29.11.2007
National Policy - Slovak Republic
Legal System
In Slovakia general legal framework for development of prevention of violence and bullying in school provide: The Constitution of the Slovak Republic, the Charter of Fundamental Rights and Freedoms, the Child Protection Act and the present legislation. In general they promote equality and prohibit all types of discrimination and recognize the rights of citizens and the obligations of the state with regard to education. According to the Child Protection Act every child has the right to an education, which develops the child's mental and physical abilities and forms a healthy personality.
The present school legislation in Slovakia is governed by the principle of equal treatment in education. Discrimination is prohibited (based on any ground such as race, color, sex, language, belief or religion, nationality, ethnic or social origin, health condition or any other status of a citizen).The pupil must not be persecuted, nor otherwise held liable for the fact that he or she makes a complaint, accusation, or a proposal for criminal pursuance against other applicant, a pupil, teacher, or other employee of the school. An applicant or a pupil, who thinks that his or her rights, or interests protected by law, were affected as a consequence of not obeying the principle of equal treatment, can demand a legal protection at court.
Principles and goals of education are based on the equal treatment of all children .Moreover in providing education and directly related activities schools and school facilities are obliged to take into account fundamental physiological needs of children, pupils and students and to create conditions for their healthy development and for preventing the rise of social pathological phenomena.Schools and school facilities have to ensure the safety and protection of health ofchildren, pupils, and students in education and directly related activities and they provide pupils and students necessary information on safety and health protection.
At present, the problems related to bullying are not addressed by special law but the authorities, schools and organizations that deliver education are obliged to create conditions for security and protection of pupil's health. The Ministry of Education of the Slovak Republic recommends in its Pedagogical and Organizational Instructions for Schools and Educational Establishments and School Authorities that proper attention have to be devoted to preventive activities with a view to preventing the occurrence of social pathological phenomena.Pedagogical and Organizational Instructions for Schools and Educational Establishments and School Authorities furthermore specify the following:
- a duty to monitor changes in children's behavior and to solve problems
- principles of active protection of children against social-pathological phenomena
- tasks of teachers-coordinators of prevention of social-pathological phenomena
- orientation of the Centers of Educational and Psychological Prevention to work as preventive establishments in the resort of education, the mission of which is mostly to bring prevention of social-pathological phenomena of children and youth into effect.
According to Act No. 569/2003 Coll. on State Administration in the School System and School Self-government and on amending and supplementing certain other laws provides for educational measures that may be applied in the school system. Section 30 (2) of the Act states: “A pupil who breaks school rules can receive an admonishment or a reprimand from his class teacher, professional training instructor, head of the vocational training centre, or a reprimand from the headmaster, or can be expelled conditionally or unconditionally from school.“
Educational measures shall be approbations or other appreciations on the one handand disciplinary measures, on the other hand. The Board of Management of a school is obliged to draw up a code of behavior for pupils at the school. The code of behavior must be drawn up, with input from teachers, parents and also representative of pupils. This School Rules of Order or Internal Rules of Order ensure implementing regulation types of disciplinary measure.
Methodical recommendation No. 7/2006-R at Prevention and Treatment of Bullying of Pupils in Schools and Educational Establishment was created by The Ministry of Education of the Slovak Republic with the aim to provide officials in charge (at schools) with basic information how to handle the problem of bullying in the school premises. It contains:
- information about essence and roots of phenomenon of bullying
- suggestions for prevention and methods for treatment
- scheme of bodies to cooperate with (parents, institutions of charge)
If there are reasons to believe that a child is exposed to physical or psychological abuse, bullying, and endangerment of its moral development, the school headmaster is obliged to immediately raise the problem with the management of the school. If legal guardians of children fail to respect the measures imposed by the school, the headmaster is obliged to report this fact to the competent social affairs department, to the school physician – pediatrician and to the competent police department.
Consultancy regarding the problems of bullying and their prevention is provided by trained specialists in educational and psychological prevention centers. Schools, pupils, teachers and parents of children receive free counseling service. In Slovakia, there are more than 70 Pedagogic-Psychological Counseling Centers. School legislation applies also to state and non-state, private and church schools and educational establishments. Complaints concerning the process of education, lodged by parents and/or legal guardians, are dealt with by the headmaster of the school and/or educational establishment or by the State School Inspection Service.
Curriculum
In context of bullying the curriculum of primary and secondary school is aimed at enhancing legal and civil awareness and promoting human and children’s rights. As a guidance for the process of instruction (especially subjects’: civics, ethics and religious) was created Short Catalogue of Human Rights with Suggestion for their use in School and methodical publication Human Rights and Life Skills for their Usage.Many schools run their own help lines, established students’ councils and students’ parliaments, and the problems in question are discussed at class meetings and in the framework of ethical (religious) education classes.School management is obliged to focus on the social and learning environment of the school – in order to prevent and reduce bullying it is important to pay attention on social climate of the school and social norms with regards to bullying. This requires the efforts of everyone in the school environment and also the need to intervene consistently and appropriately in case suspected or observed of bullying.
Plans, Strategies and Initiatives
The main goal of planning changes in school system in Slovakia by means of new competence based curriculum is:
- to promote self-esteem and self-confidence of pupils and strengthen young people’s self-responsibility
- to give them clear guidelines for adequate behavior and for solving conflict peacefully
- to enable young people to respect human and cultural diversity and understand the interdependent nature of the world
National awareness rising
There are number of internet resources providing information on school bullying and violence, which help to raise awareness and there is also cooperation with media, which raise the issue of bullying and enhance conflict-resolution strategies to prevent school violence.
Links