Education is very important these days.

If you want to succeed in our society you need a good

education. That’s why all countries devote so much attention to their educational systems. There have
been some serious changes made up in the educational system in Slovakia. The National Curriculum
has been changed, a new school-leaving exam is being introduced at secondary schools and many
students are taking advantage to studying abroad.

School attendance in Slovakia is compulsory from the age of 6 to 16. Besides state schools, there are
also church schools and private schools. There are several stages of education: pre-school education,
primary education, secondary education, post-secondary education and higher education.

Pre-school education is voluntary, and designed for children who are not old enough to go to school.
It prepares children for compulsory school attendance. Pre-school education includes crèches,
kindergartens.

Primary education is divided into two stages: the first stage with grades 1-4 and the second stage
with grades 5-9. Primary school provides children with a general education, with pupils having from 25
to 30 lessons per week, studying languages, History, Geography, Mathematics, Physics, Chemistry,
Biology, Physical Education.

Schools in Slovakia are co-educational. The school year starts on September 1 st and finishes on June
30th. Students get school reports at the end of January and June and are assessed by marks from 1 to
5.

When children finish primary school, they can choose what type of secondary school they want to
attend for the next four years. There are different types of secondary schools in Slovakia: gymnasiums
and various kinds of vocational and technical schools. Every primary school student has to apply and
pass entrance exams before moving on to secondary school.

Vocational and technical schools (nursing, electro-technical, business and hotel academies) prepare
students for their future professions but they also offer a general education. Other 3-year vocational
schools prepare students for practical jobs. Students graduate after passing final examinations in both
theoretical and practical subjects.

A gymnasium offers general theoretical education and prepare students for higher education. Some of
them specialize in a specific subject, like math or languages. Studies take 4 years and are finished
with a matricular examination. Matricular exams will be in 5 subjects, 3 compulsory and 2 elective.
The examination has 2 parts: the written and the oral. Student, who successfully pass the
examination will receive their school-leaving certificate and can apply for studies at universities.

Higher education lasts from 4 to 6 years. Students have to pass an entrance examination to be
admitted to university where they can study everything from law, medicine, economics and
journalism. Student can enroll in 3-year courses for bachelor´s degrees or 5-year courses for master
´s degrees. In order to get his university diploma, a student must first successfully complete and
defend a thesis he has researched and written and then pass the state examination.

School buildings look very much alike. They are usually big buildings with 3 to 5 floors. Many have
playgrounds, gyms and sport facilities like football pitch and basketball courts, some even have
swimming pools. On the ground floor, there are usually cloakrooms, the school canteen, the staff
room, and the administrative offices, including the headmaster´s office. In the average school
building, there are large classrooms with large windows, several small classrooms and special
classrooms. Schools also have a large hall where meetings and celebrations are held.
There are many differences between the educational system in Britain and the one in Slovakia.
Compulsory education in Britain begins at the age of 5 and ends at the age of 16.

Pre-school education is provided at nursery schools for children between 3 and 4 years old. Children
not have proper lessons, they play, paint, dance and sing. They have lunch at school and they rest.

Primary school is divided into 2 stages: Infant School for 5 to 7 years old and Junior School from 7 to
11 years. In an infant school children learn how to read, write and count. Children have the same
teacher who teaches them all the lessons.

British children transfer from primary to secondary school at the age of 11. Secondary schools are
very large and pupils usually attend the school which is the nearest. There are no special vocational
schools. Students study the National Curriculum which is basically the same as at primary level, only
with more knowledge required. At 14. they can drop some subjects and choose others. Compulsory
subjects are English, Mathematics, a science and a foreign language. At the age of 16, all pupils
should take GCSE examinations.

The school year in Britain is divided into 3 terms: Autumn Term (September-Christmas), Spring Term
(January-Easter), and Summer term (Easter-July). Schools starts at 9am in all state schools and there
´s an hour break for lunch at noon. School usually ends between 3 and 4 pm.

The majority of British school children have to wear school uniform. A traditional uniform consists of a
shirt, tie, blazer with a school bandage on the pocket and dark skirt for girls or dark trousers for boys.
Children are not happy about their uniform, but most schools are very strict about this. You may be
sent home for not wearing the uniform.

British schools offer a lot of activities, especially sports activities. Most schools have football, hockey
and cricket teams. Drama clubs and choirs are also the norm.

Higher education in Britain is provided at universities. The oldest and the best known are Oxford and
Cambridge. Their courses follow a more practical field, for example hotel catering and personal
management. The qualifications obtained at polytechnics are comparable to a university degree and
are accepted when graduates later go job hunting.