System of pre-vocational and vocational education in

Slovakia

The current system of regional schools in Slovakia

are : a) nursery,

b) primary school,

c) grammar school,

d) secondary vocational school,

e) conservatory (music, drama)

f) school for pupils and students with special educational needs,

g) primary art school,

h) language school.

Classification of schools by founder

state school church school

private school

The state guarantees free access to education for children at the nursery (one year before beginning of compulsory schooling) and at state primary and secondary schools

Classification of schools by age

• Nursery (3 – 6 years)

• Primary schools (6 – 16 years)

• Secondary schools (15 – 19 years)

• Universities and High Schools (from 19 years)

Simple graph of Slovak Educational System

Age length of schooling

Postgradual education

Universtity education

High School

Grammar schools

Secondary vocational schools

Secondary apprenticeship

Vocational apprenticeshipComplusory

schooling Primary school gr. II

Primary school gr. I

Preschool education

Compulsory School Attendance

No one must be omitted from the compulsory school attendance

The compulsory school attendance lasts for 10 years, maximum up to the end of the school year in which the student has his/her 16th birthday

The compulsory school attendance begins in the school year, after a child has his/her 6th birthday and is able to attend school.

In case of students with severe handicap, the school director can give an exception and a student can attend the primary school until the end of the school year, in which a student has his/her 18th birthday

Postponement of Compulsory School

attendanceIn case a child is 6 years old and is not able to attend the school, the director of the school decides to postpone the beginning of the compulsory school attendance for a year, or he/she decides about the placement of the child into a Preparation Year of a Primary school. This decision is always taken after initiative of a legal representative of a child

Part of a application of a legal representative of a child is a recommendation of GP and a Counseling centre for education and prevention

Educational programa) educational programs for schools

b) educational programs for other school institutions

Educational programs

- state educational program - defines the mandatory content of education and training in schools under the Education Act to acquire competencies. It is issued and published by the Ministry of Education of the Slovak republic

The school education and training is based on the School educational program, which is a key document of the school. It reflects specific needs of school, requirements of parents, suggetions and needs of employers, but also needs of pupils and student and other relevant people, in order to increase their chances for their better preparation for life, labor market and succes in practical life.

Nurseries Education of children in Slovakia begins in Nuresery

Children attend Nuresery from age of 3 or later, depending on decision of parents

They learn basic knowladge according their age: drawing, recite, sing, discover nature, colours, everyday objects around them.

In pre-school year (5 – 6 years old) they learn shapes, days of week, months, and learn basic life skills and hygiene

Teachers of Nursery are not obliged to have university degree. They are qualified after finishing teaching training at Secondary Pedagogic school.

Primary SchoolPrimary school is divided into 2 grades 1st grade lasts for 4 years (from year 1 to year

4) 2nd grade begins from year 5 up to year 9

and lasts for 5 years.

There are no exams in order to proceed from 1st grade to 2nd grade. Pupils continue their education in the 2nd grade after successfully completing their year 4.

Other possibilities of education

The other possibility to continue education after 1st grade at Primary school is education at Grammar school which provides 8-year long education up to age of 19. In order to be accepted at Grammar school, the pupil has to succeed in entry exams and have sufficient school performance at the 1st grade of Primary school.

Education in the 1st grade is different to the education system in the 2nd grade.

At the 1st grade almost all subjects are taught by one teacher whether at the 2nd grade each subject is taught by different teacher.

Slovak educational systems offers possibilities to attend primary art school, which are voluntary. Pupils attend primary art schools outside compulsory school attendance.

Secondary school are divided into:Secondary apprenticeship school and Secondary vocational school

Training lasts for: 2 years (only a few), 3 or 4 years.

3-year training finishes with an exam and the Certificate of appreticeship - INDENTURE

Based on learning outcomes and individual needs, the students can continue in further education (2 years) in order to get full secondary graduation.

By passing graduation exam, the student will achieve full secondary education provided by Slovak educational system.

There are various apprenticeship: ex: machine operator, mason, woodworker, railway worker, electrician, cook, waiter, hairdresser, shop assistant, baker, confectioner, butcher and others.

Secondary education, which lasts for 4 years always finishes with full secondary education exam called MATURITA

• education at secondary school provides enough time for practical training in the particular apprenticeship

• students regularly attend practical training lessons, where they get skills for their future vocation

Special schools, integration and inclusion

Under the current Education Act, each child regardless of the type and degree of disability, has not only the right but also the duty to be educated.

By this legislative amendment we have reached the level of some EU countries, as all children have equal chance to access education in the form of compulsory school attendance.

Everyone is included into the educational process, including pupils with multiple disabilities, who would otherwise be dependent on daily-care by their parents, or sanitary facilities

In Special schools are educated pupils with hearing, visual, physical, mental disability, impaired communication skills, autistic, physically weakened and sick pupils, pupils with multiple disabilities and pupils with behavioral disorders.

Students with mild disability (visual, hearing, physical and mental) are educated at mainstream nurseries and primary schools and (with the exception of students with intellectual disabilities) at secondary schools.

Education of children with special educational needs

The education of children and students with health disabilities takes place in special schools, special classes at mainstream Nurseries, primary schools and secondary schools as well as in classes of mainstream schools together with other students (individual integration).

Special schools can also be established as boarding schools.

Admission of children with disability into a special

school is based on professional diagnostic process,

written application of a legal representative of children to admit a child into a special school

written agreement of a legal representative of a child

children with SEN can be educated in mainstream school if a legal representative writes an application after consulting Special Educational Counseling Centre, Centre of pedagogic and psychologic prevention or a Centre of SEN counseling.

Under our Educational Act, legal representatives of children with disability has right to decide where their children will be educated – respecting principles of democracy.

Education of children with severe disabilities

By reconciliation of educational legislation with the Constitution, within the purview of the Convention on the Rights of the Child, the possibility of liberation from compulsory education for children with severe disabilities has been cancelled. The new conditions for education of pupils with severe mental disability, pupils with autism and pupils with multiple disabilities were created.

In line with the Millennium Goals to prolong the duration of the education of students with disabilities - a preparatory year has been added as a part of compulsory schooling to support development of children with disabilities, in order to support their compensatory skills necessary for their education, which extended their schooling for one more year.

The main aim of education at special primary school is:

development of individual abilities and skills of children with special needs in order to learn knowledge, skills and habit necessary for their further vocational training

to be able to form appropriate attitutes and good realtaitonship with others, with themselves and with the environment they live in

to be prepared for practical life in order to be naturally integrated into society and fully participate in it.

Time dedicated to subject Pre-vocational work skills for children

with mild mental disability• preparation year – 2 x 45min lessons a week

• 1st, 2nd and 3rd year – 3 x 45 min lessons a week

• 4th and 5th year – 4 x 45 min lesson a week

• 6th year – 5 x 45 min lesson a week

• 7th 8th and 9th year – 6 x 45 min lesson a week

Content of subject Pre-vocational work skills for children with mild mental

disabilityWork in the workshop: a) work with paper b) assembling and dismantling work c) working with wood d) work with metal e) Work with plastics f) Working with leather and imitation leather g) Working with different materialsHousework:

Practical activities: personal hygiene: learn about hygiene of hands and feet, taking care of nails, establishing a home first aid kit, hygiene at home, cleaning windows and doors, washing clothes and cleanig shoes. Food preparation, sewing, knitting, crochet,

Introduction to technical drawing

Time dedicated to subject Pre-vocational work skills for children with

moderate mental disability + content :• Low and middle grade -

1st - 6th year - 5 lessons a week

• Higher grade - 7th and 8th year - 7 lessons a week

• Working grade - 9th and 10th year - 8 lessons a week

Content of Pre-vocational education:

I. Self-care and domestic work

II. Work with tiny material

III. Work with paper

IV. Modeling

V. Assembling and dismantling work

VI. Gardening

VII. Basics of sewing

Time dedicated to subject Pre-vocational work skills for children with

severe mental disability + content :Children are educated according the individual educational program (IEP) in grades: low, middle, high

The content of the subject Pre-vocational Works Skills is changing depending on the grade and is divided into:

• housework – putting away toys to a designated location with help

• putting away clothing with help

• putting away shoes with help

• wiping off the dust and watering flowers

Time dedicated to subject Pre-vocational work skills for children with severe

mental disability + content :Work in the kitchen - familiarization with the equipment in the kitchen, more complex laying the table (shallow and deep plates, cutlery), wiping, storing utensils (plates, cutlery), spreading butter on bread, washing fruit, vegetables, pouring tea, milk.

• Simple table layout

• Health and Safety in the kitchen

• Work in the workshop - familiarization with various materials (paper, textile, clay, wood, plasticine)

• work with plasticine and clay

• beading (large beads)

• Explore the properties of the paper (tear cringe)

• Use of tools (hammer, saw)

Possibilities of further education for students with severe

disabilitiesIn past, students with severe mental handicap finished their schooling after finishing their compulsory school attendance. Now they can carry on their education in a new type of school called Practical school, which is focused on basic life and work skills and abilities they will use in their adulthood.

Practical school provides education and training to perform simple work activities for mentally handicapped or mentally handicapped in combination with other disabilities, whose disability does not allow the degree of training in vocational schools

It is intended for the less skilled graduates of special primary school educated under variant A (mild mental disability) and manually skilled graduates of special primary school educated according to variant B (moderate mental disability)

Training in practical school is 3 years, every year, pupils receive certificate.

The school has to provide the opportunity for students to physically and mentally progress so that they can live independently at home or in sheltered accommodation and work in a sheltered environment.

Classification of practical school providing lower secondary education ISCED 2C

Classification of practical school providing lower secondary education ISCED 2C

The aim of practical school is to prepare students for life in family - the self-care and practical work at home, work in their work profiling elective course to enable them to perform meaningful work in a sheltered environment.

Practical school is not a vocational apprenticeship to master, so after graduating students do not receive a vocational certificate but the certificate of completion of practical schools with focus on supporting jobs in a particular field.

The choice of optional subjects give to practical schools their profile focus and then they prepare students for practical work in sheltered environment or at home.

Graduates of practical school in addition to their own household may find work placement in public and private sectors, as helping staff in health facilities, in social care as caregivers for elderly persons in catering establishments, shops and agriculture.

Content of pre-professional education in practical school

Vocational and practical subjects:

FAMILY EDUCATION – 1 lesson a week

HEALTH EDUCATION - 2 lessons a week

HANDICRAFTS AND SEWING – 1 lesson a week

FOOD PREPARATION AND NUTRITION – 3 lessons a week

HOUSWORK AND HOUSHOLD MAINTENANCE – 1 lesson a week

Optional subjects / 5 lessons in every year/:

CARING FOR THE ELDERLY AND SICK

GARDENING

KITCHEN SUPPORT WORK

CRAFTS WORK

GARDEN SUPPORT WORK AND FLOWER DESIGN

WEAVING

OFFICE SUPPORT WORK

Participation of pupils with special educational needs and / or disability at

VOCATIONAL EDUCATION AND TRAINING

The international data suggest that people with disabilities and special needs are still disproportionately excluded from the labor market.

According the strategy of Education and Training 2020 (ET 2020)of the Council of the European Union, European countries are encouraged to pursue political reform to improve outcomes in education with special emphasis on vocational education and training in order to increase the employment rate for new graduates and improving the completion rate of upper secondary education.

Vocational education and training should:

be fair and effective,

be available to all population groups

be of high quality, especially in terms of promoting social inclusion.

Member countries of the European Agency for Development in Special and Inclusive Education identified education and training as a key issue at European level. This is in line with the Lisbon Strategy adopted by Education Ministers of the European Union in 2000, and the ET 2020 strategy.

Thank you for your attention.