Now, we will start with the second part.
Minister of Education Mr. Felda will present
the education system reform for the next two years.
Please. -Thank you. We will focus on two things.
We are thinking about the education system in ten years
where we have to think long-term.
We formed a group that does this.
They got the relevant information
about what we already know about the system
and now they will see where this can bring us in ten years.
It is clear that things will probably change in a year or so
because a lot of unexpected things can happen.
We saw that in the past when we had Covid and the crisis in Ukraine.
These things affect the society and the education system.
This is why we have to be ready to change things
although this is a ten-year vision.
This is one thing. The other thing is updating the curriculum
for all of common subjects in high schools.
We made an analysis
and the teachers said that there are a lot of goals
that take a lot of time.
A lot of time is spent on new basic knowledge,
but there is no time to strengthen the knowledge and take time
to ask ourselves what something means, how we can comment on it.
Schools don't raise children anymore.
They shouldn't just educate, but also raise them.
This is why they shouldn't only focus on knowledge standards.
We want to have people
that will not only learn something, but will also be able to use it
in their everyday life.
This is our goal. The third thing we will focus on in high schools
is reforming the system as such.
We want to find a solution
that students who finish vocational or technical schools
will be ready to work,
not that they don't know what they should be doing.
They need a lot of time to learn
how to use their knowledge. We will focus on apprenticeship.
It has already been reintroduced.
It will be a gradual process because we have to prepare
employees and schools to adapt to this system.
This is what we have been doing
and we should see the results in two years or a little more.
The other topic is digitalisation. This means
we have to make it possible for teachers and principals
to accept it and know what it means.
It is not only about working with digital devices,
but we have to be aware of the risks as well.
We have to prepare children already in kindergartens to be ready
and tell them where the risks are and what parents have to do
to avoid them. We have to use the digitalisation
to benefit from it,
not to get people addicted
and have problems
because they don't know how to use the devices
and are not aware of the risks they bring.
Thank you. Go ahead, Marko.
Marko Valadžija, N1. I want to ask you to respond to something.
We discovered a case of two primary school students
that have not been going to school. The principal called child services,
the inspection and the police.
They should have returned to school, but they didn't.
The authorities have been informed.
Is the system adequate and can authorities take measures?
The data also show some students stayed home after the pandemic.
This shows a level of distrust in the system. How to approach this?
Actually, I know this case very superficially
and I can't say anything definite. But we received an information
that a lot has happened with a help of institutions.
But we often have troubles communicating
with parents or other agents, because these are delicate things.
We don't want to have a public discussion,
because we can damage the children who are participants in this.
Not through their own fault.
As far as this home schooling is concerned,
it has strengthened a bit after the pandemic.
A lot of people don't understand what is teleworking,
distance learning and home schooling.
In distance learning a school is organizing and preparing everything.
Later, classes continue in school, when possible.
Home schooling is something completely different.
Here, parents assume the responsibility to teach children
who have to show their knowledge, when necessary,
at the end of a school year.
This phenomenon gains impetus
and it also doesn't have the same purpose, as it was meant to be.
Because of it, a part of the reform of the Act on Primary Schools,
is planned to take care of this.
Thank you. Kaja Kobetič, then the minister has to go.
Could you make a timeline of the changes you have mentioned?
You've said some of the changes will take place this and some next year
or even until the year 2026.
About curriculums, you mentioned more practical exercises.
Can you name a few more substantial changes?
Is there a change of evaluation in primary schools on the table?
The changes are multilayered
and I can't comment all of them, because it depends on the subject
and from school to school.
When you do a certain subject at primary school in one way,
you do it in high school in another way.
Practical exercises or practical thinking
or finding solutions is a part of every class and each lesson.
We have to stress the applicability.
Otherwise, we learn by memorization and are not aware of,
what we are capable to do with such knowledge.
We have to make a difference here.
Teachers will gain some knowledge, because we have to empower them
with digitalization, which is running until the year 2026.
As far as curriculum changes in primary schools goes,
we could finish it until the end of the year 2025.
This is a matter of a project, where there is a definite timeline.
As far as a renewal is concerned or a vision until the year 2033,
it should be noted in the beginning of the year 2024,
so we could include some elements of the vision in the new curriculums
and some of them in the changes of the new Act.
I believe, it shall be necessary to change a way of assessment.
This is for certain. What we have now,
it is a unique situation in the world.
We don't differentiate between honour students,
when they enter high schools. Some high schools are very popular,
although there is no reason, why we shouldn't go to other schools,
which are of the same quality. But this is a personal decision.
They have to look at educational achievements
and achievements in individual subjects from 7th grade onward.
Everybody has straight As. There is a problem,
how to accept one person and not the other,
if the grades are the same. Because there is a limit.
Every school has a spatial limit. Even if we can have 100 students
and 115 have the same grades, it's hard to say, who to reject.
This is the biggest issue the schools are reporting about.
And we know that pushing for grades
and evaluating people on this basis only, is not good.
We have to consider other things as well.
We have also subjects like physical education, for example,
which is in national level examinations tested in writing.
I have said everything. We have to think it through
to find a smart and appropriate educational institution,
as school is supposed to be. -Thank you very much. -Thank you.
Now you are invited to press photo session.