Supporting teachers in their work with disadvantaged learners

The national ESF project 'Assisting professions in the education of children and pupils', with a budget of EUR 55 million and scheduled duration from 1 August 2019 to 1 November 2022, builds on previous ESF projects aimed at implementing the principles of inclusive education (including VET schools) at regional level. The project managed by the Methodological-Pedagogical Centre aims to enable the involvement of pedagogical assistants and assistants for learners with disabilities. It will also enable the work of specialised inclusive teams (school psychologist, special pedagogue, and social pedagogue) formed in schools.

In June 2020, the project 'Assisting professions in the education of children and pupils II' was launched, resulting in a substantial increase of working positions (75% of requested positions filled) of specialists for inclusive teams at all levels of schooling from kindergartens to secondary schools including VET schools. The cooperation of specialists is expected to strengthen continuing the professional development of pedagogical staff and translates into improved school performance. The budget of the project was approximately EUR 82 million and it is scheduled to last from 30 June 2020 till 31 December 2022.

The Catching-up regions initiative run by the European Commission and World Bank pays special attention to marginalised Roma learners in Prešov and Banská Bystrica regions. Five VET schools were identified in Prešov and eight in Banská Bystrica as strong regional players for receiving integrated investment packages to improve their performance inter alia to better serve special education needs learners. Good examples from the aforementioned schools in serving minority learners including marginalised Roma learners are secondary VET school in Kežmarok (Prešov region) and secondary VET school in Tornala (Banská Bystrica region).

The ESF project 'Improvement of secondary vocational education in the Prešov self-governing region' was launched, aiming to innovate school curricula (school educational programmes), improve the delivery of education and training and provide in-service training of pedagogical staff in five schools identified within the Catching-up regions initiative. The project targets pedagogical staff and VET students including disadvantaged learners such as learners from the marginalised Roma communities. The budget is approximately EUR 5 million.

Two amendments to the Act on pedagogical staff and professional staff (138/2019) resulted in substantial revision of the original legislation. However, further legislative changes are already needed, induced by the National recovery and resilience plan (RRP) and newly adopted inclusive education strategy. On 8 December 2021, the government approved the Strategy for an inclusive approach in education and training, with six priority areas. The education and training of pedagogical and other professional staff is one of the priority areas of the strategy. A subsequent action plan should further elaborate on specified measures that must be in line with RRP component Accessibility, development and quality of inclusive education at all levels. This component also includes reform aimed at the redefinition of special educational needs of children and pupils and to develop a model for eligible support measures in education. Within this reform, 10 000 teachers and other specialists should be retrained by 2025.

On 1 June 2022, the government approved the First action plan to the Strategy for an inclusive approach in education and training for 2022-24 specifying costs of measures, sources of financing and timetable. Some of the measures are universal (desegregation plans for schools, creation of a catalogue of support measures, creation and retraining of inclusive teams, a new model of counselling) and need to be supported by a further legislative amendment under preparation, but some measures are explicitly targeted at VET. Measure 3.2.3 is aimed at supporting health-impaired and socially disadvantaged learners to continue education in secondary schools and at facilitating entry into the labour market via enrolment in dual VET, financed from ESIF. In August 2022, the education ministry presented pro-inclusive legislative amendments, however, without an agreement with the finance ministry to cover the costs of the reform. As a consequence, the mandatory coverage of the costs for hiring supporting staff from the state budget based on the number of included learners with special needs was rejected and the respective amendment of the Education Act (245/2008) will be submitted to the legislation with induced costs limited by the regular budget of institutions concerned

Financing for assisting professions under the project 'Assisting professions in the education of children and pupils II' has been extended. In the 2022/23 school year around 3 300 employees will work as assisting teachers for health-impaired learners, pedagogical assistants, school psychologists, special pedagogues and social pedagogues supporting inclusive education. These mainly concern general education but VET schools are also entitled to apply for funding.

The amendment to the Education Act (245/2008) approved in May 2023 defines 21 support measures. They were introduced into the education system in alignment with the goals set by the National recovery and resilience plan (RRP). The system of support measures aims to ensure that learners facing obstacles receive appropriate support through tailored support measures provided at the adequate level of expertise to help them fulfil their potential. Since September 2023, schools have had access to a catalogue of support measures. Following a vertical model of support, these measures are categorised as general, targeted and specific support measures.

a. General support measures are provided by schools to all learners without requiring a specialist's opinion, for example, crisis intervention that provides learners with professional care that goes beyond the regular coping mechanisms of individuals or the school community as a whole, focused on a specific period in their lives following a traumatic event;

b. Targeted support measures require the statement of a specialist working in a school or a counselling facility, for example interventions to prevent the indicated risk of early school leaving;

c. Specific support measures require the involvement of a counselling and prevention facility; for example provision of materials and aids complying with special education needs of a learner, compensating their challenges in particular.

The new national project, Support of assisting professions 3, aims to finance support professions in kindergartens, basic and secondary schools (including VET schools) in the 2023/24 school year. Funded by Programme Slovakia 2021-27 with a total allocation of EUR 259 million over three years, the project seeks to maintain existing positions and create new ones. It is expected to support approximately 5 500 FTE positions for teaching assistants, school support teams, auxiliary afternoon educators, and parent assistants across approximately 1 400 schools and support approximately 450 FTE school digital coordinators in approximately 900 schools. A gradual transition from European funding to State budget financing is anticipated to ensure sustainability of these roles.

A revised catalogue of support measures is valid from September 2024, reflecting feedback from practitioners. Funding for assisting professions, initially supported by European sources will increasingly rely on the State budget, as outlined in the 2025 State budget approved by the parliament.