Primary and Secondary Schools in Slovakia

Primary and secondary education in Slovakia is state funded and administered. There are three stages- primary, lower secondary, and upper secondary. In the current system, children need to undergo ten years of compulsory education, beginning at age six and ending at age sixteen. The former primary and lower secondary education in Slovakia have been integrated into one unit and are delivered at primary schools (základná škola) in Slovakia. Most students complete their compulsory schooling by finishing nine years of primary schooling and first year of upper secondary education in secondary school (gymnázium, stredná odborná škola, konzervatórium).
 
Primary Education in Slovakia
Primary education in Slovakia begins at the age of six and is a four year long process spanning Grade 1 to 4. Primary education in Slovakia is free, and admissions are granted on the basis of the student’s age and maturity. Primary education in Slovakia covers Language & Communication, Mathematics & Information Science, Nature & Society, Values, Art & Culture and Physical Education.
 
Lower Secondary Education in Slovakia
Primary schools in Slovakia also cover lower secondary education, which is five years long and spans Grade 5 to 9. At this stage, curriculum is enhanced with the addition of subjects like Slovak Language, Literature, Foreign Language, Geography, History, Biology, Chemistry, Physics, Technical Education, Music and Art.
Students, upon successfully passing fifth year of primary school in Slovakia, are given an option to take an entrance examination and be admitted to eight-year educational programs in gymnasium (gymnázium) or a dance conservatory(konzervatórium). Similarly, students who successfully complete eighth grade of primary school and pass the relevant entrance examination, can be admitted to the first grade of five-year educational program in the bilingual gymnasium.
 
Students in ninth grade of primary schools take a nation-wide test, Testovanie 9, which tests the language of instruction and mathematics. Performance in this test becomes an important criterion for admission to secondary schools.
 
Secondary Education in Slovakia
Secondary education in Slovakia covers age 16 to 19. There are three types of secondary schools in Slovakia, namely, Gymnasium or Grammar School (Gymnázium), Secondary Specialised Schools (Stredná odborná škola) and Conservatory (Konzervatórium).
 

• Gymnasiums are highly sought after schools and they have entrance tests for admission. They impart general secondary education and are aimed at preparing students for higher education. A student can pass the entrance exam and get into a Gymnasium from age 16 to 19 or age 10 to 18.
• Secondary specialised schools provide vocational education and training, aimed at preparing students for the execution of professional activities, such as technical, economic, pedagogic, health, socio-legal, administrative, artistic and cultural activities. Students passing secondary specialized education in Slovakia can also apply to higher education institutions.
• Conservatories provide education in arts.

 
Secondary education in Slovakia can be further categorized as:

• Lower secondary specialized education requires a student to successfully complete by passing a final examination of a two year educational program in a secondary technical school or vocational school
• Secondary specialized education requires students to successfully complete by passing a final examination of at least a three years and at most four year educational program in a secondary specialized school
• Secondary general education where a student needs to successfully complete at least a four year and at most an eight year program at a gymnasium, certified by a secondary school-leaving examination
• Secondary specialized education (upper secondary) where a student needs to successfully complete at least a four year and at most a five year program from a secondary technical school, certified by a secondary school-leaving examination

 
All upper secondary schools in Slovakia organize the final examination (maturitná skúška), which is a minimum entrance requirement for higher education.