- 2021Approved/Agreed
- 2022Implementation
- 2023Implementation
- 2024Implementation
Background
12 years of experience with the implementation of the Education Act adopted in 2008 resulted in the need for its revision.
Objectives
In 2021, substantial changes in the Education act were introduced. Some of them also have an impact on the provision of VET, especially in efforts:
- to revise the 2008 curricular reform, in particular, to adjust the creation of school curricula (school educational programmes) to strengthen the development of key competences;
- to streamline admission to secondary schools, e. g. by sending a single electronic application declaring interest in alternative programmes and secondary schools, and allowing additional admission corrections in case of entry into dual VET;
- to strengthen the impact of external national testing (conducted at the end of lower secondary education) by enabling students who achieve a 90% success rate to be admitted to grammar schools and those with an 80% success rate to be admitted to VET schools without entrance exams;
- to introduce flexibility in completing secondary school educational programmes, for example, by allowing students who meet the requirements of the national curriculum to take the school-leaving examination in specific subjects in earlier years. Students will also have the option to voluntarily take the examination in multiple subjects;
- to change the guidance, counselling and prevention system, with services to be provided in five successive support levels. The first will consist of pedagogical and professional staff and the school support (inclusive) team, the second level will be carried out by school special pedagogues and school professionals in cooperation with professionals in the counselling and prevention centres, the third and fourth support levels will comprise counselling and prevention centres, and the fifth level support will be provided by specialised counselling and prevention centres;
- to create a framework for the establishment of 'clusters of schools', which will be a legal entity with several organisational units, which can be kindergartens, basic and secondary schools, including VET schools, while these components will no longer be legal entities;
- to define and legally reinforce key terms, e. g. national minority school or inclusive education, while establishing a legal obligation to support and improve inclusive education and prevent potential segregation of children to ensure equal access to education;
- to back the provision of international programmes by legislation;
- to reform the pathway of obtaining lower secondary education. To lower the barrier to enter lower secondary VET programmes for learners from special stream schools, and early leavers from lower secondary education without completion of the programme. Mentally challenged graduates with mild intellectual disability from special stream programmes will be offered the option to achieve the ISCED 2 level general education by passing externally administered tests. Early school leavers will be offered the option to achieve ISCED 2 level general education (ISCED 244) via examinations during their enrolment in lower secondary VET programmes (ISCED 253);
- to expand the integration of distance learning within full-time education, in alignment with the requirements outlined in the respective State educational programme.
Amendment (182/2023) to the Education act focused on inclusive education. It has
- defined segregation in education and training;
- specified how to understand compliance with the prohibition of segregation;
- revised definition of special education needs;
- newly introduced 'support measures' necessary for a child or learner to fully participate in education and training and develop their knowledge, skills and abilities even in the case of special needs;
- structured support measures into 21 categories;
introduced a catalogue of support measures designed to enhance individual learners' knowledge, skills, and abilities, maintained by the education ministry; and - established who provides and who decides on the provision of the relevant support measures.
In 2024, standards of prohibition of segregation with a manual of implementation were introduced and the obligation for the education ministry 'to publish a catalogue of results of experimental verifications and innovations in education and training on the dedicated website'.
Description
In January 2021, the education ministry submitted to public discussion an extensive amendment of the Education act (245/2008), which provoked a heated debate with more than 1 000 comments, of which more than 680 were fundamental. In March 2021, therefore, the revised version was resubmitted for public discussion. This discussion was expected to pave the way to introducing curricular reform and also reforms embedded in the National recovery and resilience plan (RRP). Public discussion and further legislative changes related to the RRP followed, predominantly focusing on support of inclusive education.
A final version of the amendment to the Education Act was adopted by the government on 25 August 2021 and by the parliament on 20 October 2021.
The amendment came into effect on 1 January 2022, with some provisions implemented later.
Three amendments to the Education act were introduced. One (Act No 182/2023) bringing deep changes focusing on inclusive education with objectives detailed above, and two with comparably minor changes.
a. Act No 276/2023 responding to the COVID-19 impact and the need to improve the physical condition of learners, this amendment mandated at least two teaching hours of physical and sports education per week. Schools were also recommended to use optional hours to expand these two teaching hours. In VET schools, this requirement can conflict with employers' demands to maximise practice-oriented education;
b. Act No 263/2023 stipulated that schools must 'create the conditions and provide cooperation to the personal assistant in performing their tasks'. Although personal assistants serving persons with severe disabilities are not qualified pedagogues, the amendment allows them to provide 'personal assistance during the educational process and other activities in the school' as specified by Act No 447/2008.
Act No 120/2024 amended also the Education act to respond to employers' concerns by exempting VET schools with high practical training needs from the obligatory provision of two teaching hours per week of physical and sports education. The legislation also allows all schools to achieve obligatory annual teaching hours of physical and sports education through relevant afternoon activities.
Act No 290/2024 amending also the Education act introduced standards of prohibition of segregation with a manual of implementation to comply with the RRP milestone - 100% of schools implementing these standards Furthermore, a catalogue of results of experimental verifications and innovations in education and training should address a long-standing systemic weakness by supporting the dissemination of good practices. The catalogue will include both major innovations from multi-year experiments and smaller innovations related to the form, methods, and tools used in education and training, such as learners' assessments.
Bodies responsible
- Ministry of Education, Research, Development and Youth
- Ministry of Education, Science, Research and Sport (until 2024)
Target groups
Learners
- Learners in upper secondary, including apprentices
Education professionals
- Teachers
- Trainers
- School leaders
- Guidance practitioners
Entities providing VET
- VET providers (all kinds)
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.
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). Amendments to the Education Act (245/2008): 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/39099