Slovak School Inspectorate Warns 81 Operators Over Deficiencies

Slovakia's State School Inspectorate (ŠŠI) said it sent warnings to 81 school operators during the 2025/2026 school year over serious deficiencies in school management, teaching quality, safety and material conditions, according to reports published on September 22 and September 28.¹²

Scope of the warnings

The inspectorate said it issued 36 warnings to regional public health offices, of which 32 concerned kindergartens, and sent 33 notifications to the Ministry of Education, výskumu, vývoja a mládeže SR. In 20 cases, teaching quality was found to be below 70 percent.¹²

According to the ŠŠI, inspectors most frequently flagged a misalignment between individual schools' educational programmes and the state curriculum, along with weak school management and low teaching expertise. "Školskí inšpektori upozorňovali predovšetkým na nesúlad školských vzdelávacích programov so štátnymi vzdelávacími programami, slabú úroveň riadenia škôl, nízku odbornosť vyučovania," the inspectorate said.¹

Building conditions

Many schools were found to have basic technical and hygiene deficiencies, including damaged walls, leaking spaces and inadequate sanitary facilities, the inspectorate said. "Školskí inšpektori zaznamenali poškodené steny a stropy, zatekajúce priestory, nezabezpečené radiátory, chýbajúce protišmykové podlahy," it said. According to the ŠŠI, some school areas were not fully fenced and sidewalks were damaged.¹²

Enforcement measures

The inspectorate submitted ten proposals for schools to be deleted from the official registry, affecting three primary schools, six private art schools and one counseling and prevention center. "Ešte závažnejšie boli prípady, v ktorých ŠŠI navrhla začatie konania o výmaze oprávnenia poskytovať hlavnú činnosť," the inspectorate said. The chief school inspector also submitted nine proposals for the removal of school directors during the school year.¹²

In six cases, schools removed the identified deficiencies, which eliminated the grounds for funding cuts. "Pozitívnym zistením je, že v šiestich prípadoch školy prijali účinné opatrenia a odstránili nedostatky," the inspectorate said.¹²

Inspectorate's position

The ŠŠI said quality of education could not be assessed by pupil results alone. "Kvalita vzdelávania sa neposudzuje iba podľa výsledkov žiakov," it said, adding that safe and hygienic conditions were a basic precondition for quality education: "Bezpečné a hygienicky vyhovujúce podmienky sú základným predpokladom kvalitného vzdelávania." It said its objective remained that every child have access to quality, safe and dignified education.²