Education

Education

Education is very important these days. If you want to succeed in our highly-developed society you need a good education. That´s why all countries devote so much attention to their educational systems and try to improve them.

There have been some serious changes made in the educational system in Slovakia in the last few years. School attendance in Slovakia is compulsory from the age of six to sixteen. Beside 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 enought to go to school.

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, arts, religion or ethics and physical education.

Schools in Slovakia are co-educational. The school year start on September 1st 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. If a student gets a 5 in June, he can take a make-up exam to try once again to pass.

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 school in Slovakia: gymnasioums and various kinds of vocational and technical schools. Every primary school student has to apply and pass entrace exams before moving on to secondary school.

Vocational and technical schools (agricultural, nursing, electro-technical, performing and fine arts, and business and hotel academies) primarily prepare students for their future professions but they also offer a general education. A gymnasioum offers general theoretical education and prepares students for higher education.

Some of them specialize in a specific subject like math or languages. Studies at gymnasiums and specialized secondary schools take four years and are finished with a school-leaving examination. In the past, maturita was only an oral exam but a new type of school-leaving exam is being that written test.

Post-secondary education is a new trend in Professional education, specialising in such fields of study as acounting information processing, computer technology, tourism and entrepreneurship. The study lasts three years and is completed by final exams.

Higher education lasts from 4 to 6 years and is provided by colleges and universities. Students have to pass and entrance examination to be admitted to university where they can study everything from law, medicine, economics and journalism to agriculture, engineering, drama and fine art. Students can enrol in three-year courses for bachelor´s degreed or fife-year courses for master´s degrees.

Secondary school students have on average 30 to 32 lessons a week. Classes start at 7 am and usually finish at 1:25 pm or 2:20 pm. A lesson usually lasts 45 minutes and breaks are usually 10 or 15 minutes long. British schools start later in the morning, usually at 8:45 and finish at 3:45. iN the Britain nearly all schools have their own uniform. Boys must wear the jacket and tie with a grey shirt and grey or black trousers, Girls wear sweather with a grey or blue skirt.

Education – useful vocabulary

English	Slovak
education	vzdelanie, vzdelávanie
educational system	vzdelávací systém
school attendance	školská dochádzka
compulsory education	povinné vzdelávanie
compulsory school attendance	povinná školská dochádzka
state school	štátna škola
private school	súkromná škola
church school	cirkevná škola
kindergarten	materská škola
primary school	základná škola
secondary school	stredná škola
vocational school	odborná škola
technical school	technická škola
grammar school	gymnázium
university	univerzita
college	vysoká škola
higher education	vysokoškolské vzdelanie
subject	predmet
timetable	rozvrh hodín
lesson	vyučovacia hodina
break	prestávka
school report	vysvedčenie
mark / grade	známka
entrance exam	prijímacia skúška
final exam	záverečná skúška
school-leaving examination	maturitná skúška
bachelor’s degree	bakalársky titul
master’s degree	magisterský/inžiniersky titul
teacher	učiteľ
pupil	žiak
student	študent
classmate	spolužiak
headmaster / headmistress	riaditeľ / riaditeľka školy
classroom	trieda, učebňa
curriculum	učebné osnovy
homework	domáca úloha
textbook	učebnica
exercise book	zošit
school uniform	školská uniforma
canteen	jedáleň
dormitory	internát
scholarship	štipendium
tuition fees	školné
to attend school	navštevovať školu
to pass an exam	zložiť skúšku
to fail an exam	neuspieť na skúške
to take an exam	robiť skúšku
to apply for a school	podať si prihlášku na školu
to be admitted to university	byť prijatý na univerzitu
to graduate from school	skončiť školu, absolvovať školu
to study abroad	študovať v zahraničí

Education – useful phrases

Education is very important in modern society.
Vzdelanie je v modernej spoločnosti veľmi dôležité.

A good education can help people find a better job.
Dobré vzdelanie môže ľuďom pomôcť nájsť si lepšiu prácu.

School attendance is compulsory in Slovakia from the age of six to sixteen.
Školská dochádzka je na Slovensku povinná od šiestich do šestnástich rokov.

There are state, private and church schools in Slovakia.
Na Slovensku existujú štátne, súkromné a cirkevné školy.

Primary school lasts nine years.
Základná škola trvá deväť rokov.

Secondary school usually lasts four years.
Stredná škola zvyčajne trvá štyri roky.

Students have to pass entrance exams.
Študenti musia urobiť prijímacie skúšky.

Studies at secondary schools are completed by a school-leaving examination.
Štúdium na stredných školách je ukončené maturitnou skúškou.

Grammar schools prepare students for higher education.
Gymnáziá pripravujú študentov na vysokoškolské štúdium.

Vocational schools prepare students for their future professions.
Odborné školy pripravujú študentov na ich budúce povolania.

Universities offer bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral programmes.
Univerzity ponúkajú bakalárske, magisterské/inžinierske a doktorandské programy.

Students are assessed by marks from 1 to 5.
Študenti sú hodnotení známkami od 1 do 5.

The school year starts in September and finishes in June.
Školský rok sa začína v septembri a končí sa v júni.

British pupils often wear school uniforms.
Britskí žiaci často nosia školské uniformy.

Learning foreign languages is very useful.
Učenie sa cudzích jazykov je veľmi užitočné.

Online learning has become more popular in recent years.
Online vzdelávanie sa v posledných rokoch stalo populárnejším.

Stages of education in Slovakia

Stage	Description
Pre-school education	It is provided by kindergartens. It prepares children for school.
Primary education	It usually starts at the age of six and lasts nine years.
Secondary education	Students can choose a grammar school, vocational school or technical school.
Post-secondary education	It is a form of professional education after secondary school.
Higher education	It is provided by colleges and universities.

Types of schools in Slovakia

Type of school	Description
State school	It is financed by the state. Most pupils in Slovakia attend state schools.
Private school	It is founded by a private person or organization. Parents often pay fees.
Church school	It is connected with a church and may include religious education.
Grammar school	It gives general education and prepares students for university.
Vocational school	It prepares students for practical professions.
Technical school	It focuses on technical subjects and practical skills.
Business academy	It prepares students for work in administration, economics or business.
Hotel academy	It prepares students for work in tourism, hotels and gastronomy.

Education – questions and answers

Why is education important?

Education is important because it helps people succeed in life. It gives them knowledge, skills and better job opportunities. It also helps people understand the world and make better decisions.

Is school attendance compulsory in Slovakia?

Yes, school attendance in Slovakia is compulsory from the age of six to sixteen. Children usually start primary school at the age of six.

What types of schools are there in Slovakia?

There are state schools, private schools and church schools. Students can attend primary schools, secondary schools, vocational schools, grammar schools and universities.

What are the stages of education in Slovakia?

The stages of education are pre-school education, primary education, secondary education, post-secondary education and higher education.

What is the difference between a grammar school and a vocational school?

A grammar school gives general theoretical education and prepares students for university. A vocational school prepares students for a specific profession and gives them practical skills.

What is a school-leaving examination?

A school-leaving examination is the final exam at the end of secondary school. In Slovakia, it is called maturita. It usually includes written and oral parts.

What subjects do students study at school?

Students study subjects such as Slovak language, foreign languages, mathematics, history, geography, biology, chemistry, physics, physical education, art, music, religion or ethics.

How are students assessed in Slovakia?

Students are assessed by marks from 1 to 5. Mark 1 is the best and mark 5 is the worst.

What are the advantages of studying at university?

University education gives students deeper knowledge and better qualifications. It can help them find a better job, earn more money and specialize in the field they are interested in.

What are the disadvantages of school life?

School life can be stressful because students have many tests, exams and homework. Some students may also have problems with pressure, bullying or choosing their future career.

What is the difference between schools in Slovakia and Britain?

British schools usually start later and finish later. Many British pupils wear school uniforms. In Slovakia, students usually do not wear uniforms and lessons often finish earlier in the afternoon.

Do you think online learning is useful?

Yes, online learning can be useful because students can study from home and use many online materials. However, it can also be difficult because students may lose concentration and miss personal contact with teachers and classmates.