Izobraževanje

A successful school system is a key foundation of any society. It equips individuals with the basic vocational and social competences that will guide them throughout their lives. Slovenia's school system is among the best in Europe, providing free education to young people, adults and the elderly through its accessibility. Consequently, the share of population with a completed tertiary education has increased by 7.5% since 2011 reaching 25% in 2021. However, there is room for improvement, especially in the areas of digitisation, civic education and more accessible kindergartens. 

We also need to be aware of long-term trends: Slovenia still ranks 10th among EU member states in the 2022 PISA ranking, but the share of pupils underachieving in all disciplines (maths, reading and science) increased from 16% to 26% compared to 2018 with especially boys and children from disadvantaged backgrounds falling behind. Also, the overall birth rate for Slovenia decreased to 1.55 children per woman, still above the EU average of 1.46, but way short of the 2.1 required to maintain a stable population.

Here are our suggestions for improving educational institutions: 

Preschool

• Provide free or partially free kindergarten places from the 2nd child onwards to reduce the financial burden for parents and encourage having more children.

School

• Revise learning material at least in 7 year cycles (following the International Bachallorian Programme) to ensure our education remains competitive and prepares children for a changing world.

• Evolve curricula towards alignment with European schools to favor an education that takes into account the reality and history of a diverse European Union and the possibilities it can offer.

• Introduce the subject of digital and media literacy in primary schools following the Austrian model. Students would learn, among other things, about the safe use of social networks and the use of the internet as a primary tool for learning.

• Integrate digitisation, computer science and basic programming into subjects where appropriate (eg. maths/physics) to familiarise students with the technologies shaping the world.

• Extend the Active Citizenship programme to the first and second years of upper secondary school, and to introduce it in other secondary schools, with a particular focus on the European Union.

• Increase salaries for primary and high school teachers, especially in STEM subjects. The gross starting salary of 19k€ is only slightly above EU average and has not increased significantly since 2011 for an education system that ranks among the highest in Europe.

Academic education

• Encourage and finance internships, professional exchanges and in general more cooperation between universities and the private sector to make our economy more competitive and guide students towards future employment opportunities. 

• Remove strict time limits for completing studies and introduce the German “Werkstudent” status for students to allow working part-time up to 20 hours/week during studies (without limit outside study periods) to gain valuable experience and support themselves financially.

• Attract international talent by expanding university and high school programs in English to draw more foreign students and build a diverse and skilled talent pool. Provide incentives to learn Slovenian while studying here to lay the foundation for entering the Slovenian workforce.

Skilled workforce

• Introduce personal career training accounts based on the french Compte personnel de formation that allow (capped) tax-free contributions to be used for training and education programmes according to the choice of the employee.

• Attract skilled foreign professionals by streamlining visa processes, offering tax benefits, and providing relocation support. Fast-track residency options, language courses, and global recruitment efforts must increase Slovenia’s appeal as a talent destination - we are currently ranked 62/67 for attracting foreign high-skilled workers.

Lifelong learning

• Increase competences of civil servants and elected representatives on digitalisation, law, economics and international relations by providing dedicated content and training possibilities.

• Ensure accessibility to the Slovenian language courses by supporting the translation of educational platforms and applications (such as Duolingo) into Slovenian.

• Provide training programmes and content for acquiring digital competences for all parts of the population with a special focus on the elderly and disadvantages to decrease digital illiteracy.