1. ALMOST ON THE DEATH BED Situation of Slovak private schools and private educational facilities in 2010 Current position of private schools and educational facilities in the educational system of Slovak republic isn’t good, despite the declared principles of freedom, plurality and equality of education in the New School Act (2008). State is using legislative measures to limit the ability of citizens to freely choose the educational path in private independent schools for their children and also for themselves. It only allows the creation of a private school IF the authorities of public administration or local self-government, (which are the founders of public or state schools), agree with it. The state limits eight-years high-schools (gymnasia) in the amount of admitted students and in the number of classes opened in the first (freshman) year for only 5% children of the population, despite of the fact, that 25% - 35% of children are interested. Schools are forced to follow mandatory state educational programs and it limits their freedom to bring a different quality to curricula. Private schools are not given the option to reflect its uniqueness into its very own educational programs and are dictated mandatory number of schooling lessons for each subject in each year, which provides no room for individual approach for certain groups of pupils and students. Principles of civic equity are broken in financing of private schools and private educational facilities and children and students from these private schools and private educational facilities are discriminated by lowered coefficients of assigned financial resources from state. Municipality and local governments are given full competence in deciding about assigning or not assigning of financial resources to private schools and private education facilities. Some of them assigned less than 30% for a child in private school in comparison with the amount for a child in public school. Private schools are forced to reward pedagogical employees the same salaries as in public school and have also restricted dealing with contributions from private resources, e.g. from tuition fees. Private schools and private educational facilities have their powers and competencies removed, state and church schools are preferred in financial compensations, private schools are not allowed to ask for financial resources from European funds. Only private schools are punished for breaking of legal duties by removal of part of the state compulsory allowance per student. This situation is unbearable for private schools and private educational facilities and leads to limiting of their performance and subsequently to their liquidation. It not only means a violation of international agreements, but more importantly, a destroy of basic democratic principles in education. It limits the ability of citizens to freely choose its educational path in pluralistic system of equivalent education. The role of Slovak National Association of Private Schools Although the organization exists from 1994, it wasn't well-established and respected as part of the social dialogue in years 2006 – 2009. Dissatisfaction with the previous government stimulated the emergence of our association in focusing on legislation agenda. This year, we are usually very effective at mobilizing media and public attention as well as communicating via Internet networks. The main pattern of collective action that prevails in Slovakia is moderate participation; collective protest, petitions and peaceful rallies. However, we raised the voice. Since the 2010 elections, our organization became a regular partner of the Ministry of Education in Slovakia and we have already derailed some draft legislation proposed by the new government (e.g. Government Directive containing equal coefficients for public and private subjects), which was forced to take the interests and objections of the private schools into account. Based on the National public discussion on private schools, which we started in September 2010, the major changes in private schools legislation will come in 2012 – 2013. The most important fact is, that Slovak Association has a sound voice in all these processes. INDEPENDENT SCHOOLS - FREEDOM & RESPONSIBILITY OECD Education Ministerial Meeting calls us for Investing in Human and Social Capital: New Challenges What we need - to be able to commit ourselves? Strengthen the autonomy and the responsibility of school leaders. Schools need a climate of trust. Establish a strong coalition of schools, governments, businesses, and social partners who can foster motivation, innovation and resources to make lifelong learning a reality; Support learners and not stress them by bureaucracy and inspection; have a ‘whole-of-government’ approach and respect to educator's work; Challenges: Teaching next teachers : Society will change radically over the twelve or more years that today’s students will spend in school. Teachers play a vital role in equipping students with the skills they need to understand a rapidly changing world and take advantage of the opportunities it offers. They have to be prepared for a new critical pedagogy. Taking responsibility for changes: Did you know, that one 25% of the 90 000 teachers and school principals across 23 countries surveyed recently report that at least 30% of learning time is lost through disruptive student behaviour or bureaucratic procedures? Being able to improve the conditions, we will make the school life much better for educators. Thinking ahead, fighting crisis: defining and delivering skills of modern workforce. The skill level of the workforce is rising along with the expansion of general education, but training in specific skills is needed for most jobs. Vocational education and training systems play a large role in supplying these skills and in meeting the needs of a well-functioning modern economy. Small sized, well specialized private schools can be leaders of these new skills curricular development. Independent schools as flagships of quality education: It is not appropriate to measure the quality of a school solely by the raw success of its graduates in obtaining university admission. Some schools will start with more advantaged students who would have a high success rate even if the school is actually performing poorly.Other schools may be exceptional performers in that they produce high value-added even if the overall success rate of their students is not particularly high due to poor inputs (especially the quality of entering students). We have to develop the system of measuring and certifying high overall education quality in private schools and be the leaders in this field. ECNAIS ECNAIS is na international association for collaboration between national associations of independent schools in European countries. It was founded in 1988 and is registered as a company limited by guarantee not having a share capital under the English Companies Act. | www.ecnais.org | Ny Kongensgade 10, DK 1472 Copenhagen K, DENMARK | secretariat@ecnais.org | Slovak National Association of Private Schools | Slovak Republic | Panenská 6, 811 03 Bratislava, www.sukromneskoly.sk, +421 903 63 00 97, sukromneskoly@sukromneskoly.skwww.sukromneskoly.sk Berlin, GERMANY | 19th November 2010 The independent School in Europe today – and the role the national organizations are playing SASKIA REPČÍKOVÁ, PhD. THE EUROPEAN COUNCIL OF NATIONAL ASSOCIATIONS OF INDEPENDENT SCHOOLS CONSEIL EUROPEEN D’ASSOCIATIONS NATIONALES D’ECOLES INDEPENDANTES ECNAIS