Pre-school programmes are funded from municipality budgets, pre-school fees and other sources. Parents contribute towards programme costs in dependence of their economic situation, the remaining funds come from the municipality where the kindergarten is located.
The programme financial structure is prepared by the kindergarten and approved by the Municipality Council. The municipality that established the kindergarten enters into a funding agreement with the kindergarten. The kindergarten submits a financing request to the municipality every month for the reimbursement of expenses. The municipality meets the outstanding programme costs and provides funds for investments, equipment and maintenance.
The municipality subsidises full programme fees for parents with permanent residence in the catchment area and for parents foreigners with temporary residence in the catchment area if at least one of the parents is a resident of the Republic of Slovenia for taxation purposes. Programme fees cover the cost of education, care and meals.
Fees for parents are determined on the basis of the national scale which ranks parents by pay classes in accordance with the income and wealth of the family. If more than one child from a family attends kindergarten, the fees are waived for the younger children. Funds are provided from the National Budget. In accordance with the Finance balance Act (sl) that was adopted in May 2012, parents are to pay 30% of the determined amount for a second child and nothing for any further children.
Development of activities and activities of national significance are funded from the national budget and they include:
Basic school is financed from the national and the municipality budget, from donations, sponsorships and other sources.
The government provides funds for the provision of the compulsory programme (lessons and classroom housekeeping lessons) and the extracurricular programme (supplementary and remedial lessons, individual and group support to pupils, interest activities, outdoor school away from home in the natural environment, after-school classes and morning care).
Salaries for basic school staff are funded from the national budget. The level of funding for salaries is determined on the basis of job classifications and the number of occupied positions in a school; they must comply with relevant regulations, such as laws, criteria and standards and collective agreements.
The government provides funding for material costs of the programme, namely for teaching aids, trips, and care for children with special needs, and developmental and other supporting activities, such as research, development, information and experimental activities in schools; in-service training for teachers; ICT and other means of instruction; international activities; functioning of school libraries; textbook and literature subsidies; meals subsidies; pupils’ competitions and work with talented pupils; out-of-school activities of pupils; Roma children education; Slovenian language lessons and mother tongue lessons for foreigners in basic schools; research and innovative activities by pupils, transportation of pupils and care for children who need transport due to wildlife threats on their route to school.
Municipalities provide funding for basic schools’ capital investments, pay maintenance costs and material costs for buildings and equipment, for the so-called above-standard programme, and transportation and care for children who need transport. The above-standard programme can also include the presence of the second teacher at all lessons; additional sports classes; a foreign language from year one, and similar. Kindergartens and schools can apply for funding for above-standard programmes at national competitions and by participating in national projects.
The level of funding allocated to a basic school is calculated on the basis of the Rules on norms and standards for the implementation of the basic school programme (sl). The Rules are issued by the Minister of Education upon prior consultations with the Council of Experts for General Education and unions. The criteria and standards cover teaching responsibilities of teaching staff, the criteria for the provision of the counselling service, libraries, administrative, account-keeping and technical services and the classroom and grouping criteria.
Upper secondary education is funded from the national budget; contributions from industrial associations and chambers; direct contributions from employers for the provision of on-the-job lessons; student fees; student fees in private schools; from the proceeds from sales of services and products; from donations, sponsorships and other sources.
The government provides funding for salaries of staff employed in upper secondary schools; for material costs, for buildings and grounds, their maintenance and renovation, and equipment. Funding is regulated by national regulations, such as relevant laws; the methodology to determine the level of funding per student, and the relevant collective agreement.
The government also provides funding for supporting and developmental activities, such as pension and disability insurance for apprentices and students; textbook subsidies; the development of upper secondary education; research, development, information and experimental activity; professional training for teaching staff; development of teaching technology; international cooperation; operation of school libraries; student competitions and work with talented students; research and innovative activity by students, compulsory medical examinations for students who take part in practical field work; student transportation and school meals.
With regard for national regulations, the kindergarten/school council makes decision on its development plans, the annual work plan and/or the introduction of above-standard and other programmes autonomously.
Programme and financial plans are drawn by the head teacher in compliance with relevant laws and regulations. The head teacher is responsible for the kindergarten/school planning, management and leadership. The head teacher must ensure that allocated funds are spent in accordance with detailed purposes and plans. When calculating programme costs, kindergarten head teachers apply the national methodology for determining individual expenses within the programme financial structure. The Minister for Education issues a regulation which determines which expenses may be included in the costing. The programme costing and financial plans based on such premises must then be approved by the municipality council. Head teachers in basic schools must draft school financial plans in accordance with the Minister's regulation regarding the criteria, standards and methodology for determining costing per pupil.
Head teachers make decisions with financial consequences, for example, on the categorisation of jobs, promotions and ranking of staff by pay classes. The criteria for the categorisation of jobs and the rules for promotion are prescribed by law. Head teachers in upper secondary schools where funding is allocated on 'per-head' basis have a little more room in making financial decisions.
Property management is the responsibility of the school founder. The school/kindergarten founder manages buildings and grounds, whereas school bodies play a supporting role. A kindergarten/school starts its own trust from which come finances for the above-standard programme activities that are not funded from public sources. The trust, for example, provides for purchases of above-standard equipment, above-standard lessons and similar. Finances in the trust come from kindergarten fees paid by parents; from donations; inheritances and other sources. They are managed by the trust management committee which includes school and parent representatives.
Potential surpluses in kindergartens and schools may be offset or spent in accordance with decisions made by the body that provides funding. Settlements for damages arising from educational activities are the responsibility of the kindergarten founder; in basic school, this responsibility is shared by the municipality and the government.
Pre-school programmes in kindergartens are payable. The basis for the calculation of fees payable by parents is the costing of the programme in which the child is included.
Programme costing comprise:
Parents are required to pay between 0% to 80% of the full programme price in dependence of their financial situation. Fees for parents are determined by the social work center on the basis of the national scale which ranks parents by pay classes in accordance with the income and wealth of the family. If more than one child from a family attends kindergarten, the fees are reduced for the second child and waived for the younger children.
Rules on reduced kindergarten fees paid by parents apply to public and private kindergartens which hold a concession and to care-providing families. Only parents who are not required to pay income tax in the Republic of Slovenia pay full fees for the programme in which their child is enrolled.
Education for children in public and private schools with a concession is free. Public and private schools with a concession cannot charge pupils and students except for items specified by the relevant law.
According to regulations, the school may charge for the material cost of organising outdoor school (šola v naravi); for contributions towards the cost of meals; fees related to repeated matura exams and other services that are not compulsory or are higher than the prescribed criteria and standards (above-standard programme). Payments on behalf of pupils and students who are unable to pay due to their social situation are made by the government in accordance with uniform rules determined by the Minister of Education.
Private schools receive 85% of finances for implementing the programme from the budget. Private schools may charge school fees but they cannot be higher than 15% of the programme cost.
The family policy in Slovenia was stipulated by the Resolution on the basis for the development of family policy and covers a range of social, managerial, legal, educational, medical and other measures that the government implements to improve the quality of life for families and individual family members. The family policy is based on the values such as safety, freedom, solidarity, welfare and equality. The key cornerstones include two commitments, namely, that the government contributes towards the children maintenance and additionally protects families in some situations and circumstances. The social security scheme which the government provides for families includes financial support from the government, as well as health, retirement and disability insurance. Parental protection and family benefits are specified by the Parental protection and family benefits Act (en).
The law guarantees to all parents who are insured and pay for parental protection the following rights:
Parental leave:
Parental benefits:
Shorter working time for parents up to:
All rights arising from the parental protection insurance can be exercised at the local Centre for Social Services, where decisions are made.
According to the Parental protection and family benefits Act (en), families at risk can apply for the following types of family benefits (in dependence of their socio economic status and wealth):
The Resolution on the national social assistance programme 2013-2020 (sl) include three priorities for the prevention of social exclusion:
Strategies to provide income support for the disadvantaged include:
Residence halls for pupils and students are available to pupils and students who study away from their home. In addition to boarding, residence halls also provide educational services. They provide pupils and students with appropriate living and study conditions.
Boarding for pupils in basic schools is regulated by the Basic School Act (sl). Residence halls are mainly needed for pupils with special needs that are enrolled in adapted basic school programmes. Boarding is fully funded by the government.
Boarding for upper secondary students is regulated by the Rules on residence in halls of residence for secondary school student (sl). Parents or carers pay for boarding costs, whereas the cost of the educational programme provided by the residence hall is funded by the government. For parents with more than one student simultaneously boarding in a dormitory, boarding costs are fully funded from the national budget.
The Personal Income Tax Act (sl) introduced a higher tax-free threshold on income and a decrease in the progressive taxation on active income. An amendment to the Personal Income Tax Act (2008) stipulated higher general taxation relief for those in the lowest income brackets. Taxpayers with school children are not entitled to a special tax relief.
Families and children with special needs are entitled to special financial support from the government. The government provides funding:
When parents wish to provide their child with special needs home-based education, the government provides payment for a teacher in the child's home.
Parents with a severely physically disabled or moderately to severely mentally disabled child are entitled to a longer leave and a special parental benefit for child's care to the child's eighteenth birthday.
Scholarships for students are regulated by the Scholarship Act. In Slovenia, the following types of student benefits to cover the cost of studies are available:
scholarships:
study incentives:
All students who are in receipt of benefits in dependence of the family income are entitled to a scholarship from the government. They must satisfy general conditions, such as: they must be under 18 when they first enrol in an upper secondary school; they must not be employed or registered as unemployed persons, and they must not be in receipt of another scholarship.
A government scholarship cannot be lower than €35 per month; including all benefits, it can be as high as almost €400 per month. Government scholarship benefits for upper secondary school students include:
The Zois Scholarship which is higher than government scholarships is awarded to talented and high performing students.
Students can apply for a scholarship for an accredited educational programme abroad only if no similar educational programme is available in Slovenia or if it is part of an exchange programme. Such scholarships are generally higher than average.
Employers offer scholarships on the basis of their own criteria.
Employers, regional scholarship scheme managers and local communities can apply for funding earmarked for educational initiatives if they satisfy conditions and criteria for government scholarships.
One-off awards for contributions towards sustainable development of the Slovenian society are awarded to students for outstanding achievements, such as top rankings in national and international competitions, research projects, innovative products, works of art, published projects and similar.
Additional benefits in education, with the exception of employer scholarships, are funded from the national budget and paid by Centres for Social Services and the The Public Scholarship, Development, Disability and Maintenance Fund of the Republic of Slovenia. Decisions regarding the granting of government scholarships to candidates are made by the relevant Centre for Social Services. The The Public Scholarship, Development, Disability and Maintenance Fund of the Republic of Slovenia makes decisions regarding the granting of the Zois Scholarship, scholarships for Slovenian living abroad, on incentives for education and awards for contributions towards sustainable development of society. The Centre of the Republic of Slovenia for Mobility and European Educational and Training Programmes (CMEPIUS) makes decisions regarding the awarding of scholarships for citizens of third countries.
Young people under the age of 26 can apply for a range of discounts for travel organised by youth organisations that are subsidised by the government. The aim is to encourage mobility and participation of children and young people in educational, cultural and sports activities. The government also provides discounts for young people to attend cultural and artistic events.
In Slovenia, private education that would be fully funded from private sources does not exist. Private kindergartens and schools are financed or partly financed from public sources. Supervision mechanisms are the same as in public kindergartens and schools. Private school programmes are monitored and evaluated from the first to the last enrolment of the first generation of students.
The Organising and Financing Education Act specifies the following types of private pre-school, basic school and upper secondary school education that are partly financed from public sources:
Private kindergartens are funded by municipalities, that is, they receive 85% of the cost for the public kindergarten programme reduced by the fees that would have been paid for the child enrolled in a public kindergarten. Private basic schools and private gimnazije are partly financed from public sources, also to the amount of 85% of funding provided by the government or a municipality for the conduct of the public programme. The Upper Secondary School Registry does not include any vocational or technical upper secondary schools.
Public funding for private kindergartens and schools does not include funding for investments, maintenance and equipment. Private schools are free to participate in competitions and projects available to public schools for this purpose.
Salaries for teaching staff are determined in accordance with the law and other regulations applicable to public kindergartens and schools. Financing and private kindergarten/school responsibilities are regulated by agreements between the funding body and the relevant institution.
Financial benefits available to families and children, pupils and students who are enrolled in public schools are also available to those enrolled in private kindergartens and schools with accredited programmes. Schools which are fully funded from public sources are not allowed to charge fees.
Private kindergartens can apply for funding from the municipality budget when they meet the following conditions:
Private kindergartens with a concession are included in public kindergarten networks and are financed in the same way as public kindergartens. Private kindergartens which do not have a concession are only partially and to a lesser extent funded by municipalities; consequently, they are normally more expensive for parents. Parents are nevertheless entitled to all government subsidies for the second child enrolled in such kindergartens.
The pre-school education programme can be conducted by a kindergarten or a qualified private pre-school teacher in a child care family. This form of care is provided at the pre-school teacher's home. The pre-school teacher can operate as a sole trader or as an employee of the nearby kindergarten. Private pre-school teachers must be registered in the relevant registry at the Ministry of Education. The Ministry determines the maximum number of children he or she is permitted to educate in dependence of his or her qualifications, the programme and available space. Registration in the registry gives the pre-school teacher the right to apply for public funding. Private pre-school teachers who provide pre-school education in a child care family are entitled to public funding under the same conditions and the same criteria as private kindergartens. Fees paid by parents are also subject to the same criteria that apply to public kindergartens.
Private initiative in education gives parents choice in accordance with their ideological beliefs. It is underpinned by requirements for high quality. If a programme does not meet the required quality standards, the Council of Experts for General Education of the Republic of Slovenia does not confirm its accreditation. As an unrecognised programme, it does not comply with the right of children to high quality education.
Private basic schools are defined as schools that complement the public school system, provide choice for parents with school-age children, provide flexibility in the public school system and complement public schools with insufficient capacity. Opening of a private basic school must not result in a closing down of a public school by redirecting all enrolments into the newly opened private school. Should opening of a private basic school threaten the existence of the only public basic school in an area, the private school would not be entitled to public funding.
Additionally, financing from public funds is subject to the following requirements:
The private basic school programme must take into account national regulations on the following compulsory subjects: Slovenian language - in ethnically mixed areas also Italian and Hungarian, mathematics, foreign language, history, civic education and ethics, sports, at least one natural science subject and one social science subject, as well as no less than one subject of arts. The programme has to be be approved by the Council of Experts for General Education.
In school year 2020/21, six private basic schools (sl) in Slovenia implemented programmes by special pedagogical principles (Steiner, Montessori) or a Catholic programme.
Private gimnazije complement public education. They provide choice in education on the basis of special pedagogical principles or in accordance with religious or philosophical beliefs. Private gimnazije programmes are accredited when the Council of Experts for General Education confirms that educational standards of such a programme equal public school educational standards.
Private gimnazije which provide accredited programmes and meet the conditions relating to space, equipment and teaching staff have the right to register in the Upper Secondary School Registry at the Ministry of Education and to apply for funding to the level of 85% of funds paid to public schools for salaries and material costs.
Private gimnazije provide programme by special pedagogical principles (the Waldorf gimnazija), Catholic programme and the national gimnazija programme (established by private enterprise).