Types of institutions

Upper secondary schools offer only one programme (less often and typical for larger cities) or several programmes of an equal or different difficulty degree to embrace the wider educational interest in each geographical area. 

• Single-programme schools are most often gimnazija.
• Schools that offer a variety of programmes can provide all from short upper secondary and upper secondary vocational to upper secondary technical education; along with them, they can offer the gimnazija programme.

Schools can be organised in school centres if they offer a variety of programmes, and the size of the school dictates it. School centres have internal organisational units with relative autonomy in managing the pedagogical process but are governed at the centre level in finances, materials and staff.

Geographical accessibility

The public network of upper secondary schools and the total number of student places allow access to all candidates with completed basic education (ISCED 1 and 2).

The state allocates programmes to provide regions with the programme offer that would meet with the interest of candidates and at the same time, secure the economy with human resources. Larger regional centres offer a greater variety of programmes. Those studying in more distant locations can reside in upper secondary student residence halls.

Admission requirements and choice of school

In principle, students can continue to any upper secondary school after they complete the nine-year basic education. 

Pupils who have completed at least grade 7 in the nine years of compulsory basic education and thereby, fulfil the basic school obligation can continue to short upper secondary vocational education only. The same applies to pupils who have completed basic school with a lower educational standard.

The gimnazija programmes are open to candidates who have completed the basic school programme. Programmes may also have additional entry requirements, such as classical or foreign languages, or artistic talent, and to enrol in sports classes, candidates must provide evidence of their sporting achievement.

Upper secondary general education includes the one-year matura course programme, too. The programme is designed primarily for those who have completed the four-year upper secondary technical education and want to sit the general matura and continue their education at a university. Moreover, the matura course is open to candidates who completed:

• Three-year upper secondary vocational school or four-year upper secondary technical school
• 3^rd year of a gimnazija programme and discontinued education for at least one year
• Basic school and have passed the examination in compulsory and non-compulsory optional matura subjects at the level of the gimnazija 3^rd year
• Officially recognised programme of private gimnazija that provides minimal knowledge as approved by the Council of Experts of the Republic of Slovenia for General Education (https://www.gov.si/zbirke/delovna-telesa/strokovni-svet-republike-slovenije-za-splosno-izobrazevanje/) but failed to pass matura.

Upper secondary technical education is open to candidates with the basic school or short upper secondary vocational education certificate.

Upper secondary vocational education is open to candidates with the basic school or short upper secondary vocational education certificate.

Two-year vocational and technical education is open to candidates with the upper secondary vocational education certificate.

One-year vocational course is open to candidates who completed the gimnazija 4^th year or final year of the upper secondary technical education programme.

Short upper secondary vocational education is open to candidates who have fulfilled the basic school obligation or completed at least basic school’s 7^th grade or the basic school programme with the lower educational standard adapted to SEN children.

With the vocational and technical education programmes, it is possible to define special talents or psychophysical skills, in so far as they are required for successful education and pursuit of a specific activity or profession.

Registration procedures are governed by the relevant rules on enrolment in upper secondary schools. It is adopted by the Minister responsible for education. There is a common call for application. The enrolment for each school is specified by its relevant school body, but the Minister must approve the number of places. The call for application contains:

• Information about:
  • school
  • education programmes
  • duration of education
  • number of places
• Entry requirements, and
• Measures to be taken if there are too many or too few applications.
• Selection criteria in case of cap on places.
• Dates and procedures for application and enrolment.
• List of the documents to be submitted by the candidates at the time of registration, and
• Other guidance and information relevant to candidates and their education decisions.

The Ministry responsible for education advertises the common call for gimnazija programmes and the matura course, short upper secondary and upper secondary vocational programmes, upper secondary technical and vocational-technical programmes, and a vocational course no later than six months before the beginning of the school year.

After advertising the places, schools organise an information day (typically, within 10 days of the call) for candidates to learn about:

• educational opportunities and requirements
• qualifications acquired in the programme
• opportunities for continuing education
• enrolment requirements
• selection procedure in case of cap on places
• time limits of the enrolment, and
• and other relevant information for deciding on the programme.

The Chamber of Craft and Small Business of Slovenian and the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Slovenia, too organise an information day for vocational programmes for which one advertised learning posts with an employer.

Students then enrol in the selected education programme at the upper secondary school of their choice. A cap may be placed on the number of students the school enrols in the 1^st year of the programme if the number of applications exceeds the staff and room capacities of the school. The Minister responsible for education must agree to the cap on places. The Ministry administers the candidate selection in two rounds:

1. In the first round, the school applies the common criteria set by the Minister responsible for education and fills 90 per cent of places for newcomers.
2. In the second round, the remaining candidates can apply for the 10 per cent of places open at schools with a cap on places and available places at other schools.

Schools notify the candidates about the outcome of the selection procedure and give information about the remaining places. Candidates can apply until all places have been filled. Candidates who had to take the remedial examination may enrol until August 31.

Age levels and grouping of pupils/students

As a rule, students enrol in the upper secondary education programme at the age of 15 years. It is a one-cycle education.

Depending on the programme, it may take students 2 to 5 years to complete and acquire their first vocational or technical qualification. Usually, a class is set up of students of the same age and teachers give lessons to the same students in the same subjects for several school years.

The Minister responsible for education adopts the rules to govern the size of classes per type of education programme or grouping of students. Rules that govern upper secondary education:

• Rules on standards of implementing upper secondary education programmes and education programme for upper secondary student residence halls)
• Rules on standards for bilingual upper secondary schools, and
• Rules on standards for upper secondary schools with Italian as the medium of instruction.

Upper secondary general education (gimnazije)

Students are assigned to classes of a maximum 30 students with 28 newly enrolled students; in higher years 30 students. If the Minister responsible for education agrees, the class size can be 32. With one SEN student in a class, the size is reduced to 26, with two to 23, and with three to a maximum of 20 students.

If schools offer several gimnazija programmes and there are too few students to set up classes, schools can group students into a composite class to receive joint lessons in the same or related content of the relevant timetable.

In a sports class dedicated to students with the status of a prospective athlete, the minimum class size is 18 and a maximum 22 students in year one. In higher years, the minimum class size is 13. If there are too few students, the class is shut, and students are redirected to the other classes of the relevant gimnazija programme.

Maximum group sizes for certain subjects:

• 16 students for informatics, biology, chemistry, physics and geography
• 16 students in technical gimnazije for practical instruction and laboratory classes
• 3 to 17 students for music classes in arts gimnazija, students take individual lessons in learning instrument and signing, and
• 20 students in sports.

The maximum class size in the bilingual Slovenian-Hungarian gimnazija and in the gimnazija with Italian-medium of instruction is 16 or 24 students if there is enough space. If so agreed by the Minister responsible for education, schools may set up classes of 5 or even fewer students. The maximum class size for informatics, biology, chemistry, physics and geography is 13 students.

All gimanzije receive funds for teaching foreign languages in additional groups, so school may offer a greater variety of foreign languages. Group sizes are defined according to the norms.

Upper secondary technical education

As a rule, the maximum class size is 30 students. With one SEN student in a class, the size is reduced to 26, with two to 23 and with three to a maximum of 20 students.

The maximum group size for practical instruction in informatics, biology, chemistry and physics is 17 students.

The group size for practical instruction in school workshops is normally between 10 and 17 students. It depends on the nature of the lesson, in terms of safety. For specific programme subjects (e.g. forestry, mining, glass blowing, agriculture, engineering, health and dental care) students are divided into even smaller groups.

In sports education, the class size is normally 20.

The maximum class size in the bilingual Slovenian-Hungarian school is 16 students. If so agreed by the Minister responsible for education, schools may set up classes of 5 or even fewer students. The maximum size group size for practical instruction in core academic subjects and in technical subjects is 13 students.

The maximum class size in the school with Italian-medium of instruction is 16 students. If so agreed by the Minister responsible for education, schools may set up classes of 5 or even fewer students. The maximum size group size for practical instruction in core academic subjects and in technical subjects is 13 students.

Upper secondary vocational education

As a rule, the maximum class size is 28 students. With one SEN student in a class, the size is reduced to 24, with two to 22 and with three to a maximum of 20 students.

The maximum group size for practical instruction in informatics, science, and technical subjects is 16 students.

The maximum group size for practical instruction in school workshops is 17 students in year one, 14 in year two, and 13 in year three. Smaller groups are set up in specific programmes because of safety issues (e.g. forestry, mining, glass blowing, agriculture, engineering, health and dental care).

In sports education, the class size is 20, as a rule.

If there are too few students, the school may set up a composite class.

The maximum class size in the bilingual Slovenian-Hungarian school and in the school with Italian-medium of instruction is 16 students; or 24 in programmes of gimanzija, matura course and vocational course if there is enough space. If so agreed by the Minister responsible for education, schools may set up classes of 5 or even fewer students. The maximum group size for practical instruction in core academic and technical subjects is 13 students.

Short upper secondary vocational education

The maximum class size is 20 students, as a rule. With one SEN student in a class the maximum size is reduced to 16, with two to 14, and three to a maximum of 12 students.

The maximum group size for practical instruction in school workshops is 10 students.

The maximum class size in the bilingual Slovenian-Hungarian school and the school with Italian medium of instruction is 14 students. If so agreed by the Minister responsible for education, schools may set up classes of 5 or even fewer students. The maximum size group size for practical instruction is 10 students.

Organisation of the school year

The school start and end dates are laid down by the Gimanzija Act and Upper Secondary Vocational and Technical Education Act. The Minister responsible for education issues a special shared rule on the organisation of school time. The school calendar rules provide for the division of the school year on examination periods, the duration and allocation of holidays and out-of-school days, the duration of breaks and the schedule of examinations.

Each year, no later than May 31, the Minister responsible for education issues detailed instructions for the school calendar. The National General Matura Committee and National Vocational Matura Committee define terms of general and vocational matura.

The school year in upper secondary education starts September 1 and ends August 31 of the following calendar year. Organised educational activities (instruction or other forms of educational activities of the timetable) a maximum of 42 weeks in vocational and technical upper secondary schools and a maximum of 38 weeks in gimnazije. Any other arrangement is subject to the approval of the Ministry.

The organised educational activities take place from September 1 to June 24. After 25 June, only practical training with the employer can take place. Lessons for the final year students end in the second half of May, with the exact date set each year by the Minister responsible for education.

Instruction and other forms of educational activities of the timetable include two assessment periods. The first assessment period runs from September 1 to January 15, and the second from January 16 until June 23. The school’s council can at the proposal of the assembly of teachers decide on more assessment periods and schedule their duration.

Out-of-school days include public holidays and workfree days as set by law, school holidays (autumn, new year, winter, May Day, and summer), one day for systematic medical examinations, the day of the school as specified by the annual work plan, Saturdays unless otherwise specified by the instructions of the Minister responsible for education, and Sundays.

• Autumn break of usually one week that includes two public holidays (October 31 and November 1)
• New Year’s break from December 27 until the end of the New Year holidays
• Winter holidays of one week are divided into two periods, alternating by statistical regions. The first period begins on the third Monday in February, and the second period starts the following Monday.
• May Day break from April 28 until the end of the May Day holidays
• Summer holidays from the end of lessons until August 31 of the current school year.

Examination dates are during school time and in part, during holidays. There are three dates for vocational matura, final examination, retake or other examination: spring (after school ends), autumn (from August 16 to September 27) and winter (from February 1 and March 1) terms. There are two dates for general matura, namely spring and autumn.

School educational activities are defined with the school’s annual work plan. Head teachers develop the plan for each school year, and the school council adopts it.

Organisation of the school day and week

Lessons and other forms of educational activities of the timetable take 5 days a week (Monday to Friday) unless otherwise specified by the Minister responsible for education through instructions for each school year.

The instruction time may include up to 30 lessons/hours per week in core academic and technical subjects or vocational modules, sports excluded. With other forms of educational activities, the weekly instruction time may be up to 36 lessons.

The school normally starts at 8 a.m. and ends around 2 p.m. The school council can define a different time, but only if so agreed with the council of parents and assembly of teachers.

If a school cannot organise instruction in the morning only and in one shift because of the high number of students, it organises the instruction in two shifts, namely one in the afternoon. Schools with two shifts, schedule the start as they see fit.

The law protects students in practical training with the employer. Students can put in a maximum of 8 hours a day, and practical training may take up to 36 hours per week. If students have 5 academic lessons on a given day, they cannot have practical training with the employer that day.

A school lesson is normally 45 minutes. During individual lessons in core academic subjects, students normally have 5-minute breaks, and a 30-minute break once a day (or at least a 20-minute break) for lunch. A lesson of practical training with the employer is 60 minutes. If students train with the employer for 4 hours a day or more, they are entitled to a break of at least 30 minutes.