Integrated Primary and Lower Secondary Education

Integrated primary and lower secondary education takes place in primary schools where pupils start their compulsory school attendance.

The primary school provides for the pupil the basic knowledge, skills and competences in language, natural science, social science, art, sports, health, traffic and other areas of knowledge and skills which are necessary for orientation in life and society. Primary schools provide basic education by means of educational programmes for school-age children upon reaching the age of 6 years, ensuring their preparation for the further study and the practice. 

The primary schools include, as a rule, nine grades with a possibility to establish a zero grade. A zero grade class may be founded provided that at least 8 pupils attend the learning process; at least 6 pupils in not fully organised schools. 

The child integrated in zero grade of primary school starts fulfilling the compulsory school attendance. The zero grade is designed for the children who have achieved, as at 1st September, the age of six years, but have not attained the school maturity. Integration of the child into the zero grade is a subject of an informed agreement by the guardian of the child. 

The primary school consists of the first and second stages, in which the education is provided by means of individual educational programmes mutually interlinked: 

• the first stage of primary school is composed of Grades 1- 4, 
• the second stage of primary school is composed of Grades 5 - 9. 

Upon the successful completing of the respective educational programme the pupil may achieve: 

1. primary education (ISCED 1), 
2. lower secondary education (ISCED 2). 

Lower secondary education is obtained by pupil’s successful completion of:

• the last grade of a coherent part of an educational programme in a field of education for the second level of the primary school 
• the first grade of the five year educational programme in a field of education at the secondary school 
• the fourth grade of an eight year educational programme in a field of education at the secondary school; the school certificate with the supplement serves as a proof of the achieved level of education.

In location at where no conditions have been created for establishment of all nine grades of the primary school (at least 150 children), it is possible to establish a primary school with the first grades only (for at least 30 children). Pupils, who complete the last year of an incomplete organized school, continue in the fulfilment of compulsory school attendance in the complete organized primary school which has nine grades. 

The education and training are provided through educational programmes (the State and school ones) in two types of primary school: 

• the so-called complete organised school, which has all grades, 
• the so-called incomplete organised school, which has not all grades. 

In accordance with the Education Act (SK) the bases of art education in individual fields of art are provided by the basic school of arts. The basic school of arts does not provide basic education in general subjects. The basic school of arts does not provide the compulsory schooling. An essential part of pupils attending the basic school of art will apply their acquired skills, habits and knowledge within the framework of their special-interest activities or in individual artistic creation. 

The study in basic school of arts is for many pupils a preparation for their professional career in the field of art. They are prepared for their study in conservatoires, or in various fields of study in secondary schools of artistic specialisation.