Complete national overview - Slovenia

Legal System 

The majority of basic and upper secondary school pupils attend public schools (99%), which are set up and funded entirely by the state and municipalities. Private schools, which are set up by private entities and provide education according to state-approved programmes, are subsidised by the state (the grant rate is approximately 85%). In the school year 2008/09, there were 849 compulsory schools of which three were private (two Waldorf schools, one Catholic). There were 136 public and 6 private upper secondary schools for youths. 

Administration responsibilities are distributed among the national authorities, local authorities, and schools. At the beginning of 2005, the former Ministry of Education, Science and Sport was abolished and two new ministries were founded: the Ministry of Education and Sport and the Ministry of Higher Education, Science and Technology. The Ministry of Education and Sport is responsible for the development of pre-higher education policies; inspection procedures; the allocation of funds; the implementation of laws and administrative decisions relating to pre-primary, compulsory and upper secondary education institutions. The Ministry of Higher Education, Science and Technology is responsible for the field of higher education, research, technology, metrology, development and promotion of the information society. 

Most of the responsibilities for higher vocational education (short tertiary education) fall within the authority of the Ministry of Education and Sport, while some remain within the higher education sector. Local authorities (občinski sveti) are responsible for setting up pre-school institutions and basic schools; they take part in their administration and co-finance their operation and the salaries of employees. School councils (sveti šol) composed of representatives of the founder, employees, and parents, are the central governing bodies with considerable responsibilities regarding management, finances, and the teaching process. 

School inspection is the responsibility of the National Inspectorate for Education and Sport (Inšpektorat Republike Slovenije za šolstvo in šport), which falls under the authority of the Ministry of Education and Sport. Evaluation in pre-higher education includes traditional approaches, external evaluation of students and expert support for self-evaluation and national and international research.

The quality assurance system in higher education includes accreditation and internal and external evaluation of institutions and programmes. Accreditation and external evaluation (the responsibilities of the Council for Higher Education) are supported by internal evaluation, which is at the discretion of higher education institutions and their quality assessment commissions.

Pre-primary education is part of the education system as a separate level. Pre-primary provision includes unitary centre-based child care and education which is mainly public. Pre-school institutions (vrtci) are set up by municipalities. Attendance is optional. Children can attend pre-school institutions from the age of 11 months until they enter compulsory education at the age of 6 (that is from 5 years and 8 months to 6 years and 8 months). 

The fundamental objectives and principles in the education of children with SEN in the acts listed are underpinned by the following principles and objectives contained in the Guidance of Children with Special Needs Act:

- the principle of equal opportunities whilst taking into account the diversity of children;

- maintenance of balance between different aspects of the child’s physical and mental development;

- integration of parents in the education process;

- to provide for appropriate conditions for the optimum development of each individual child;

- guidance to the most suitable education programme at the right time;

- organisation of education at the location closest to the home of the child;

- consistency and complexity of education;

- individualised approach;

- continuation of education programmes and 

- inter-disciplinary approach.

The education of children with special needs is regulated by The Placement of Children with Special Needs Act (2000, spremenbe 2006, 2007). The Act defines procedures for placement of children with special needs in all types of education from pre-school to upper secondary education. 

In addition to this Act, education of children with special needs is also regulated by:

• Organisation and Financing of Education Act, 

• Pre-school Institutions Act, 

• Elementary School Act, 

• Vocational and Technical Education Act, 

• Gimnazije Act, 

• Order on Norms and Standards for Education of Children with Special Needs.

The 1996 Pre-school Institutions Act, Elementary School Act, Vocational and Technical Education Act, and Gimnazije Act partially regulate the education of those children with special needs who are integrated into regular forms of education. The basic act, which determines the placement of children with special needs in appropriate forms of education, was adopted in the year 2000, amendments in 2007. The Placement of Children with Special Needs Act regulates procedures for the placement of children with special needs into the appropriate izobraževalni programi (educational programmes). Depending on the children's psychological and physical status, the Act enables their integrated education at all levels, from pre-school to secondary education, based on the assumption that additional help from experts and adaptation of the implementation of programmes will help children to achieve a comparable standard of knowledge. Children with severe disorders still have the opportunity to attend special forms of education in schools for children with special needs, and institutions for education and training of children with severe developmental difficulties.

Apart from the primary legislative Acts secondary regulations, which govern the field of education at the operative level and are published by the Minister, are also of significant importance. The most important are as follows:

- Regulations for the organisation and work of the commissions – These regulations lay down the criteria for the assessment of professional deficiencies, barriers and or disorders, as well as the Children with SEN guidance commissions' operation;

- Regulations on additional professional and physical assistance for SEN children and youths – These regulations lay down the scope, form and requirements for the provision of additional professional assistance.

Both documents apply for the population of preschool children, pupils and students with special needs.

• Regulations on basic school education of pupils with SEN provided at home location – laying down the requirements for education at home and the criteria for funding thereof;

• Regulations on the norms and standards for the provision of education programmes for children with special needs;

• Regulations on the implementation of the matura examinations for SEN candidates. 

Financing 

Under education legislation, children with SEN and/or their parents are entitled to a certain financial support. 

Children and youths with special needs must be offered free transportation to and from school, regardless of the distance between their place of residence and the basic school, if the latter is stated in their guidance order (Basic School Act, 2007, Article 56). Refunds of relevant costs are the responsibility of the local community.

Pupils with special needs and students attending short-term cycle education programmes are entitled to free school transportation and transportation during weekends. The amounts awarded are laid down in the ‘Rules for subsidising the transportation of pupils and students in short-cycle education programmes’, adopted by the Minister of Education. 

Children with special needs, whose guidance order contains the provision of additional professional assistance at a specialised institution, are entitled to refunds of the costs of transportation to the institution, where the support is being provided.

Transportation costs for children and youths with special needs, attending specialised institutions during the week and returning home for the weekend, are refunded by the Ministry of Education and Sport.

Children with SEN and/or their parents are also entitled to specific financial support under social-care legislation, i.e. the child-care supplement. The right to the latter expires upon the child’s 18th birthday. After that, this right is extended in cases of extended duration of education or if the duration of education has been extended as a result of significant changes in the child’s medical condition. However, this right expires when the pupil/student reaches the age of 26. (The rules on the criteria for the exploitation of rights of children, who require special care and supervision; adopted by the Minister for Social Affairs)

Another statutory right originating from employment, allowing one of the child’s parents to terminate their employment contract in order to enter half-time employment so as to ensure the child’s care and supervision. This right is also awarded to parents providing care and supervision to two or more children with a moderate, or severe mental disability, or a severe physical disability. In this case parents receive partial compensation for the income lost, which is proportional to their pay for half-time employment, and are exempt from the payment of costs for their pension and invalidity insurance. The costs, which are otherwise paid for by the employer, are covered by the state. (the Coordination of Transfers between the Individual and the Household in the Republic of Slovenia; 2006). However, parents may not implement this right if their child permanently resides in a specialised institution.

Parents of children with SEN are entitled to a special tax relief for the maintenance of a child requiring special care and supervision. This right is restricted for parents of a child who resides in a specialised institution. (Personal Income Tax Act; 2004).

The provision of medical-technical aids to children with SEN is ensured by the Health Insurance Institute. Technical aids are prescribed by an authorised medical doctor. The regulations of the insurance company specify, among other, which aids are provided to children, as well as support tools standards. When adjusting to more complex medical-technical tools that require an inter-disciplinary approach and the accustoming of parents and the child to the use of such tools, they are supported by the Institute of Rehabilitation of the Republic of Slovenia (e.g. complex wheel-chairs, communicators).

Identification of special educational needs 

The approach introduced in Slovenia recognises the needs of children with SEN as deficiencies, barriers and/or disorders that require changes or adjustments in the child’s environment or adaptation of the latter to the needs of the child. The medical approach to the child’s disability, in use during the seventies, has been abolished.

The guidance of children with special needs (2000, including amendments in 2006 and 2007) defines the groups of children with SEN as follows:

- children with mental disabilities;

- blind children and children with visual impairments;

- deaf children and children with hearing impairments;

- children with speech problems;

- children with physical disabilities;

- children with long-term illness;

- children with learning problems in specific fields of education;

- children with emotional and behavioural disorders.

The Act is based on the principle that a child's needs must be recognised as soon as possible and early childhood intervention of the latter are both dynamic processes, which occur simultaneously.

Special needs education within the education system 

Children with SEN have the option to attend:

• Regular schools and nursery schools

• Schools offering the adopted programmes

• Units at  regular schools which follow the adapted programme 

• Units at specialised institutions.

The majority of children attending specialised institutions have one or more other deficiencies aside from their main disability. Thus, they require specially adapted forms of work, health-care and rehabilitation, neither of which can be provided during integration into regular schools.

A large majority of children with SEN attend regular schools, where they are provided with additional professional assistance as decided by the guidance commission. The latter can take the form of additional hours of assistance to overcome the deficiencies, barriers and/or disorders (e.g., deaf pupils receive the help of a surdo-pedagogue) or the form of learning assistance with the objective to facilitate learning for a specific subject. A permanent or temporary assistant can be assigned to pupils with heavier or severe physical impairments, depending on the severity of their impairments, so as to assist them during lessons or with other activities during school time. 

The groups of children with SEN integrated in regular schools are as follows:

• Children with deficiencies in specific fields of education who could be very successful with adjustments and additional assistance;

• Children with emotional and behavioural problems; excluding children, who, in addition to their emotional and behavioural deficiencies, have additional problems (mental problems, reduced cognitive skills) and attend schools within a specialised institution; mainly such problems are the result of a disorderly domestic environment.

• Children with a long-term illness who, during their hospital treatment, attend the hospital school – a unit of a regular school, located in the same city as the hospital;

• Children with speech and language problems provided that such deficiencies are not too severe (autism); in such cases children attend specialised institutions for the deaf or schools offering an adapted programme. 

• Children with physical disabilities attending education at an institution which corresponds to their intellectual abilities; if their movement is heavily restricted or they suffer from any other deficiency that requires medical rehabilitation, or they are integrated into specialised institutions.

• The majority of deaf children or children with hearing impairments, and blind children or children with visual impairments; only children, who suffer from an additional deficiencies beside their main disability are integrated into specialised institutions.

Children with complex or severe mental problems attend schools with adapted programmes that provide education at a lower level and special education programmes. Formal recognition of practice based on the formation of groups, following the adapted education programme(s), within regular schools is increasing.

Pre-school children have the option to attend nursery schools, providing adapted programmes adjusted to specific deficiencies within specialised institutions. However, they may also decide to attend regular nursery schools where they are provided with assistance from a relevant professional. Pre-school children with complex deficiencies can access development units within nursery schools that have been recognised in practice as an effective treatment for this group of pre-school children. The education process within these units also involves a physiotherapist, a work therapist and the occasional involvement of a psychologist. The prescribed maximum number of children in such groups is limited to six, while the group must be constantly supervised by at least two professional members of staff.

Pupils with SEN are also provided with the option to opt for basic school education provision at their place of residence. Through the education a child must acquire the same education standard as required by the programme of the public school. The decision on education at the place of residence is adopted by the commission that examines the child and assesses that, due to deficiencies, barriers or disorders, a pupil can not attend education at school. Parents are required to ensure suitable learning and teaching conditions at their home. Assessment and evaluation of the pupil is organised at a school, and/or institution, where the pupil has been registered. Resources for education are provided from the state budget, whereas the Minister of Education adopts the decision on the allocation of funding for each individual school year. 

The number of children assigned to regular schools and nursery schools, in cooperation with specialised institutions upon their first examination by the commission is constantly increasing. Specialised institutions organise continuous teacher training programmes and provide practical advice for work with children with SEN. Mobile teachers from specialised institutions and schools with an adapted programme provide for children with special needs in regular schools – individual and professional group aid for overcoming deficiencies, barriers and disorders.

The Basic School Act (1996, last revised in 2008) allows pupils’ transfer between programmes. Basic school pupils can transfer from the adapted education programme to the education programmes with professional support, offered at regular schools. Permanent or temporary transfers of pupils in specific subjects or subject groups are also possible. Children, attending special programmes may, occasionally, also participate in the adapted programmes.

Teacher training – basic and specialist teacher training 

The education required to teach at all age levels of education and training is regulated with the proper legislation as instituted by the minister of education and sports.  The same is true for the population of children with special needs and professions in the scope of counselling work in pre-primary institutions, primary and secondary schools (psychologists, educators, and social workers).

Teachers may obtain the required education and training in the programmes at the three state universities. The Central Faculty of Education in Ljubljana educates and trains educators at the pre-primary level and subject teacher level and professionals in the field of inclusive education and training of children and youth with special needs, specifically for deficiencies, handicaps or disorders as follows: sight, hearing, speech, and language disorders, deficiencies in separate areas of learning and emotional and behavioural impediments. The essential objective of this programme is to train future teachers for quality implementation of programmes continuum and inclusive education and rehabilitation, enabling them to work with people who have special needs in different work situations.

In addition to regular studies, the chief faculty offers a programme of continuous education and training for working with a selected group of children with special needs, and a study programme of continuous education for supporting children and youth with learning and psychosocial impediments. In this programme, pre-primary and primary school teachers upgrade their professional education with specialised-education knowledge and findings that are chiefly orientated towards work in practice.   

In the academic year of 2011/2012, the principle that all teachers shall obtain certain knowledge of children with special needs will be incorporated, irrespective of the subject group of their study programme (Faculty of arts, Faculty of education – subject study) 

Pre-primary and primary school teachers may obtain additional knowledge on working with children with special needs in practice within programmes of continuous education and training as they are advertised for each academic year and elaborated within the National Education Institute. 

Development of inclusion 

Cooperation between regular schools and specialised institutions, where examples of good practice are present, has been established at the national level. Most commonly this applies to examples where there are units from schools offering the adapted programme. This form allows transfer between programmes, meaning that pupils with SEN integrated in a special unit attend special subjects at regular schools.

Within special institutions and schools with the adapted programme there is a mobile service provided by experts for disabilities. They are responsible for the provision of aid required to overcome deficiencies, barriers and disorders. Their job is to visit children, pupils and students at pre-school institutions and schools and provide them with additional professional support. They also offer advice to teachers and educators on the adjustments of school activities for each student.

During integration of pupils and youths with emotional and behavioural problems the Ministry of Education cooperates with the Ministry of Labour, Family and Social Affairs in the process of searching for the most suitable solution.

The Institute of Education of the Republic of Slovenia has an important role in the introduction of novelties and innovations in the field of pupils with SEN. Its mission is the management of projects and the introduction of innovations, which are transferred into practice following trials. One of the ongoing, recently launched projects is the experimental introduction of units for children with SEN suffering from autistic development disorder. Following the amendments of the Act on the Guidance of Children with Special Needs in 2007, the Centre for guidance also operates within the framework of the Institute. The Centre administers the operation of children with SEN guidance commissions which, on the basis of a completed medical examination, direct children to the most suitable education programme, specify the scope and form of the additional professional support and potential limitations for the number of children in groups/classes, and also inspect whether all staffing, spatial and material requirements for the education of children in schools and pre-school institutions have been provided for. The formal document, laying down the adjustments and additional support requirements, is called a guidance order.

Children and youths who suffer from severe development deficiencies and attend regular schools are provided with support offered by three consultation centres for children, youths and their parents. These centres offer an integral treatment of the child together with the family and, on the basis of a multi-disciplinary approach, advise schools and parents and/or provide the child with the corresponding treatment.

A significant role in the state has been entrusted to the specialised institutions for the deaf, the blind and persons with physical disabilities that, within the scope of their competences, provide mobile treatment of disabilities for children and youths. Their work includes training for teachers of groups that include a child/children or youth with a specific deficiency, barrier or disorder. Institutions for the deaf include well-developed health-care units which also provide treatment to children with complex or severe speech problems that are the result of an impaired development and require instant treatment.

Children with SEN who are in pre-school institutions, schools and special units within pre-school institutions, and suffer from more severe deficiencies, are provided with the assistance of different professionals (i.e.: defectologist, physiotherapist, work therapist) and occasional assistance from the speech and language expert and psychologist.

Children with SEN and youths who suffer from more or severe physical disabilities are provided with a permanent or occasional assistant to support their integration in education. The assistant is paid for by the Ministry of Education and Sport. An assistant to children with physical disabilities in pre-school education is provided for by the local community.

A regular/ full-time physical assistant is granted to children who require assistance during pre-school education, during the provision of compulsory or extended curriculum of single structure school or during organised educational activities in secondary schools.

Children with SEN, pupils and students included in regular schools or pre-school institutions are entitled to additional hours of professional help as prescribed in their guidance order. Additional hours are intended for overcoming the barriers, deficiencies and disorders (rehabilitation support) or can take the form of learning support with the aim of facilitating the learning in a specific subject.

In the school year 2006/2007 the Ministry of Education and Sport published the network of basic schools, meeting all the requirements concerning infrastructure adjustments for pupils with severe physical disabilities on wheel-chairs according to international standards.

In 2008 the rental of more complex technical aids for the blind pupils and children attending regular schools was organised. These aids assist the blind children and children with visual impairments to participate in the education process.

In practice, the blind children and children with visual impairments receive an increased amount of hours of professional assistance aiming to assist them with overcoming their deficiencies, barriers and/or disorders. The extended assistance is condensed and takes the form of a course provided by the main centre for education of the blind in Ljubljana. Exercises consist of different communication techniques, i.e. the use of Braille system for writing on a computer and the use of technical aids. In the field of orientation, activities comprise: exercises for improving movement in the nearer and the wider environment; training of other senses and activities for the acquisition of social skills and skills for day-to-day life.

The last amendments of the Regulations on standards and norms in basic schools permit schools to reduce the number of pupils in a class if the latter includes SEN pupils, according to the Children with SEN guidance commission. The number of pupils in a class is decided by the group of professionals at each school. If the decision of the group requires the formation of an additional class/group, the school must acquire approval from the Ministry of Education. Additional classes may only be formed at the beginning of the school year.

Quality indicators for SNE 

It is in an individual programme where the main objectives and outlines of the education and training of children with special needs is incorporated and where parents take part in the process of elaborating the programme. The evaluation of the programme is provided at least once a year or in circumstances of important changes within the child’s development, especially changes that affect the implementation of the education and training programme. 

In terms of their other individual skills and liabilities, children may be guided and placed into various programmes of education and training. Educators in both pre-primary and primary schools provide proper adjustments in their endeavour to attain the required standards of knowledge. Instructions for working in a specific programme of education and training provide the necessary support to the educators in implementing the curriculum. 

Once a year, children that are part of the individualised education programme with extra professional support take the national examination on general knowledge. The examination material is adapted to the type and level of deficiency, handicap or disorder of the individual child.  Primarily, the purpose of the general knowledge examination is to obtain information. The other purpose of the examination is to supply children and their parents with information about the outcomes and strengths or weaknesses of children. The information is also important for teachers and school directors as they can then analyse the outcomes and reasons behind them and then apply the results to improve didactic equipment and ways of teaching and evaluation. In this way, they are able to adapt the instruction and school. There are also examinations at national level. The results of the ‘national knowledge examinations’ provide information about the level of attainment of curriculum standards and thereby enable the evaluation of outcomes at the national level.

Educators apply different methods in their work and often appreciate and use the tailored information technologies. 

The National examination centre and the Evaluation board at the national level are the chief evaluation institutions within the state that are responsible for the evaluation of knowledge outcomes. The board evaluates all innovative education and pilot projects that receive consensus from the most important scientific authorities in the state. 

In special institutions for children with special needs periodic supervision is carried out, primarily concerning the more challenging population of children with special needs.