Slovakia's education responses to the influx of Ukrainian refugees
Country overview
As of , Slovakia hosts over 109,000 Ukrainian refugees. An inclusive policy environment provides Ukrainian students with equal opportunities to access safe, quality education through the national system. While enrolment in the national education system is high in comparison to neighbouring countries, many children continue to follow the Ukrainian curriculum online. A lack of data on absorption and teacher capacity prevents a full understanding of barriers to accessing the national system.
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Policy overview
On March 4, 2022, the Council of the European Union adopted the in accordance with Article 5 of (the Temporary Protection Directive), setting the groundwork for EU Member States to grant temporary protection to individuals displaced from Ukraine.鈥
transposes the Temporary Protection Directive into the national legal framework. Following the issuance of the Council Decision, the Slovak government adopted , activating the Directive and outlining its implementation by domestic authorities.
Policy pathway for Ukrainian refugees in Slovakia
The Asylum Act and Resolution No. 185 outline the procedure through which Ukrainian citizens may receive temporary protection in Slovakia. According to the Asylum Act, individuals seeking protection should declare their request at an office of the police department. Upon acceptance of the request and the submission of biometric data, the individual will be issued a certificate of temporary protection under the category of 鈥榯emporary refuge.
Access to schools
Resolution No. 185/2022 states that the Minister of Education shall take measures to facilitate access to education and training on an ongoing basis to children granted temporary protection in Slovakia. A issued by the Ministry clarifies that children from Ukraine are not subject to compulsory school attendance, which applies only to individuals with permanent residence in Slovakia per
According to Article 146 of the School Act, non-nationals who have been granted a residence permit and their children may access education under the same conditions as Slovak citizens. It states that the school director is responsible for grade placement, and that children of individuals granted temporary protection are to receive placement no later than three months after submission of an application for protection. School directors may determine placement based on age, previous education level, and command of the Slovak language, although is provided on documentation requirements to prove completion of previous levels. The Act also affirms that children may be conditionally placed in grade levels on the basis of insufficient language proficiency.
Safe learning environment
The School Act states that educational institutions must provide for the basic physiological needs of students, protect their health and safety, and create conditions for their healthy development. of the Ministry of Health establishes requirements for facilities used by children and youth, including guidelines related to spatial arrangements of classrooms, school equipment, water, sanitation and hygiene facilities, physical exercise and outdoor activities, and nutritional standards. also states that facilities for children and youth, including those used for education and training, must be established in an environment that promotes their health.
A published by the Ministry of Education states that to accommodate Ukrainian learners, schools may increase the maximum capacity of classrooms by three students if safety conditions are maintained in accordance with Act No. 355. The School Act also states that non-national students may access school meals on the same basis as citizens.
Quality learning conditions
According to Article 146 of the School Act, Slovak language courses will be organized to remove language barriers for non-national students. states that language courses will be organized and financed by regional school administrations in cooperation with local municipal authorities. state that the school director is responsible for appointing language instructors from among regular employees or external candidates and should request financial resources from regional authorities to fund the courses. The State Pedagogical Institute (艩P脷) has also prepared language resources and translation of materials in the Ukrainian language on its .
According to , the evaluation of students who are non-nationals should be adapted to take language barriers into consideration. A issued by the Ministry for the assessment of pupils from Ukraine states that teachers should apply evaluation standards based on knowledge of the material rather than linguistic correctness and encourages teachers to provide verbal assessments whenever possible. It emphasizes that teachers should ensure students and their parents or legal representatives understand the assessments provided.
amends to facilitate the employment of Ukrainian teaching and non-teaching staff. It states that citizens of Ukraine with qualifications in the field of education may submit an affidavit proving their qualifications in lieu of documentation. Individuals who submit an affidavit must also present a psychological assessment proving that they are fit to perform pedagogical work before beginning employment in schools.
To finance the additional costs of educating Ukrainian students, the Ministry of Education a one-time payment of 200 euros per student to primary and secondary schools to cover the costs of school supplies and other expenses.
Access to transitions
According to , Ukrainian students follow the same as nationals. Admission requirements are determined by secondary schools and typically include the completion of an entrance exam. In April 2023, the National Institute of Education and Youth published a to a query sent to the Ministry of Education regarding the translation of entrance exams for Ukrainian students. According to Article 64 of the School Act, the Ministry is responsible for determining the subjects for the entrance exams, while the content of the exam and the language in which it is conducted are determined by the school. In their response, the Ministry indicates that school directors may therefore allow the translation of exams into Ukrainian.
Certification of learning
According to the School Act, the completion of secondary general education is certified by the matriculation exam. states that Ukrainian students may apply for the matriculation exam on the same basis as nationals. Decree No. 224/2022, which defines the organization of the exam for the 2022/2023 academic year, allows for the adjustment of time limits for students who are foreigners according to the length of education in the language of instruction. For students who have attended education in the Slovak language for less than two years, extended time by 50 percent may be provided. No additional provisions have been made for the translation of materials or granting of additional resources for Ukrainian students.
Access to higher education
grants the right to study at higher education institutions to all persons who have completed secondary education and meet basic conditions for admission as determined by the institution. Ukrainian students may apply for enrolment through the same process as nationals, although criteria for admissions remains at the discretion of the university. Ukrainian students are eligible to apply for scholarships, including those granted under the program. However, no specific provisions have been introduced to facilitate access or financing of higher education for Ukrainian refugees.
Ukrainians granted temporary protection enjoy freedom of movement under the and the right to work in Slovakia. Article 23a of affirms that employers may employ individuals granted temporary protection, and Act No. 92/2022 amending Act No. 5 introduces measures to facilitate the employment of Ukrainian citizens and support their integration into the labour market.
In Slovakia, temporary protection has been extended until March 2024 and may be extended until March 2025 at maximum, in accordance with EU guidelines. However, most Ukrainian citizens have limited options to gain permanent residence status in Slovakia, and it remains to be determined how national authorities may extend the regular stay of Ukrainians on the territory should their displacement continue beyond the expiration of the Directive.
Data overview
On the , data on the number of Ukrainian students enrolled in kindergarten, primary school, and secondary school by district, region, and school type is published on a monthly basis. issued by the Ministry state that school administrators should select the 鈥楻efugee鈥 attribute when registering the enrolment of Ukrainians students in the Sectoral information system (Rezortn媒 informa膷n媒 system, RIS), allowing for the collection of data by protection status. Disaggregated data on the results of Ukrainian students on assessments, including secondary entrance exams and the matriculation exam, has not been made publicly available.
Results from representative surveys on the State of Education of Students from Ukraine conducted by the State School Inspection (SSI) in and , have provided information on the integration of Ukrainian students in Slovak schools. The published reports include information on the acceptance of Ukrainian students into schools, attendance of Ukrainian students, organisation of language and tutoring courses, participation of Ukrainian students in extracurricular activities, and barriers to implementation of support measures.
Enrolment data

UA Parliament (October 2023)

For all Ukrainian refugee school-aged children in Slovakia

For 2021/22 academic year Source: Multi-sector Needs Assessment
Barriers: Language barriers, lack of physical capacity at schools
Support required: Slovak language classes, supplies and equipment, laptops/tablets
Absorption capacity

Ministry of Education, Science, Research, and Sports (March 2023)

Ministry of Education, Science, Research, and Sports (March 2023)
Sources
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