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1. Main trends in young people's participation in education and training

2. Organisation of the education and training system

3. Main concepts

Main trends in young people's participation in education and training

Slovakia’s education system is undergoing reforms to address persistent challenges in equity, quality, and inclusion. Key trends include:

• Early Childhood Education and Care (ECEC): Participation remains below EU averages, especially for children under 3 (1% in 2023 vs. EU 37.5%). Regional disparities persist, with eastern regions facing capacity shortages. Vulnerable groups, including Roma children and children with disabilities, are underrepresented. From September 2025, all 3-year-olds will have a legal entitlement to ECEC.
• School Education: PISA 2022 results show high underachievement in mathematics (33.2%), reading (35.4%), and science (30.6%), with widening socioeconomic gaps. Over 60% of Roma children attend segregated schools. Student well-being is a concern, with 18% reporting loneliness and 20% experiencing bullying.
• Vocational Education and Training (VET): VET is a strong component of the system, with 43% of 15–19-year-olds enrolled. Recent reforms have improved pathway permeability. However, Slovakia lags behind the EU in work-based learning exposure (62.1% vs. EU 64.5%).
• Higher Education: Tertiary attainment has increased to 39.8% (2023), but remains below the EU average (43.1%). Outward graduate mobility is high (20.1%), while enrolment and academic staff numbers are declining. Performance-based funding and quality assurance reforms are underway.
• Adult Learning: Participation in adult learning has improved (49.5% in 2022), exceeding the EU average. However, the number of training hours is declining. A new adult education law (effective January 2025) will introduce individual learning accounts, micro-credentials, and validation of prior learning.

Organisation of the education and training system

In Slovakia, compulsory education begins at age 6 and ends at age 16. The system is structured as follows:

• Primary and Lower Secondary Education (ISCED 1–2): Typically completed by age 15.
• Upper Secondary Education (ISCED 3): Includes general (gymnázium) and vocational tracks, with options for dual education.
• Post-secondary Non-Tertiary Education (ISCED 4): Offers further specialisation, often following VET.
• Tertiary Education (ISCED 5–8): Includes bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral programmes.
• Adult Education: Delivered through formal and non-formal channels, including continuing education centres and labour offices.

For a detailed overview, see the Eurydice country profile for Slovakia.

Main concepts

• Early Leaving from Education and Training (ELET): Defined as the share of 18–24-year-olds with at most lower secondary education who are not in further education or training. Slovakia is committed to reducing this rate in line with EU targets.
• Non-Formal Education: Includes learning outside formal institutions (e.g. youth work, volunteering). While increasingly recognised, it lacks a unified legal definition.
• Inclusive Education: Refers to integrating learners with special educational needs (SEN) into mainstream schools. Progress has been made, but many schools lack adequate support and trained staff.
• Special Needs Education: Defined in national legislation as education tailored to children with physical, mental, or social disadvantages. It may be delivered in mainstream or specialised settings.
• Dual Education: Combines school-based learning with practical training in companies. Regulated by the Dual Education Act and supported by employer incentives.

• Lifelong Learning and Adult Education: The new Adult Education Act, adopted in 2024 and effective from January 2025, introduces four key innovations:

  • Professional Qualification: A new concept aligned with the European Qualifications Framework, replacing outdated partial and full qualification categories. It introduces a clearer typology and recognition system based on knowledge, skills, and competences acquired through practice.
  • Training Centres: New training centres will be established alongside secondary vocational schools to support individuals—especially those without lower secondary education—who need to acquire practical, often craft-based, skills.
  • Individual Learning Accounts: A financial incentive scheme to support adult participation in learning. During the pilot phase, 5,000 individuals will receive €200 each to pursue basic skills, key competences, or career guidance.
  • Micro-Credentials: Certificates of learning outcomes from educational programmes of at least 25 hours. These are designed for adults who need to update their skills without completing full secondary or tertiary education.

  The law also introduces a certification system for adult education providers, a public register of certified institutions, and strengthens the role of sectoral training centres and master-level exams.