Page 76 - Šolsko polje, XXXI, 2020, 3-4: Convention on the Rights of the Child: Educational Opportunities and Social Justice, eds. Zdenko Kodelja and Urška Štremfel
P. 76
šolsko polje, letnik xxxi, številka 3–4
reform in Slovenia. ‘The Principles and Bases’ defined the situation of pri-
vate schools in principle with this formulation, ‘The State needs to le-
gally regulate and enable the establishment of private kindergartens and
schools. This obligation arises from international documents, including
the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights which
provides parents the right to choose for their children schools, other than
those established by the public authorities (if they conform to such mini-
mum educational standards as may be laid down or approved by the State
and are not in contradiction with established law).’ (Krek, 1995, p. 16)
A more detailed definition of regulating private education in princi-
ple in the 1995 White Paper can be found within the chapter ‘Design for
governance arrangement of private schools and kindergartens’. The key
definition seems to be the one related to the public and private sector re-
lation, ‘The public and private sector relation should be designed in such a
way that private schools enrich public supply, allow greater choice for par-
ents to contribute to greater adjustability of the system, and complement
the public schools network (and not limit or undermine it). Mechanisms
for monitoring the quality of private schools are necessary, at least where
private schools fill in for public education.’ (Krek, 1995, p. 238) Private
schools are supposed to be designed so as to make public education more
flexible and complement the public school network, where its capacities
are insufficient, but should not lead to the closing down of public schools,
because pupils enrolled at a private one.
Private schools (primary and general upper secondary) design
their curricula by themselves, but the curricula need to be approved by a
council of experts. The council of experts approve the curriculum when
they establish that the curriculum provides ‘equal education standard’
(Organisation and Financing Education Act, Article 17). This demand is
relaxed for the curricula performed by private schools according to special
educational principles, and for which the council of experts need to estab-
lish that ‘they provide minimal knowledge enabling the successful com-
pletion of education and were recognised by an appropriate union of these
schools’. With a proviso that these curricula are assessed during the en-
tire schooling period for the first generation. This relaxation was adopt-
ed in order to enable the establishment of schools with a greater deviation
of their curricula from the public school curriculum, that could not meet
the demands for ‘equal education standard’ but have established them-
selves into the European educational environment with their education
concept.
The existing arrangement designed in the first White Paper and has
not changed in key elements in the 2011 White Paper (Krek and Metljak,
74
reform in Slovenia. ‘The Principles and Bases’ defined the situation of pri-
vate schools in principle with this formulation, ‘The State needs to le-
gally regulate and enable the establishment of private kindergartens and
schools. This obligation arises from international documents, including
the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights which
provides parents the right to choose for their children schools, other than
those established by the public authorities (if they conform to such mini-
mum educational standards as may be laid down or approved by the State
and are not in contradiction with established law).’ (Krek, 1995, p. 16)
A more detailed definition of regulating private education in princi-
ple in the 1995 White Paper can be found within the chapter ‘Design for
governance arrangement of private schools and kindergartens’. The key
definition seems to be the one related to the public and private sector re-
lation, ‘The public and private sector relation should be designed in such a
way that private schools enrich public supply, allow greater choice for par-
ents to contribute to greater adjustability of the system, and complement
the public schools network (and not limit or undermine it). Mechanisms
for monitoring the quality of private schools are necessary, at least where
private schools fill in for public education.’ (Krek, 1995, p. 238) Private
schools are supposed to be designed so as to make public education more
flexible and complement the public school network, where its capacities
are insufficient, but should not lead to the closing down of public schools,
because pupils enrolled at a private one.
Private schools (primary and general upper secondary) design
their curricula by themselves, but the curricula need to be approved by a
council of experts. The council of experts approve the curriculum when
they establish that the curriculum provides ‘equal education standard’
(Organisation and Financing Education Act, Article 17). This demand is
relaxed for the curricula performed by private schools according to special
educational principles, and for which the council of experts need to estab-
lish that ‘they provide minimal knowledge enabling the successful com-
pletion of education and were recognised by an appropriate union of these
schools’. With a proviso that these curricula are assessed during the en-
tire schooling period for the first generation. This relaxation was adopt-
ed in order to enable the establishment of schools with a greater deviation
of their curricula from the public school curriculum, that could not meet
the demands for ‘equal education standard’ but have established them-
selves into the European educational environment with their education
concept.
The existing arrangement designed in the first White Paper and has
not changed in key elements in the 2011 White Paper (Krek and Metljak,
74
