The situation of STEM education in Slovakia

EUROPEAN COMMISSION Directorate-General forEducation, Youth, Culture andSportDirectorateB—Youth, Education and Erasmus+ Contact:Maria Podlasek-Ziegler European CommissionB-1049 Brussels STEM education landscape in Author:Dr. Adam Krcal, in collaboration with the study team Manuscript completed inJanuary2025 This document has been prepared for the European Commission however it reflects the views only of the Luxembourg: Publications Office of the European Union,2026 © European Union,2026 The reuse policy of European Commission documents is implemented by Commission Decision2011/833/EU of 12December 2011 on the reuse of Commission documents (OJ L330, 14.12.2011, p.39).Unless otherwise noted, the reuse of this document is authorised under a Creative Commons Attribution4.0 International (CCBY4.0) licence (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/). This means that For any use or reproduction of elements that are not owned by the European Union, permission may need PrintISBN978-92-68-38364-3 doi:10.2766/3951299NC-01-26-083-EN-CPDFISBN978-92-68-38363-6 doi:10.2766/2235743NC-01-26-083-EN-N Contents 1.Backgroundto the country’s education system and STEMperformance.............................................................................................9 1.1.Structure of the national school education system.................................91.2.Governance of STEM education in Slovakia.......................................111.3.Introduction of the country’s performance in STEM education in 2014- 2.Overview of the main policy and structural challenges and factorsrelated to STEM education in schools.................................................18 2.1.Policy framework for STEM education in Slovakia...............................182.2.Overview of the main policy and structural challenges and factors relatedto STEM education in schools.............................................................202.2.1.Curriculum rigidity...................................................................................202.2.2.Teacher shortages and insufficient teacher training................................212.2.3.Lack of awareness of the importance of STEM and the lack of resources inSTEM education.....................................................................................222.2.4.Outdated infrastructure...........................................................................232.2.5.Gender stereotypes and socioeconomic disparities in STEM education.242.2.6.Fallout from the Covid-19 pandemic.......................................................24 3.Overview of the identified instruments promoting STEM education26 3.1.Examples of best practices to support STEM education......................27 4.Recommendations for potential EU interventions..............................32 5.Methodological annex...........................................................................33 5.1.Bibliography.........................................................................................33 5.2.List of interviewees..............................................................................35 STEM education landscape inSlovakia This document presents results of country-specific research on STEM educationand its support in Slovakia. It was prepared in the context of a wider studyon‘PromotingSTEM education in schools’commissioned by the European 1.Background to the country’s education system 1.1.Structure of the national school education system Slovakia’s education system is structured into several stages, starting with pre-primary education, which plays a crucial role in early childhood development. Pre-primary education is provided in kindergartens, known as materské školy, and isdesigned for children aged three to six. The primary aim of this stage is to developsocial, emotional, and cognitive skills, preparing children for formal schooling. Primary and lower secondary education in Slovakia form a unified structurereferred to aszákladná škola, which typically lasts for nine years and serveschildren aged six to fifteen. The first four years, known as the first stage (ISCED1), focus on building foundational skills in reading, writing, mathematics, andscience, as well as encouraging creativity through art, music, and physical Secondary education is divided into general and vocational pathways, reflectingstudents’interests and future aspirations.General secondary education isprimarily delivered throughgymnáziá, which offer four-year programmes (somebilingual programmes can take five years), although some extend to eight years Conservatories (konzervatóriá) offer another secondary education pathway inSlovakia. They specialise in arts education, focusing on fields such as music,dance, and drama. These programmes generally last six years and combine Incontrast,vocational education and training(VET)is delivered throughsecondary vocational schools(stredné odborné školy). These institutions providestudentswi