Education and Training Monitor 2023

1. The teaching profession

Slovenia is facing challenges in recruiting qualified teachers and maintaining the attractiveness of the teaching profession. The number of vacancies in primary and secondary education increased by 61% between 2017 and 2021 (Employment Service of Slovenia, 2022). According to the employment forecast survey in Slovenia, in spring 2022 more than half of employers in education reported difficulties¹ in recruiting, and the demand for human resources in education might increase further (Employment Service of Slovenia, August 2022). Some 6 500 teachers are expected to retire in the coming decade, around 22% of whom are teachers in basic schools and around 30% in upper secondary schools (Ministry of Education, 2023). The education system is mainly short of generalist and special needs teachers and other specialists in support occupations. In 2021, the share of temporary vacancies was among the highest in primary and secondary education. While an average of 6.7% of all vacancies were part-time positions, in primary and secondary education it was 39.4% (Employment Service of Slovenia, 2022). The main reasons for difficulties in recruiting are the lack of suitable candidates available or candidates lacking competences and knowledge. However, the share of lower secondary teachers with a permanent employment was among the highest in the EU (91.1%) as well as the share of full-time lower secondary teachers (88%) according to TALIS 2018. There is no comprehensive dataset on teacher shortages centrally available, but the Ministry of Education (ME) is preparing a new methodology for monitoring and forecasting the needs for teachers.

The shortage of qualified teachers is expected to intensify in science, engineering, technology, and mathematics (STEM) subjects. Due to the retirement of a significant number of teachers, this situation might get more critical. A study concludes that around 56% of STEM teachers and 41% of technology and technics teachers in lower secondary education could retire by 2030 (Dolenc et al. 2021), while the enrolment in programmes for prospective STEM teachers has fallen by 80% over the past 15 to 20 years. In 2020, the percentage of young teachers (under 25) was well below the EU average (0.5% vs 1.2%). Interest in STEM teacher education programmes is decreasing (Dolenc et al. 2021), despite dedicated government scholarships. It suggests that the current supply of graduates might be insufficient to replace retired STEM teachers².

A law amendment, in force since July 2023, addresses teacher shortages in Slovenia. It enables teaching staff without teaching qualification to be hired and allows them to gain a diploma at a later stage (see Box 1). The ME also launched various initiatives to increase the attractiveness of teaching careers, including scholarships for pedagogical students in the fields of physics, chemistry, technology and computer science, special needs education and pre-school education. It is also expanding systemic traineeships for teaching staff. However, the effectiveness of these measures has yet to be seen.

The public image of the profession is mixed. While public trust in education is generally high (Valicon, 2023), according to the OECD TALIS survey (2018), only 5.6% of primary school teachers in Slovenia perceive their work as appreciated by society, among the lowest ratings in the EU (17.7% on average). At present, teacher salaries are slightly below those of other tertiary educated workers (0.91 in primary and 0.94 in upper secondary, OECD 2022)³ and they also lag behind other public sector employees. The starting salary is relatively low, follows a progressive pay range and increases by 86.5% by the end of the career. There have been intensive salary negotiations between the government and trade unions⁴. In April 2023, the salaries of most public sector employees, including teachers, increased by one salary grade (around 4%) and negotiations on the new pay system are continuing.

Young people’s level of interest in studying initial teacher education can indicate the attractiveness of this profession. In Slovenia, the interest in enrolling is varied: on the one hand, young people are highly interested in areas such as pre-school education, primary teacher education, pedagogy, general or special needs education, while on the other, their interest seems to be very low in teaching specific subjects (e.g. STEM). At the same time, the enrolment of candidates is restricted in some study programmes (e.g. pre-school education, primary teaching or special needs education) while graduates from these fields are in short supply (Ministry of Higher Education, Science and Innovation). Strengthening teaching in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics could boost the education system’s capacity to successfully equip learners with competences for the green and digital transition (European Commission, 2023). To help future professionals in education acquire new competencies, including digital and sustainable development competencies, the ME plans to develop a proposal for updated pedagogic study programmes, which will be tested and evaluated in at least 92 pilots.

Slovenia is investing in the continuous professional development of teachers. In 2022, a law amendment⁵ improved the system of professional development of teachers and other educational staff. Since September 2023, the system for the professional promotion of teachers has been strengthened by means of introducing a new title for teachers and other teaching staff (senior teacher) that could allow the most experienced teachers to receive higher salaries. A national school for leadership in education provides training for head teachers and candidates. As specified by the collective agreement for education, teachers have the right to 5 days of professional training per year or 15 days every 3 years (Eurydice, 2023). With support of the recovery and resilience plan (RRP), Slovenia has launched a call for project proposals to implement large-scale training for education professionals in digital skills and competences for environmental sustainability and financial literacy (EUR 17.58 million), aiming to train up to 20 000 teachers and head teachers by June 2026 (ME, 2023).

2. Early childhood education and care

Slovenia continues its efforts to improve access to and the quality of pre-primary education. Participation in early childhood education in Slovenia (92.3% in 2022) is around the EU average for children from 3 to compulsory primary school age. The inclusion of children up to 3 years of age in formal childcare significantly increased (up by 4.8 percentage points (pps) from the previous year) to 52.3%⁶ in 2022, already exceeding its revised Barcelona target (46% by 2030). The overall high uptake of childcare makes Slovenia one of the best performers regarding mothers’ employment (European Commission 2023). The government subsidises fees for children enrolled in public kindergartens, provides concessions for parents with children in private institutions, and covers expenses for children aged 5 who have not previously attended ECEC to enrol in short programmes (European Commission 2022).

Slovenia is updating the ECEC curricula, aiming to strengthen children’s learning potential, creativity and well-being. The initiative also envisages increasing the flexibility of the curriculum for various durations of the programmes and to strengthen the pedagogical work and connect it with ongoing process of quality assessment and assurance. The updated curricula will be gradually rolled out until 2027. To attract new teachers in pre-primary education, the ME promotes additional scholarships for students in the first year of studies and plans to provide traineeships for graduates wanting to work in this area. Specifically, in March 2023, the ME announced traineeships in the education sector for the 2023-2024 school year, with 80 places in ECEC (and 170 places in schools) to speed up successful integration of young people starting their careers in ECEC (and schools).

3. School education

Similar to other countries, the reading performance of fourth-grade pupils in Slovenia has declined over recent years, according to the Programme in International Reading Literacy Study (PIRLS) 2021 Slovenia recorded the largest drop in reading outcomes since 2016 and is below the EU-19 average (see Figure 1). While the pandemic may have negatively affected reading performance, other factors before its outbreak could have contributed too. The gap between the fourth-grade girls and boys in reading performance in Slovenia is higher than in the EU-19 average (by 7 scale points in 2021). The outcomes of PIRLS 2021 also highlighted the links between a child’s well-being at school and reading performance. In Slovenia, prevention of bullying and violence is among the criteria for external school evaluations promoted within the mechanism for school quality assurance (Eurydice 2023).

Slovenia is among the EU’s top performers in terms of early school leaving. In 2022, only 4% of people aged 18-24 years old left education and training early (vs the EU average of 9.6%). While it was an increase by 0.9 pps against 2021, this outcome remained largely stable over the last decade (only a slight increase by 0.2 pps between 2012 and 2022)⁷. In 2022, there was a higher proportion of female early leavers than a decade ago (increase from 2012 by 0.7 pps).

Figure 1: Developments in average reading performance, 2011-2021, PIRLS 2021

In January 2023, Slovenia launched the institutional reform and the development of the national education programme for 2033 The Ministry of Education, Science and Sports was split into two ministries: the Ministry for Education and the Ministry for Higher Education, Science and Innovation. This reflects the increased policy attention to this area. Slovenia continues with reforms to its curriculum with support from the RRP. The reform draws on the work of the working groups set up to update the curriculum (since 2022) and prepare the national programme for education (since 2023). The objective is, among other things, to update curricula with a focus on green and digital skills, strengthen language learning and improve entrepreneurial, financial and sustainable development competences. These investments will support Slovenia in stepping up its policy efforts aimed at strengthening skills needed for the green transition (European Commission, 2023). Most students (at ISCED2 level) learn only one foreign language in Slovenia (Figure 2). The Basic School Act amendment provides for a compulsory foreign language to be introduced in the 1st grade and the national knowledge test to be introduced in the 3rd grade.

Figure 2: Percentage of students learning foreign languages in lower secondary education (ISCED 2) by number of languages, 2021

The Slovenian Parliament has been addressing the increasing prices in the educational sector through additional measures. This includes support to the cost of living in student dormitories. In June, the Parliament adopted amendments to the School Meals Act to provide free lunches for all basic school pupils from September 2027. Children from the lowest income families are entitled to free lunch from September 2023. The Slovenian multi-fund EU cohesion policy programme for 2021-¬2027 and, in particular, the European Social Fund Plus (ESF+) are expected to substantially support relevant actions at all education, training and skill levels, with a total of EUR 207.6 million over 2021-2027 (31.2% of the total amount of ESF+).

Measures to ensure equal access to education for people with disabilities need to be stepped up. All municipalities in Slovenia reported a shortage of professionals in special needs education (Employment Service, 2022). The Advocate of the Principle of Equality in Slovenia (2022) reports that only around 26% of all secondary school facilities in Slovenia are adjusted for people with reduced mobility. It recommends that all educational institutions ensure access in terms of space and communication, introduce specific scholarships for students with special needs and promote the awareness-raising of teaching staff in the field of human rights and protection against discrimination. The ME adopted an amendment to the rules on the method of conducting matura examinations for candidates with special needs to better support students with special needs, prepares an action plan for upper secondary schools’ accessibility and provides for data collection and analysis in this area.

The integration of Ukrainian children and young people into the Slovenian education system is continuing smoothly. The National Education Institute prepared guidelines for teachers and schools to help them support Ukrainian pupils and students. In the school year 2022-2023, there were around 930 students from Ukraine in 241 Slovenian basic schools (primary and lower secondary education) and 97 students from Ukraine in 44 upper secondary schools (ME, May 2023). To help them adapt quicker they receive individual support and classes in the Slovenian language. Some of them attend a Ukrainian school in parallel.

4. Vocational education and training

While the system of vocational education and training (VET) is well developed in Slovenia, further efforts are needed to improve its attractiveness and labour market relevance. In 2021, 7 out of 10 upper secondary students took part in VET programmes⁸. In response to the 2020 Council Recommendation on VET and to the national objectives in VET and lifelong learning, in 2022, Slovenia prepared a comprehensive national implementation plan. The objectives include: i) modernising VET curricula with a focus on the digital and green transition; ii) improving the quality of teaching and training; iii) making educational offers more flexible; and iv) developing learner-centred and individualised teaching approaches. Also, the plan aims to strengthen cooperation between education and the labour market, boosting skills intelligence and improving quality assurance in VET.

Many initiatives have been promoting VET among young people. For example, since 2022, the RRP has been supporting a four-year project on promoting excellence in VET, which aims to increase young people's interest in VET professions. The Chamber of Craft and Small Business of Slovenia organised a ‘Craft Street’ in the International Craft Fair, inviting visitors to take part in the manufacturing process. In another initiative, the ‘Craft Path,’ 11 regional chambers organised visits to companies for basic school pupils so they could see how crafts were produced in practice. Also, the project supported many teachers and other professionals in upper secondary vocational schools in strengthening their competences (2018-2022).

5. Higher education

Tertiary educational attainment is high in Slovenia. Its proportion of tertiary educated people (aged 25-34) increased by 12 pps over the last decade (from 35.3% in 2012 to 47.3% in 2022) and is well above the EU average (42% in 2022) as well as the EU-level target (45%). However, compared with the previous year (2021), the attainment rate slightly decreased (by 0.6 pps) in 2022. Participation in higher education could be further increased, particularly for men and people from a migrant background. The gender gap in tertiary educational attainment is the highest in the EU (23.8 pps vs 11.1 pps in the EU in 2022) and is increasing (by 2.6 pps from 2021). Factors contributing to the low entry and completion rates of men in Bachelor’s programmes include their own aspirations and a gender divide that already occurs in upper secondary schools stemming from the higher enrolment rate of boys in VET (OECD 2022). The gap between native-born and non-EU born people with tertiary education is high and continues increasing (from 26.3 pps in 2021 to 34.1 pps in 2022)⁹.

A new digitalisation strategy (2022) has an ambitious target to place Slovenia among the most digitalised nations in the EU. It aims, among other things, at having more graduates with advanced digital skills and promoting a greater offer of upskilling and reskilling in higher education. Despite the growing need for digital skills and good employment prospects for students with degrees in information and communication technologies (ICT), only a small fraction of entrants into tertiary education choose this field. In Slovenia, 94% of 25-64 year-olds with a tertiary ICT qualification are employed, but ICT students make up 6% of new entrants into tertiary education (OECD, 2022). Their share is above the EU average in short-cycle tertiary education and in Bachelor degree courses, but it falls behind at the Master’s and Doctoral levels. At the same time, the proportion of Slovenian companies reporting ‘hard to fill’ vacancies for ICT specialists (78.0%) is among the highest in the EU (European Commission 2023).

The RRP allocates EUR 71.24 million to the investment in digitalising higher education. The plan envisages completing 30 pilot projects for integrating digital and sustainable development competences in the curricula (EUR 59.65 million) and the purchase of equipment to support the digitisation of the higher education teaching and the establishment of IT support for administrative processes in public higher education institutions (EUR 11.59 million). In 2023, a public tender supported by REACT-EU (EUR 1.4 million) was launched to help acquire hardware and software for higher education institutions conducting pedagogical study programmes¹⁰.

Slovenia has been stepping up its monitoring of graduates linked to the labour market after gaining a qualification. Employment rates for young people with a tertiary education reached 87.6% in 2022, around the EU average¹¹. Monitoring graduate employability and employment on a national basis has been established within the national information system for higher education ‘eVŠ’. Furthermore, as part of the EU-SI-GRADUATE project, graduates will be monitored through a survey at national level, which will complement the data needed for evaluation and strategic planning in the field of higher education (funded by the Erasmus+ programme with EUR 67 410).

Slovenia is boosting internationalisation, scientific research and the innovation capacity of universities. In March 2023, the government adopted the strategy for the internationalisation of higher education and science. Its three priority areas focus on the active involvement of Slovenian higher education in the EU, internationalisation at home and international mobility of students. Slovenian higher education institutions will also have greater flexibility regarding languages for learning and teaching, promoting multilingualism. The actions implementing the strategy will be integrated into the action plans under the national programme of higher education until 2030 and the strategy for scientific research and innovation. Furthermore, the recently adopted amendment to the Scientific Research and Innovation Activities Act (2023) also aims to have a positive impact on the higher education sector, as it will strengthen the integration between scientific research and innovation activities. A new joint public agency for scientific research and innovation activity has been established to improve the connection and transition from the field of research to application to the fulfilling of societal needs, which is one of the steps Slovenia is taking towards achieving progress in the ranking of the European Innovation Index.

The Action plan (2023) for implementation of the Resolution on the ‘National Programme of Higher Education 2030’ aligns planned activities with other Slovene strategies. Three cross-cutting thematic clusters focus on green higher education, inclusive higher education, and resilient and innovative higher education. Slovenia promotes the enrolment of students with special needs in higher education. According to the amendment to the Higher Education Act (2017), students with special needs (as well as students with special status such as top athletes) may be entitled to more favourable treatment in the enrolment selection process, adaptations in study programmes and additional support, enabling them to complete their studies within a longer period than the one provided in the study programme. The University of Ljubljana (end 2022) and University of Primorska (in 2023) has a set of rules in place for students with special needs and special status.

The introduction of micro-credentials is at an early stage. The development and recognition of micro-credentials is envisaged in the strategic documents¹² and the National Agency for Quality in Higher Education is expected to help prepare an ecosystem for micro-credentials in higher education.

6. Adult learning

Adult participation in lifelong learning is improving for the second year in a row, but vulnerable groups need further support for upskilling and reskilling. In 2022, 22.3% of the working age population in Slovenia (25-64) participated in lifelong learning (18.9% in 2021). This is significantly above the EU average (11.9%)¹³ . The overall increase can be partially explained by improved conditions for inclusion in learning activities and increased investments in digitalisation, also stimulated by adaptation to the pandemic. Despite the positive trend, the low level of learning activities for people among the most vulnerable, less educated and older age groups remains a challenge.

Slovenia is committed to promoting adult learning and strengthening participation in lifelong learning. In its strategies, it has set an ambitious target to help achieve the objectives of the European Pillar of Social Rights action plan, while paying particular attention to different vulnerable groups (e.g. those over 65, those with a lower level of skills, those less qualified, etc). The recently adopted adult education national programme for 2022-2030 successfully incorporates numerous initiatives aimed at modernising the management and regulation of publicly funded adult education and training. These initiatives have been the result of extensive public expert debates and discussions, ensuring that a wide range of perspectives and expertise are considered. In 2022, Slovenia adopted the annual adult education programme for 2023, supported also by the RRP and ESF+, which aims to raise education level of adults and make education and training more relevant for the labour market and better linked with research and development. Slovenia is also stepping up its efforts to develop and provide publicly recognised non-formal programs for adults developing green, digital and financial competences for different target groups of adults referring also to European frameworks. The challenges include reaching target groups and providing sufficient financial resources.

Finally, the ESF+ provides significant support for actions promoting lifelong learning in Slovenia, including among low-skilled workers and young people.For example, a large national campaign has been launched in autumn 2023 to boost public positive attitudes towards lifelong learning.

References

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• Advocate of the Principle of Equality (2022), Annual Report. Annual-Report-2022-Systemic-Overview-1.pdf (zagovornik.si)

• Commission Staff Working Document (2023),SWD/2023/205 final accompanying the documents Proposal for a Council Recommendation on the key enabling factors for successful digital education and training Proposal for a Council Recommendation on improving the provision of digital skills in education and training

• Dolenc, K., Šorgo, A., & Virtič, M. P. (2021), Signs of a Catastrophe: Predicted Shortage of Teachers of Lower Secondary Science and Technics and Technology in Slovenia. Journal of Elementary Education, 14(2), 239-256.

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• The Trade Union of Education, Science and Culture of Slovenia (2023), Nov krog pogajanj o prenovi plačnega sistema. New round of negotiations on overhauling the pay system (sviz.si)

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• Portal GOV.SI (2023), Call for applications for Purchase of equipment to support the digitalization of the higher education process at public institutions and establishment of information support for administrative processes at HEIs, Poziv za oddajo vloge za projekt Nakup opreme v podporo digitalizaciji visokošolskega študijskega procesa na javnih zavodih in vzpostavitev informacijske podpore administrativnim procesom na VŠZ (gov.si)

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