules amending the Rules on the selection and co-funding of continuing education and training programmes for education staff. The Rules included programmes of public institutes and programmes of higher education institutions among the programmes of career development. The relevant public institutes are those tasked to develop and provide advisory services. The Government of the Republic of Slovenia established them to pursue activities and responsibilities needed for the provision of education. So, the programmes of those institutes are programmes of career development which are organised according to the annual plan of the institutes. The study groups and mentor networks are on the list. Programmes of higher education institutions are programmes for the career development of education staff which are provided and organised by the higher education institutions or public research institutes.

In February 2023, the minister responsible for education adopted three rules for education in ethnically mixed areas:

• Rules on the Italian language proficiency level in kindergartens and schools with Italian medium of instruction
• Rules on Hungarian language proficiency in bilingual kindergartens and schools
• Rules on the national community language level test for education in ethnically mixed areas.

The first two determine requirements for:

• Proficiency in Italian or Hungarian language as the medium of instruction which education staff in kindergartens and schools must demonstrate.
• Proficiency in Italian or Hungarian language as the languages of national communities which administrative-technical staff must demonstrate in schools and kindergartens.

The third Rules determined requirements and schemes for granting or revoking a public authorisation for organising the exam in Italian or Hungarian language proficiency as mediums of instruction or languages of national communities, as well as the scope, content and method of administering examination for pursuing educational and other activities in kindergartens or schools with Italian medium of instruction or bilingual kindergartens and schools.

In January 2023, the Annex to the Collective Agreement for the Education Sector in the Republic of Slovenia was published in the official gazette Uradni list Republike Slovenije. See chapter 14.1.

2022

Modernisation of basic school and gimnazija education

In December 2022, the minister responsible for education issued a decision to appoint a working group tasked to develop the National programme of education 2023–2033. The working group’s background is the commitment of the coalition to address a complete renovation of the system of education and training as one of the key priorities of the government led by dr. Robert Golob. Various professionals in the field of education became members of the working group following a public call by the ministry. The working group’s target is to develop by the end of 2023 a National programme of education by 2033.

In June 2022, the minister responsible for education signed a decision to approve the "Analytical hub" project. The project runs on the recovery and resilience plan. The purpose of the project is to improve the system of assessing and assuring quality, and to cultivate the culture of data-driven operations and to develop data literacy. The goal of the project is to set up an analytical hub that will affiliate the network of institutions to assess and assure quality, and support data-driven education policy-making. There is €0.6 million in the recovery and resilience plan planned for the implementation in the period 2022 to 2026. The project contractor is the ministry responsible for education.

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. The project 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 to include reasonably the digital competences and basic content of computer science and informatics, and sustainable development competences and financial literacy. In April 2022, 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 February 2022, the Council of experts of the Republic of Slovenia for general education adopted the background documents for the modernisation of the kindergarten curriculum. To support the developing of the background documents, the ministry responsible for education developed in 2020 the “Insight into the challenges of the Slovenian education” (Pogled na izzive slovenske vzgoje in izobraževanja). It identified key challenges of the education system based on the analysis made by the ministry in the scope of the internal diagnostics and in consideration of certain recommendations by the public institutes and school inspectorate. To support the process, the ministry carried out in 2021 a cycle of seven technical consultations on future challenges of education, namely on the premise of the document mentioned.

Other policy developments

In December 2022, the minister responsible for education issued a decision to appoint a working group tasked to develop the National programme of education 2023–2033. The working group’s background is the commitment of the coalition to address a complete renovation of the system of education and training as one of the key priorities of the government led by dr. Robert Golob. Various professionals in the field of education became members of the working group following a public call by the ministry. The working group’s target is to develop by the end of 2023 a National programme of education by 2033.

In December 2022, the minister responsible for education adopted:

• Rules amending the Rules on norms and standards for the implementation of the primary school programme
• Rules amending the Rules on norms and standards for the implementation of educational programmes for children with special needs
• Rules on norms and standards for the implementation of the primary school programme in bilingual primary schools and primary schools with Italian as the language of instruction.

All three Rules determined the amended environment for classifying the accounting-administrative posts. The amendment made provision for schools to classify the Accountant VII/1 or Accountant VII/2 for accounting tasks and Administrative assistant VIZ VII/1 or Administrative secretary VII/2 for administrative tasks. The Accountant VII/1 and Administrative assistant VII/1 must have a professional bachelor’s degree or equivalent former educational qualification (level 6, sub-level 6/2 as per KLASIUS-SRV). The Accountant VII/2 or Administrative secretary VII/2 must have a master’s degree, specialisation in higher education professional education (former) or higher university education (former) (level 7 as per KLASIUS-SRV).

In December 2022, the ministry responsible issued a public call for applications for grants to subsidise fees for continuous education of education staff in the academic year 2022/2023. The grants are for subsidising education in the amount of 50 per cent of the programme fee. For this, one earmarked €220,000.

In November 2022, the National Assembly of the Republic of Slovenia adopted the Act amending the Organisation and Financing of Education Act. See chapter 14.1.

In November 2022, the ministry responsible for education issued a public invitation to apply for the training of education and leadership staff in education to improve competences in digital literacy, sustainable development, and financial literacy. See chapter 14.5.

In October 2022, the National Assembly of the Republic of Slovenia adopted the Intervention Measures in Education Act. It determined that the ice for students in basic and upper secondary education in the school year 2022/2023 would remain the same as it had been in the school year 2021/2022. It determined also that upper secondary and higher education students would pay the same starting fee for residing in student residence halls in the school year 2022/2023 as it had been set for 3 January 2022 onwards until the end of lessons or studies in the year 2021/2022. By doing so, one wanted to avoid the social distress of students and their families.

In September 2022, the minister responsible for education adopted the Rules amending the Rules on promotion to titles of education staff. See chapter 14.1.

In August 2022, the minister responsible for education adopted the Rules amending the School competition co-funding Rules. The amendments made provisions among others for the cost of material and equipment required for the implementation of the experimenting part of the competition to fall under the eligible cost of organising and administrating the selection competitions. As by the Rules, the ministry responsible for education, issued in September 2022 the public call for applications for co-funding selection school competitions in the school years 2022/2023 and 2023/2024. The target of the public call was cofounding school competitions for basic school students in the field of foreign languages and biology; and in upper secondary schools, in the field of foreign language, technology, computer science and informatics, and history in the school years 2022/2023 and 2023/2024. For this, one earmarked €100,000.

In August 2022, the ministry responsible for education issued a draft Rules amending the Outdoor school funding Rules. It specified among other that state budget funds shall be provided for co-funding outdoor school to one generation of basic school students a year or two generations every second year. Before the funds were provided to only one generation per year). With the amendment, the ministry made provisions for schools to be able to reduce the cost of outdoor school. The draft also specified new criteria for state budget funds allocation for co-funding and subsidising outdoor school, and it regulated the payment to education staff to compensate for the imbalanced distribution of working time of teachers imposed with the Collective Agreement for the Education Sector in the Republic of Slovenia.

In July 2022, the National assembly adopted the Act on reducing imparity and harmful interference of politics and ensuring observance of rule of law. The Act affected the Organisation and Financing of Education Act (Article 46). The latter specified the composition of the council of public kindergartens and basic schools. It will now include three founder representatives, five staff representatives, and three parent representatives, the same as before the 2011 amendment. The council of vocational and technical schools, gimnazije in public residential homes for upper secondary student shall now include three founder representatives, five staff representatives, three parent representatives and two student representatives.

In July 2022, the minister responsible for education adopted the Rules on accommodation in residential facilities. It eliminated among other certain administrative barriers to enrolment of extra newcomers in residential homes for upper secondary students. Now, the minister does not have to consent to the enrolment due to higher demand compared to the supply of places for newcomers with the first call for application (before, minister had to consent every single place). It further made provision for the enrolment procedure to start after the enrolment in upper secondary schools ended. In this way, a student actually enrols in the school first and weighs the relevant options for living arrangements. The rules also specifies basic standards of living in a residential homes. This further allows for a clearer differentiation between standard and beyond standard services of the hall.

In July 2022, the National assembly's committee for education, science, sport and youths issued a decision in which it suggested to the ministry responsible for education to use all instruments available to stimulate physical activity during school time (for example during morning and afternoon care, supplementary and remedial lessons in sports, and so forth), and to include in the stimulation teachers as well as students. It suggested also to reintroduce the Healthy lifestyle programme in schools and develop a systemic solution that would lead to better physical activity of learners.

In June 2022, the minister responsible for education adopted the rules specifying the educational qualification of education staff and other staff in education programmes: gimnazija, education programme for residence halls, and basic school. The new rules resulted from the education programme expansions and modernisation that involved the introduction of new optional subjects and a more effective system of learning support to immigrants after they enter the education system. For this, categorisation was required in terms of education staff, and requirements they have to meet. The new rules incorporate education staff according to existing changes of support to children and youth with special educational needs, as well as placement of Slovenian sign language in education.

In June 2022, the ministry responsible for education put in inter-sectoral coordination draft rules on norms and standards in basic school, bilingual basic schools and basic school with Italian medium of instruction, music school, and education programmes for children with special needs.

The amendments among other specified:

• More favourable criteria for setting up the new head teacher assistant post
• More favourable platform for determining the scope of the counsellor classified post
• Reduced normative for school meals’ organisers
• New criteria for classification of accountant post
• Change in educational requirements for pursuing administrative duties, and possibility of setting up new posts, and
• Systematisation of extra lessons of Slovenian or initial lessons of Slovenian for foreign students.

In June 2022, the Council of experts of the Republic of Slovenia for general education adopted the amended special education programme. It introduced increased autonomy of schools when considering programme flexibility – more options for a complete individual progress –, and implementation recommendations for social and care institution. The recommendations relate to placing children and youth in the centres for training, work and care, and specificity of afternoon pedagogical activities.

In May 2022, the minister responsible for education adopted the Order amending the adapted nine-year basic school programme of lower educational standard. Following the decisions of the Council of experts of the Republic of Slovenia for general education, it specified curricula for compulsory subjects, namely for: Slovenian, mathematics, learning about environment, natural and social sciences in the second educational cycle, social and natural sciences in the third educational cycle, and optional subjects: computer science, sports, and conception of fine arts. The use of subject-curricula will start in the 2022/2023 school year.

In May 2022, the ministry responsible for education issued the public call for application for creating a collection of e-books for compulsory reading for school libraries. Its purpose is to introduce e-books in school libraries and thereby allow concurrent reading. With it, it will be possible to complement the school library collection with the access to e-books. The goal is to acquire as complete as possible and balanced collection of titles for compulsory reading in e-format, which the applicants are willing to include within the Biblos distribution platform and lend out at the agreed price for one circulation of one e-book from the collection. The call for application and the upgrade of the Biblos distribution platform for lending out e-books for school libraries is a pilot within the Setting up the model of introducing e-books in school libraries project. The other part of the project is the public procuration – Use of Biblos distribution platform for lending out e-books for compulsory school reading.

In April 2022, the Slovenian national assembly adopted the Student Status Act. Among other, it affected the Scholarship Act. Now, students enrolled for the first time in the programmes of short upper secondary vocational education, upper secondary vocational education, upper secondary technical or other professional education, and upper secondary general education – for which they are exercising the right to scholarship – can qualify for the scholarship regardless of their age (before the eligible candidates had to be first enrolled and of up to and including 22 years of age).

In accordance with amendments to the Gimnazija Act and the Vocational Education Act of July 2019 that specified the part-time studies, the minister responsible for education adopted in April 2022 the Rules on the call for applications and first enrolment in part-time studies of officially recognised upper secondary education programmes. It specified the procedure of consenting to the scope of a call for first enrolment, procedure of enrolment in part-time studies in officially recongised programes of short upper secondary and upper secondary vocational, technical education, gimnazija, and vocational and matura courses in upper secondary schools, public organisations for adult education, and private educational organisations. It specified also the expression the first enrolment, namely it means the first enrolment of a candidate in the part-time studies of a programme at school; so, well defined when a school can count a candidate in the quota of enrolment places consented by the minister. In May 2022, the minister responsible for education adopted the Instructions on how to adapt the part-time upper secondary education. The instructions include provisions applicable to the educational contract, interest activities in vocational and technical education, compulsory optional contents in general education, and active citizenship.

In March 2022, the Slovenian government adopted the Decree on the methods for ensuring rights of persons enjoying temporary protection. It specified among other the rights of persons under temporary protection to enrol in programmes of short upper secondary and upper secondary vocational education, upper secondary technical and general education, and short-cycle higher vocational education. The decision about the enrolment of candidates without any proof of previous educational qualification is with the relevant school that has to follow the recommendations developed for such cases by the National education institute Slovenia. Persons under temporary protection can enrol in education and study programmes also during or in the course of the school or academic year if the school has available places. If candidates apply to enrol in capped programmes, there can be places added to the call for enrolment. Basic school students under temporary protection have the right to free snack, lunch and transportation to and back from school. Upper secondary students have the right to free snack.

In March 2022, the Council of experts of the Republic of Slovenia for general education adopted the amended education programme for children and youth with emotional and behavioural issues and impediments and recommendation for implementation of the programme. The amendment introduced new approaches to working with SEN children and youth, new forms of support in preventive activities that lead to early detection of issues, continuity of support provided to children, youth and their families, and to the school. Focus being on the holistic treatment of an individual in the form of cooperation of a team of professionals from different fields.

In March 2022, the minister responsible for education adopted the Rules on teacher education student grants. It superseded the previous rules on study grants for employing education staff, namely for regular students in teacher education study programmes. The new rules specified in greater detail the procedure, eligibility and criteria for awarding grants to students in study programmes for educational qualification specified by law for pursuing educational activities of education staff. The rules further specified the purposes and aims of awarding study grants, namely: responding to the long-term priority and employment demands of public educational institutions that provide public service; incentive to study for pedagogical profession, and building up the reputation of a teaching profession.

In January 2022, the minister responsible for education adopted the new Rules on the organization and work methods of commissions for the placement of children with special needs. It specified several processes of placement for preschool children. It was a follow-up consolidation with to the new system law the Act Regulating the Integrated Early Treatment of Preschool Children with Special Needs. The law has been standardising since 2019 the education of preschool children with special educational needs (SEN). The new Rules made provision to omit the implementation of individual elements of the programme for children with behavioural and emotional disorders (placed in the relevant educational institutions) in other educational institutions in the function of additional professional support in overcoming deficits, obstacles and/or disorders. Furthermore, it specified that SEN children could only be placed in institutes for education of SEN children and youth if the professional opinion addressed the disorder for which the institute has been established.

Response to the COVID-19 pandemic

In December 2022, the minister responsible for education adopted the decision to modify the general and vocational matura examination in the school year 2022/2023. It determined modifications of subject examination catalogues, implementation of matura in two consecutive terms, keeping records of electronic mails of general matura candidates, insights in the examination documentation, objection to the general matura results, justified reasons for an additional term for insight in general matura results, return of examination documentation, development of examination slips for oral parts, and responsibilities of supervising teachers.

In November 2022, the National Assembly of the Republic of Slovenia adopted the act on urgent measures to contain the spread and mitigate the consequences of communicable COVID-19 disease in the field of health. It determined among others that self-testing of basic school students, upper secondary students and higher education students with test HAG for provision of the education programme. The testing takes place at home. Funds for rapid antigen tests are allocated from the budget of the Republic of Slovenia. Individuals have ten free rapid tests available per month.

In October 2022, the minister responsible for education adopted the Decision amending the Decision on emergency measures in personnel administration required for smooth operations of educational institutions. It extended the option for classification of an additional counsellor post and introduced anew the cooperation of teachers with the staff of the public institute CŠOD (Centre for school and extracurricular activities) in providing educational activities, and part-time and occasional work by students.

In August 2022, before the start of the school year, the minister responsible for education in cooperation with the National institute of public health issued the recommendations for leadership of educational institutions about what steps to take in case of the incidence of COVID-19 spread. The two-phase measures for responding are foreseen:

• Phase 1: in case of fast spreading SARS-COV-2 within all groups of citizens that would not involve severe illness that required hospitalisation, the key is to take basic hygienic measures, ventilation, self-testing of the sick, and exclusion from the group, self-protective behaviour, promotion of correct implementation of hygienic measures, in particular, learning the correct etiquette for hand and cough hygiene.
• Phase 2: in case of epidemiological situation worsening and fast spreading SARS-COV-2 that would involve severe illness that required hospitalisation, namely in such a substantial share that without public health measures an overstraining of the health system would take place, alongside consistent basic additional measures will apply: periodic self-testing of persons without symptoms, more intensive cleaning/disinfection, and several other measures with which the providers within given circumstances will increase physical distancing and decrease contacts among participants.

There was a consultative group appointed at the National institute of public health to monitor the situation of SART-CoV-2. The group prepared the document of instructions to the educational institutions on how to act in case of suspected or confirmed SARS-CoV-2 infection at the institution in the school year 2022/2023. The instructions apply to all institutions for preschool, basic school and upper secondary education, including residential halls for students with special educational needs and upper secondary students. The document includes detailed steps to take by the leadership.

In May 2022, the Slovenian government adopted the Ordinance repealing the Ordinance on the temporary measures for the prevention and control of infectious disease COVID-19. With it, it cancelled all temporary measures for prevention and control for SARS-CoV-2 infections.

In May 2022, the minister responsible for education adopted the Decision amending the Decision on educational activities in public educational institutions in the school year 2021/2022. With it, the pursuing of educational activities according to the B model ceased to apply in basic and upper secondary schools. Schools will continue to observe the current epidemiological situation and take actions as recommended by the National institute of public health.

In May 2022, the minister responsible for education adopted the Decision on the emergency measures in personnel administration required for smooth operations of educational institution. It defined as an emergency personnel measure the possibility of classifying additional counsellor post in basic schools, basic schools with adapted education programme, and institutes for education of children and youth with special needs for the 2022/2023 school year.

In March 2022, the minister responsible for education adopted the Decision on the examination dates for final-year upper secondary students in the school year 2021/2022. It introduced an additional date for supplementary and resit examination, for establishing if the requirements for taking matura have been met, and for withdrawing the application.

In March 2022, the Government of the Republic of Slovenia adopted the Ordinance on the temporary measures for the prevention and control of infectious disease COVID-19. It waived the condition for wearing facial coverings for basic school, upper secondary, higher education students and staff for the duration of implementing the education programme. The condition still applies for participants in practical lessons and work-based clinical training.

In February 2022, the Government of the Republic of Slovenia adopted the new Ordinance on the temporary measures for the prevention and control of infectious disease COVID-19. It waived the condition of recovered/vaccinated/tested proof in education, as well as doing self-tests in schools both for staff and students.

In January 2022, the minister responsible for education adopted Decision on winter term examination board composition 2021/2022 school year. It specified the amendment to the oral exam boards in upper secondary schools in the 2021/2022 school year. The school exam board could now not include additional member alongside the president and examiner. The examiner could in exceptional circumstances and because of quarantine or self-isolation participate in examination board online not necessarily face-to-face.

In January 2022, the minister responsible for education adopted the Decision on measures for uninterrupted educational activities in basic schools in the school year 2021/2022. It specified the assessment of knowledge in basic schools, basic schools with adapted programme and educational institutes for children and youth with special educational needs until the end of the 2021/2022 school year. Among other, it specified lesser number of marks required for individual subjects and that marks should not be obtained with written exams mainly. It was premise, that the knowledge of students in all subjects should be marked throughout the school year. Students, who because of absence in the first marking period had not received a single mark, could receive missing marks until the end of lessons in the 2021/2022 school year.