PS: School Law Changes Harm Disadvantaged Pupils (2)

Bratislava, 9 January (TASR) - Changes to the School Act have worsened the position of pupils with health or social disadvantages, MP and House Education Committee member Tina Gazovicova and House Social Affairs Committee member Veronika Veslarova stated at a press conference on Friday. The MPs particularly criticised the removal of two support measures, announcing that their party is submitting a draft bill aimed at restoring barrier-free access and dietary catering. "Removing barriers is not only about pupils' comfort, but above all about whether they have the opportunity to choose a school for further education at all. Despite this, the amendment submitted by Education Minister Tomas Drucker (Voice-SD) and adopted in the autumn has thrown obstacles in the way of pupils with health disadvantages. The reason is that two support measures were completely removed from the list, namely the removal of physical barriers and dietary catering," Gazovicova said. She pointed out that the support measures were adopted back in 2023 as part of Recovery Plan reforms. "This year they should have already reached their final form and become entitlement-based," she added. According to Gazovicova, removing a part of them therefore runs counter to the original goal of inclusive education reform. PS MPs are proposing several legislative changes in the amendment to facilitate the admission of children with health disadvantages to mainstream primary schools. One proposal is to allow parents to notify schools of a child's enrolment in advance so that schools can prepare necessary staffing or construction adjustments. "If a school needs, for example, barrier-free construction modifications, more time is needed to apply for funding, prepare a project and carry out the works. All this cannot be done just between enrolment and the start of the school year," she noted. The draft bill also envisages clearer use of increased per-pupil funding that schools receive for pupils with health disadvantages. "Schools today receive increased funding for such pupils, but the state no longer monitors how this money is used, and it does not always go directly towards supporting a specific child," Gazovicova said. The MP also proposed a more active role for regional school administration offices in finding a suitable school for a child. "It is completely unthinkable for parents to have to desperately call schools themselves (...). Regional offices have officials who know which nearby schools have barrier-free access, dietary catering or school nurses," she added. NOTE: This story has been extended to include the final two paragraphs mf