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1. Youth parliament

2. Youth councils and/or youth advisory boards

3. Higher education student union(s)

4. School student union(s)

5. Other bodies

Youth parliament

There is no single, unified youth parliament in Slovakia. Instead, multiple youth parliaments exist at local, regional, and institutional levels, each established independently by various actors such as regional governments, schools, or civic organizations. These bodies operate under a shared legal framework but vary in structure, composition, and function.

▪ Structure

Youth parliaments are legally recognized under § 6a of Act No. 282/2008 Coll. on the Support of Youth Work (Zákon o podpore práce s mládežou). They may be established by:

• A natural person,
• A legal entity, or
• The council of a higher territorial unit (excluding municipalities).

They are not part of Slovakia’s constitutional structure and do not hold formal legislative power. Each youth parliament is governed by a statute created by its founder, which defines its internal rules, structure, and responsibilities. They are independent, though often supported by public institutions or NGOs.

▪ Composition

The law does not mandate a specific structure, but in practice:

• Members are typically aged 13 to 30.
• Selection methods vary: some are elected, others appointed or volunteer-based.
• Term lengths and meeting frequency are determined by the founder; many meet regularly (e.g., monthly).
• Some parliaments implement inclusive outreach strategies to involve youth from marginalized or underrepresented groups.

▪ Role and Responsibilities

According to the law, youth parliaments:

• Discuss proposals related to youth work or issues affecting young people,
• Collaborate with other youth and school parliaments,
• Engage with youth organizations across Slovakia.

Their broader goals include:

• Representing youth interests,
• Promoting civic engagement,
• Raising awareness of youth issues,
• Advising local or regional authorities (though their decisions are non-binding).

▪ Funding

Youth parliaments may receive:

• Public funding from regional governments or ministries,
• Grants from national agencies (e.g., IUVENTA – Slovak Youth Institute),
• Support from EU programs or NGOs.

Financial accountability depends on the parliament’s legal form and the requirements of its funders.

Youth councils and/or youth advisory boards

The Youth Council of Slovakia (Rada mládeže Slovenska – RmS) is the primary umbrella organization representing youth NGOs. Established in 1990, it is a non-governmental, non-profit body that operates independently of the state, though it often collaborates with public institutions.

RmS brings together over 25 member organizations, each meeting criteria related to geographic reach and youth membership. It advocates for youth interests, supports civic engagement, and participates in national and European policy dialogues. While it does not have binding authority, it is regularly consulted on youth-related policies.

Funding is typically provided through public grants and EU programs. The council is accountable to its members and to funding bodies through standard NGO reporting mechanisms.

Association of the Regional Youth Councils

AKRAM – Association of the Regional Youth Councils (Asociácia krajských rád mládeže) is another independent umbrella organisation founded in 1992 as a citizens association. Its aim is to associate and represent youth councils with regional competencies at national and international level in order to support and improve their activities, while creating space for mutual exchange of experience.

Composition

The bodies of the association are:

• General Assembly (all members of the association),
• Board of Directors (chairmen of regional youth councils),
• Chairman of the Board,
• Board of Supervisors.

Members:

• Youth Council of Žilina Region (Rada mládeže Žilinského kraja)
• Youth Council of Banská Bystrica Region (Rada mládeže Banskobystrického kraja)
• Youth Council of Trenčín Region (Rada mládeže Trenčianskeho kraja)
• Youth Council of Trnava Region (Rada mládeže Trnavského kraja)
• Youth Council of Košice Region (Rada mládeže Košického kraja)
• Youth Council of Nitra Region (NiKRaM – Nitrianska krajská rada mládeže)
• Youth Council of Prešov Region (Rada mládeže Prešovského kraja)

The General Assembly of the Association decides on admission as a member based on a written application for membership in the Association and a written consent to the Articles of Association.

Role and responsibilities

AKRAM:

• cooperates with state and regional administration in the preparation of legislation and documents related to youth work,
• defends and represents the interests of children and youth in self-governing regions,
• promotes activities of regional youth councils,
• provides services for regional youth councils, especially in the field of education, information and counselling services, publishing activities, etc.,
• conducts research on youth work,
• creates conditions for the exchange of good practices,
• takes part in national and international projects and campaigns with an impact on children and youth.

Funding

AKRAM is financed from the public sources and from its member's contributions. The Board of Directors is responsible for finances to their members and to the Ministry or other donors, in case of a financial contribution within official grants from other public sources.

Higher education student union(s)

Student Council for Higher Education of the Slovak Republic (SCHE)

Student Council for Higher Education of the Slovak Republic (Študentská rada vysokých škôl – ŠRVŠ) is established by the Act on Higher Education (Zákon o vysokých školách §107) and is the highest representative body of the university students in the Slovak Republic.

• an independent and autonomous body,
• unites representatives of all universities (public, state and private ones) – 35 universities (2020),
• the supreme body is the General Assembly of the Student Council for Higher Education, which convenes at least four times within the academic year,
• the Board of Directors convenes between the sessions of the General Assembly and the head of the Board of Directors is the Chairman,
• there are commissions (for instance the control commission, the legal commission… etc.),
• the elections to the Student Council for Higher Education are held every two years (Statute of SCHE/ Štatút ŠRVŠ).

Composition

The Board of Directors consists of the Chairman, the vice-chairman and six secretaries. Each secretary sets up a constant working group. The elections to the Board of Directors are held every two years. The Board of Directors' sessions are regular. The Board of Directors does not carry out special activities for higher inclusiveness or accessibility.

Role and responsibilities

SCHE represents their members' opinions and attitudes mostly towards the Ministry of Education, Research, Development and Youth of the Slovak Republic on various academic matters (poll of the members of the Accreditation Commission for universities, criteria for granting of accreditations, methodological instructions for preparation of accreditation programmes, commenting of strategic documents and legislation in the field of education etc.),

• its opinions are as binding as those of other members of the commissions and working groups,
• fosters reciprocal cooperation of university students in the Slovak Republic,
• international cooperation,
• enhancement of social conditions of university students (higher education students) such as accommodation for students/boarding, inclusion/integration of disadvantaged students etc.

Funding

Student Council for Higher Education is financed by the appropriate Act from the sources of the Ministry of Education. The Board of Directors is responsible for finances to the aforementioned Ministry and to their members, in case of a financial contribution within official grants from other public sources – to the donors.

School parliaments

Since 1 January 2022, school parliaments (formerly student school unions - žiacke školské rady) have been formally recognized under § 26 of Act No. 596/2003 Coll. on State Administration in Education and School Self-Government (Zákon o štátnej správe v školstve a školskej samospráve a o zmene a doplnení niektorých zákonov). These bodies are a standard part of school self-governance in both primary and secondary schools.

Composed exclusively of students elected by their peers, school parliaments represent the interests of the student body. They are entitled to express opinions on educational matters and school policies. Their structure and frequency of meetings are determined at the school level, with support from school leadership.

Local and regional governments often appoint coordinators to facilitate cooperation between school parliaments and public authorities. The National Institute for Education and Youth  plays a key role in supporting this collaboration through training and joint events.

Funding is typically drawn from school budgets, with occasional support from local authorities or youth programs. Accountability lies with the school administration.

Other bodies

The Ministry of Education supports youth representation through targeted funding schemes, such as the Representative Structures for Youth Participation (Zastupiteľské štruktúry pre participáciu mládeže) call. This initiative aims to:

• Strengthen youth representation at regional and national levels
• Promote inclusive participation, especially among marginalized youth
• Foster partnerships between youth structures and public institutions
• Support the development of strategic youth policy documents

Eligible organizations include youth councils and regional youth platforms. Funding is allocated based on registration and evaluation criteria, with a focus on impact, inclusiveness, and alignment with national youth policy goals.