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According to Article 42(1) of the Constitution of the Slovak Republic, everyone has the right to education. School attendance is compulsory. Its length up to the age limit shall be fixed by law.
Access of beneficiaries of international protection to education is regulated primarily by the Act No. 245/2008 Coll. On Education and Schooling (The School Act). Beneficiaries of international protection are entitled to access education, school accommodation and meals under the same conditions as Slovak citizens.[1] Children granted asylum or subsidiary protection shall be placed in the appropriate grade by the school principal after assessing the level of their previous education and their proficiency in the Slovak language, no later than three months from the commencement of the asylum procedure. Due to insufficient proficiency in the Slovak language, a child may be conditionally placed in the grade corresponding to their age. Placement in a lower grade requires the informed consent of the child’s legal guardian or the representative of the relevant institution.[2]
Beneficiaries of international protection have the right to attend an introductory Slovak language course.[3] Such a course is provided by the SHC within an AMIF-funded project Rifugio II. The Slovak language courses are delivered in person in Bratislava and Košice, as well as online for refugees residing outside these cities. The courses consist of two-hour sessions held three times per week, primarily during the first six months following arrival. They are mainly focused on the development of communication skills at A1 and A2 levels.[4] Despite the fact that Slovak language courses are occasionally provided for free by other NGOs and international organisations, the availability of systematic Slovak language instruction for foreigners, including courses at more advanced levels, remains generally insufficient and continues to limit, to a certain extent, the integration process of refugees in Slovakia. Language barriers are regarded by beneficiaries of international protection as one of the most significant obstacles to integration.[5]
Based on the agreement between UNHCR and Coursera, beneficiaries of international protection may get free access to all the study programs on the Coursera online training platform, offering courses from universities and educational institutions worldwide.[6]
Beneficiaries of international protection are entitled to access higher education in Slovakia under the same conditions as Slovak citizens. The basic condition for admission to bachelor’s studies is the completion of full secondary education or full secondary vocational education.[7] Article 56(2) of the Act No. 131/2002 Coll. on Higher Education Institutions and on Amendments and Supplements to Certain Acts (the Higher Education Act) provides that persons granted asylum or subsidiary protection may prove the completion of secondary education by submitting an affidavit and by taking a general study prerequisites test,[8] which addresses situations where standard educational documentation cannot be produced.
At public higher education institutions, the rules governing the payment of tuition fees apply equally to Slovak nationals and foreign nationals. Full-time study programmes conducted in the Slovak language are free of charge for both Slovak citizens and foreigners, except in cases where the law establishes an obligation to pay tuition fees (e.g. exceeding the standard duration of studies). Where a study programme is conducted exclusively in a language other than the Slovak language, students enrolled in the full-time form of study are required to pay annual tuition fees for each academic year. This obligation applies equally to Slovak nationals and foreign nationals. However, under Article 92(11) of the Higher Education Act, students who have been granted asylum, subsidiary protection, or temporary protection are exempt from the obligation to pay tuition fees. This exemption applies irrespective of the legal ground on which tuition fees would otherwise arise and therefore also covers, for example, tuition fees for exceeding the standard duration of studies, concurrent enrolment in multiple study programmes, and tuition fees charged for study programmes conducted in a language other than Slovak. At private higher education institutions, tuition fees and other charges related to studies are determined by the institution in its internal regulations.
A need-based scholarship is provided to students who have permanent residence in the Slovak Republic or to students who have been granted asylum, provided with subsidiary protection, or given temporary protection, based on meeting the defined conditions.[9] A student with specific needs may be awarded a need-based scholarship even after exceeding the standard length of study if this extension is due to their disability. Need-based grants were most commonly awarded with the amount of €2,404.[10]
[1] Article 146(2) of the School Act.
[2] Article 146(4) of the School Act.
[3] Article 28(3) of the Asylum Act.
[4] More details about the SHC´s AMIF project Rifugio II can be found (in Slovak) here.
[5] Based on HRL´s experience.
[6] More details can be found here.
[7] Article 56(1) of the Higher Education Act.
[8] Article 56(2) of the Higher Education Act.
[9] Article 96(1) of the Higher Education Act.