Education in Slovenia

Children begin their schooling with the First period. From the first to the fifth grade children stay in one classroom, have one class or form and one teacher. In some schools, sports, art and music are taught by separate teachers or are supervised by an appropriate teacher. In the beginning of the first year a supervisory teacher helps the master teacher lead the younger students into the new system. Students start with reading, writing and counting. Children are taught their native language (Slovenian, Hungarian or Italian, depending on the area of their schooling), mathematics, natural and sociological sciences, music, physical education and art. In the first grade they begin to learn their first foreign language, which is usually English. Until the fourth grade, children receive descriptive marks, and thereafter examinations are marked with number grades.

The Second period of primary schooling begins with the sixth grade when children are assigned to new teachers. A master teacher teaches one or two subjects, all others are taught by other specialized teachers. The main subjects are math, Slovenian (as native language), one foreign language (English, Italian or Hungarian), PE, music, geography, history and art. Later in this period, physics, chemistry, biology, ethics and craft are added to the curriculum. In the seventh, eighth and ninth grade they must choose at least two hours of elective subjects, and may choose a non-compulsory third hour. With around forty to choose from, the subjects offered include foreign languages, astronomy, fine art, philosophy, computer science etc.

The grades are the same as in other countries that belonged to Yugoslavia before 1991. In primary school marks start with 1 (insufficient) and is the only failure mark. The second one is 2 (sufficient), the next is 3 (good), then 4 (very good) and the best is 5 (excellent).