- 2016Implementation
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- 2019Implementation
- 2020Implementation
- 2021Implementation
- 2022Implementation
- 2023Implementation
- 2024Implementation
Background
The increased intolerance visible on social networks and media portals, as well as in teaching staff reports, demands measures aimed at fighting intolerance.
Objectives
Annual regulations for directors of schools and school establishments, and a special grant scheme of the education ministry, are targeting prevention of intolerance.
Description
In 2016/17, in response to signs of increasing intolerance in the European Union, secondary education national curricula were supplemented by a document for teachers and counselling staff on how to prevent racism, xenophobia, anti-Semitism and extremism.
A review of national curricula and textbooks concerning human rights and democratic citizenship education was initiated by the Government Council of the Slovak Republic for human rights, national minorities and gender equity as of 2016. The State Institute of Vocational Education (ŠIOV) analysed all textbooks in secondary VET and, although it found adequate reflection on the topic, competence development may need more attention. The State School Inspectorate findings indicated the need for further intervention. 19 recommendations address school directors, including the need to assign a coordinator for human rights in schools, strengthening critical thinking development related to democratic citizenship and human rights in school curricula, and supporting non-formal and informal learning opportunities for developing relevant competences and value. The inspectorate also issued one recommendation to the education ministry: to promote more strongly respect for human rights and democratic values.
In December 2018, the first meeting of the committee for children and youth of the Government Council for human rights, national minorities and gender equity was held to discuss...
In 2016/17, in response to signs of increasing intolerance in the European Union, secondary education national curricula were supplemented by a document for teachers and counselling staff on how to prevent racism, xenophobia, anti-Semitism and extremism.
A review of national curricula and textbooks concerning human rights and democratic citizenship education was initiated by the Government Council of the Slovak Republic for human rights, national minorities and gender equity as of 2016. The State Institute of Vocational Education (ŠIOV) analysed all textbooks in secondary VET and, although it found adequate reflection on the topic, competence development may need more attention. The State School Inspectorate findings indicated the need for further intervention. 19 recommendations address school directors, including the need to assign a coordinator for human rights in schools, strengthening critical thinking development related to democratic citizenship and human rights in school curricula, and supporting non-formal and informal learning opportunities for developing relevant competences and value. The inspectorate also issued one recommendation to the education ministry: to promote more strongly respect for human rights and democratic values.
In December 2018, the first meeting of the committee for children and youth of the Government Council for human rights, national minorities and gender equity was held to discuss preparation of the national action plan for children that should replace that for 2013-17.
12 projects (two prepared by VET schools) with a total allocation of EUR 20 790 were supported by the education ministry in 2017 within the grant scheme Regional and multicultural education of minority learners, aiming to develop specific social and civic competences. 10 projects (of which four prepared by VET schools) with a total allocation of EUR 15 250 were supported in 2018.
According to the education ministry annual regulations (presented in Pedagogical-organisational instructions 2019/20), schools are obliged to incorporate into the school curriculum cross-cutting issues related to multicultural education, humanism education and human rights education, the rights of the child, the rights of persons with disabilities, equality between men and women, prevention of all forms of discrimination, xenophobia, anti-Semitism, intolerance, extremism, and hate speech. For anti-discrimination measures, schools are advised to spread the idea of tolerance, acceptance of differences and improve attitudes towards disadvantaged groups of the population, eliminate intolerance and hate speech. The inspectorate found signs that schools do not always cooperate smoothly with specialists while elaborating the desegregation plan and incorporating it into school curricula.
Within the grant scheme Regional and multicultural education of minority learners, 16 projects (one prepared by a VET school) with a total allocation of EUR 28 000 were supported in 2019.
In 2019, the Slovak Centre of Scientific and Technical Information published the results of the 2018 research performed among lower and upper secondary students focused on their perception, awareness of and personal experience with extremism, as well as their views concerning terrorism. It was a follow-up to the 2010 and 2016 research activities addressing intolerance, violence, and extremism. The results confirmed extremism to be a serious social-pathological phenomenon in the school environment. Recommendations include 'to pay attention to the effective and efficient prevention of extremism and radicalism, significantly increase young people's awareness on these negative phenomena, and to try to eliminate the factors causing them'. In the context of multicultural education, the research recommends 'to provide students with knowledge about democracy, tolerance, respect for other cultures and to teach them to respect human rights'.
Also, in 2019, the National strategy for the protection of children against violence was updated.
In 2020, in line with the National strategy for the protection of children against violence, the National concept paper and action plan for the protection of children in the digital space for 2020-21 were approved by the Government. The action plan has three horizontal priorities (institutionalisation, training specialists and research, and privacy and data protection) and three types of measure (prevention, intervention, remedy). As part of the concept paper, a campaign on protection of children and the young in the digital space took place, developing five videos. Since 31 March 2020, the fulfilment of government tasks for the protection of children is monitored annually by the National coordination centre for child violence.
In June 2021, the National Coordination Centre for Resolving the Issues of Violence against Children at the labour ministry, in cooperation with the Catholic University of Ružomberok, conducted the Research on experiences and behaviour of children and young people in Slovakia during the pandemic (1 423 respondent 9-17-year-olds). The research indicated that the digital space is a dangerous environment for children, if a parent does not control the Internet and the use of technology. The EU Kids online survey data showed that, during the pandemic the incidence of bullying increased from 6% to 26%, and encountering harmful sexual content increased from 30.1% to 61% compared to 2018 survey data (969 respondent 9-17-year-olds).
The prevention of intolerance is reflected in the annual regulations of the education ministry published in the school year guide for 2021/22 (formerly known as pedagogical-organisational instructions) in the chapters Children's rights and Security and prevention, with links to helplines and methodological materials.
Within the framework of the education ministry's grant scheme focusing on multicultural education of minority learners, 29 projects (one project prepared by a VET school) were supported in 2021 for a total amount of EUR 45 000.
Improvement is also expected from 40 new regional centres that are in the process of establishment, co-funded by the National recovery and resilience plan to support curriculum reform. Mentors from these centres should support the translation child protection and intolerance prevention principles (in particular in the digital space) into classroom practice.
On 19 November 2021 - the World day for prevention of child abuse - the 8th annual event Bubnovacka (Drumming) was held in Slovakia to 'hear the kids better' and to break the silence often covering violence against children. In November, the National Coordination Centre organised online discussions on 'Do you know what your children are fed in the online space?' and 'You do not have to bear the burden of the violence you have experienced yourself'.
On 14 December 2021, the government approved a report on fulfilling objectives and measures of the National concept paper for the protection of children in the digital space and the Action plan for 2020-21. It contains detailed information on relevant actions organised by a broad range of key actors, including activities for learners and pedagogues.
On 8 June 2022, the Government approved the Action plan for the protection of children in the digital space for 2022-23 structured as the previous action plan to address three horizontal priorities (institutionalisation; training specialists and research; and privacy and data protection) and three types of measures (prevention, intervention, remedy). No timelines and costs are specified. The action plan dominantly focuses on strengthening institutionalisation and governance. In the digital space the National Coordination Centre for Resolving the Issues of Violence against Children is the coordination unit in the field of child protection. Slovakia re-enters the INHOPE and Insafe networks to draw from the European experience, inter alia with the creation and functioning of a Safe Internet Centre.
In response to the National recovery and resilience plan, the definition of school segregation was embedded in a draft amendment to the Education act (245/2008) submitted for discussion in August 2022, which also has a crucial impact on the prevention of intolerance, fuelled by a biased social environment. Opponents suggest embedding the definition of segregation in the anti-discrimination act as lex generalis rather than the education act to achieve a stronger and overarching effect.
Chapter 5 of the 2022/23 school year guide summarises regulations and recommendations for school directors concerning human rights and intolerance prevention.
Within the framework of the education ministry's grant scheme focusing on multicultural education of minority learners, 30 projects (three projects prepared by VET schools and two by conservatories) were supported in 2022 with a total of EUR 53 000.
Chapter 7 of the 2023/24 school year guide summarises regulations and recommendations for school directors concerning human rights and intolerance prevention. The education ministry approved a catalogue of 21 support measures, effective from 1 September 2023, among which the prevention of risky behaviour was explicitly named. An accompanying document to this preventive measure was elaborated to inform schools about strategic documents, relevant projects, initiatives and resources. This document offered broader guidance than the previous school year guide.
In 2024, the education ministry incorporated feedback from practitioners into a revised catalogue of support measures. The updated version was approved and took effect on 1 September 2024. The accompanying document from 2023, titled 'Prevention to support physical health, mental health and prevention of risky behaviour' remained valid. It replaced and expanded information previously included in the school year guide.
The rise in risky behaviour in cyberspace has become a serious concern. While safeguarding critical digital infrastructure remains a long-term concern, protecting children and youth from harmful online incidents has emerged as a critical issue. Computer Security Incident Response Team Slovakia (CSIRT.SK), a government unit under the Ministry of Investments, Regional Development and Informatisation (MIRRI), launched a large-scale information campaign about threats by cyber crimes to raise awareness among schools and young people, particularly targeting girls in upper secondary education.
In November, VET schools received detailed updates on statistics showing an increasing number of cyber incidents, types of cyber security threats and available preventive measures. These updates included information on education opportunities offered by CSIRT.SK and on benefits of registration for the free Achilles vulnerability management system. Registered schools gain access to information about vulnerabilities identified from the perspective of a simulated internet attacker. The system's Domino module also monitors publicly available web services, serving as an early detection system for distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) attacks. Educational activities aim to prevent not only technological risks but also behavioural crimes that pose a very serious threat to the healthy development of young people.
Bodies responsible
- Ministry of Education, Research, Development and Youth
- Government Council for Human Rights, National Minorities and Gender Equity
- State School Inspectorate
- Ministry of Investments, Regional Development and Informatisation
- Ministry of Education, Science, Research and Sport (until 2024)
Target groups
Learners
- Learners in upper secondary, including apprentices
Education professionals
- Teachers
- Trainers
- School leaders
Thematic categories
Governance of VET and lifelong learning
This thematic category looks at existing legal frameworks providing for strategic, operational – including quality assurance – and financing arrangements for VET and lifelong learning (LLL). It examines how VET and LLL-related policies are placed in broad national socioeconomic contexts and coordinate with other strategies and policies, such as economic, social and employment, growth and innovation, recovery and resilience.
This thematic category covers partnerships and collaboration networks of VET stakeholders – especially the social partners – to shape and implement VET in a country, including looking at how their roles and responsibilities for VET at national, regional and local levels are shared and distributed, ensuring an appropriate degree of autonomy for VET providers to adapt their offer.
The thematic category also includes efforts to create national, regional and sectoral skills intelligence systems (skills anticipation and graduate tracking) and using skills intelligence for making decisions about VET and LLL on quality, inclusiveness and flexibility.
This thematic sub-category refers to the integration of VET into economic, industrial, innovation, social and employment strategies, including those linked to recovery, green and digital transitions, and where VET is seen as a driver for innovation and growth. It includes national, regional, sectoral strategic documents or initiatives that make VET an integral part of broader policies, or applying a mix of policies to address an issue VET is part of, e.g. in addressing youth unemployment measures through VET, social and active labour market policies that are implemented in combination. National skill strategies aiming at quality and inclusive lifelong learning also fall into this sub-category.
This thematic sub-category refers both to formal mechanisms of stakeholder engagement in VET governance and to informal cooperation among stakeholders, which motivate shared responsibility for quality VET. Formal engagement is usually based on legally established institutional procedures that clearly define the role and responsibilities for relevant stakeholders in designing, implementing and improving VET. It also refers to establishing and increasing the degree of autonomy of VET providers for agile and flexible VET provision.
In terms of informal cooperation, the sub-category covers targeted actions by different stakeholders to promote or implement VET. This cooperation often leads to creating sustainable partnerships and making commitments for targeted actions, in line with the national context and regulation, e.g. national alliances for apprenticeships, pacts for youth or partnerships between schools and employers. It can also include initiatives and projects run by the social partners or sectoral organisations or networks of voluntary experts and executives, retired or on sabbatical, to support their peers in the fields of VET and apprenticeships, as part of the EAfA.
Modernising VET offer and delivery
This thematic category looks at what and how individuals learn, how learning content and learning outcomes in initial and continuing VET are defined, adapted and updated. First and foremost, it examines how VET standards, curricula, programmes and training courses are updated and modernised or new ones created. Updated and renewed VET content ensures that learners acquire a balanced mix of competences that address modern demands, and are more closely aligned with the realities of the labour market, including key competences, digital competences and skills for green transition and sustainability, both sector-specific and across sectors. Using learning outcomes as a basis is important to facilitate this modernisation, including modularisation of VET programmes. Updating and developing teaching and learning materials to support the above is also part of the category.
The thematic category continues to focus on strengthening high-quality and inclusive apprenticeships and work-based learning in real-life work environments and in line with the European framework for quality and effective apprenticeships. It looks at expanding apprenticeship to continuing vocational training and at developing VET programmes at EQF levels 5-8 for better permeability and lifelong learning and to support the need for higher vocational skills.
This thematic category also focuses on VET delivery through a mix of open, digital and participative learning environments, including workplaces conducive to learning, which are flexible, more adaptable to the ways individuals learn, and provide more access and outreach to various groups of learners, diversifying modes of learning and exploiting the potential of digital learning solutions and blended learning to complement face-to-face learning.
Centres of vocational excellence that connect VET to innovation and skill ecosystems and facilitate stronger cooperation with business and research also fall into this category.
VET standards and curricula define the content and outcomes of learning, most often at national or sectoral levels. VET programmes are based on standards and curricula and refer to specific vocations/occupations. They all need to be regularly reviewed, updated and aligned with the needs of the labour market and society. They need to include a balanced mix of vocational and technical skills corresponding to economic cycles, evolving jobs and working methods, and key competences, providing for resilience, lifelong learning, employability, social inclusion, active citizenship, sustainable awareness and personal development (Council of the European Union, 2020). The thematic sub-category also refers to establishing new VET programmes, reducing their number or discontinuing some. It also includes design of CVET programmes and training courses to adapt to labour market, sectoral or individual up- and re-skilling needs.
This thematic sub-category refers to acquisition of key competences and basic skills for all, from an early age and throughout their life, including those acquired as part of qualifications and curricula. Key competences include knowledge, skills and attitudes needed by all for personal fulfilment and development, employability and lifelong learning, social inclusion, active citizenship and sustainable awareness. Key competences include literacy; multilingual; science, technology, engineering and mathematical (STEM); digital; personal, social and learning to learn; active citizenship, entrepreneurship, cultural awareness and expression (Council of the European Union, 2018).
Teachers, trainers and school leaders competences
Competent and motivated VET teachers in schools and trainers in companies are crucial to VET becoming innovative and relevant, agile, resilient, flexible, inclusive and lifelong.
This thematic category comprises policies and practices of initial training and continuing professional development approaches in a systemic and systematic manner. It also looks at measures aiming to update (entry) requirements and make teaching and training careers attractive and bring more young and talented individuals and business professionals into teaching and training. Supporting VET educators by equipping them with adequate competences, skills and tools for the green transition and digital teaching and learning are addressed in separate thematic sub-categories.
The measures in this category target teachers and school leaders, company trainers and mentors, adult educators and guidance practitioners.
This thematic sub-category refers to all kinds of initial and continuing professional development (CPD) for VET educators who work in vocational schools and in companies providing VET. VET educators include teachers and school leaders, trainers and company managers involved in VET, as well as adult educators and guidance practitioners – those who work in school- and work-based settings. The thematic sub-category includes national strategies, training programmes or individual courses to address the learning needs of VET educators and to develop their vocational (technical) skills, and pedagogical (teaching) skills and competences. Such programmes concern state-of-the-art vocational pedagogy, innovative teaching methods, and competences needed to address evolving teaching environments, e.g. teaching in multicultural settings, working with learners at risk of early leaving, etc.
Supporting lifelong learning culture and increasing participation
Lifelong learning refers to all learning (formal, non-formal or informal) taking place at all stages in life and resulting in an improvement or update in knowledge, skills, competences and attitudes or in participation in society from a personal, civic, cultural, social or employment-related perspective (Erasmus+, Glossary of terms, https://erasmus-plus.ec.europa.eu/programme-guide/part-d/glossary-common-terms). A systemic approach to CVET is crucial to ensure adaptability to evolving demands.
This broad thematic category looks at ways of creating opportunities and ensuring access to re-skilling and upskilling pathways, allowing individuals to progress smoothly in their learning throughout their lives with better permeability between general and vocational education and training, and better integration and compatibility between initial and continuing VET and with higher education. Individuals should be supported in acquiring and updating their skills and competences and navigating easily through education and training systems. Strategies and campaigns that promote VET and LLL as an attractive and high-quality pathway, providing quality lifelong guidance and tailored support to design learning and career paths, and various incentives (financial and non-financial) to attract and support participation in VET and LLL fall into this thematic category as well.
This thematic category also includes many initiatives on making VET inclusive and ensuring equal education and training opportunities for various groups of learners, regardless of their personal and economic background and place of residence – especially those at risk of disadvantage or exclusion, such as persons with disabilities, the low-skilled and low-qualified, minorities, migrants, refugees and others.
This thematic sub-category refers to making VET pathways and programmes inclusive and accessible for all. It concerns measures and targeted actions to increase access and participation in VET and lifelong learning for learners from all vulnerable groups, and to support their school/training-to-work transitions. It includes measures to prevent early leaving from education and training. The thematic sub-category covers measures promoting gender balance in traditionally ‘male’ and ‘female’ professions and addressing gender-related and other stereotypes. The vulnerable groups are, but not limited to: persons with disabilities; the low-qualified/-skilled; minorities; persons of migrant background, including refugees; people with fewer opportunities due to their geographical location and/or their socioeconomically disadvantaged circumstances.
Subsystem
Further reading
Country
Type of development
Cedefop, & ReferNet. (2025). Actions preventing intolerance: Slovakia. In Cedefop, & ReferNet. (2025). Timeline of VET policies in Europe (2024 update) [Online tool].
https://www.cedefop.europa.eu/en/tools/timeline-vet-policies-europe/search/28576