Welcome to the National Institute for Education in Slovak Republic.

The National Institute for Education is responsible for providing the leadership, design and development of curricula, provide the methodological and Professional service for schools, initiate and monitor changes via research and innovation, promote innovative practices into the education system. The main mission is to design the school environment to be a place respecting the human rights and principles of democracy, assist in the education process to form pupils‘ cognitive, interpersonal and social skills for their future life and follow-up education.

National Institute for Education – In the Perspective of Time

Our Mission

The mission of the National Institute for Education is to enhance the continuous curricula development based on the results of pedagogical research and the latest scientific knowledge. We work to provide children and young people with opportunities for their personal development so that they have the cognitive, personal and social skills necessary for their future life and also for the lifelong learning.

About National Institute for Education

The National Institute for Education (NIE) is a national budgetary organisation directly managed by the Ministry of Education, Science, Research and Sport of the Slovak Republic. It is the oldest scientific research institution in the field of education in the Slovak Republic which provides applied pedagogical research. NIE is responsible for the provision of professional and advisory support in the area of general education in the Slovak Republic. It focuses on preparation, development and implementation of the national curriculum and provides guidelines for school policy and practice of schools and school facilities. Moreover, it provides assistance and counselling for schools and school facilities, and also for state administration bodies in the field of education.

What we do

Proposals of curricular and didactic concepts of transformation and global school reform (pre-primary, primary, lower and upper secondary education)
Monitoring and analysing current trends in the school systems in the Slovak Republic and abroad
Development of curricula
Research and monitoring in the field of pedagogical innovations
Defining recommendations and implementing the research results into school practice
Providing in-service trainings for teachers – pilot/innovative educational projects
Management, coordination and guidance of primary and secondary schools (especially secondary grammar schools) and educational bodies
Editing and publishing activities
Co-operation with universities, educational and cross-educational institutions
Project management in co-operation with foreign countries
Monitoring and analysing of educational outcomes

History

The National Institute for Education has gone through several stages of development over the last seventy years. It was founded on 1 April 1947 under the regulation approved by the Slovak National Council. From the beginning, NIE participated in the implementation process of the most important education policies and had impact on the theoretical elaboration of the objectives and content of education.

In 1957, the institute was renamed the Educational Research Institute and a year later merged with the Institute for Teacher and School Staff In-Service Trainings, which affected the performance of the institute and increased the level of scientific research and publishing activities. In that time, the staff of the institute also worked as textbook authors, reviewers or editors. Later on, they contributed to the establishment of the Slovak Pedagogical Library. After the democratic changes, the key task for the institute was the transformation of the education system in the Slovak Republic. In 1994, the Educational Research Institute merged with the Methodological Centre into the National Institute for Education. The staff participated in several projects focused on the democratisation and humanisation of the education. The final project was “Millennium – the National Programme of Education and Training for the Next 15 - 20 Years”, developed in 2002. Furthermore, they participated in the development of several key documents. NIE participated in designing the new concept of school-leaving examination (Maturita); assisted in its implementation until the National Institute of Certified Measurements (NÚCEM) was established in 2008. The scientific feature of NIE is presented in issued monographs, articles and studies.

Present

NIE has responded to new challenges and social changes in the EU which prompted reforms in education systems. In 2008 when the school reform in the Slovak Republic started, the institute´s tasks were to reform the content of education, to implement a new concept of teaching foreign languages, to develop a new concept of textbook policy, and to experimentally verify education programmes.

It has also been focusing on national and international measurements of outcomes, on VEGA, KEGA scientific research tasks, ESF projects and other international research tasks. In this context, NIE has been involved in designing the National Education Programme for Primary (ISCED1), Lower Secondary (ISCED2) and Upper Secondary Education (ISCED3) as well as the development of model school education programme. NIE has also developed education programmes for children and young people with health disabilities and general intellectual talent for pre-primary, primary, lower secondary and secondary education. A distinctive and new feature of the school reform is the emphasis on a competence approach in education.

Main tasks

Our main tasks include:

Proceeding of curricular transformation, innovation of education programmes and curricula (curriculum, standards, competence profiles of pupils) for pre-primary, primary and secondary education, including special education and integration
Initiating and conducting pedagogical research on content, methods and forms as well as the whole education process
Consulting and guidance services in the development of school education programmes
Methodical guidance in designing and implementation of optional subjects and cross-curricular themes into schools, including traffic education, environmental education, media education, multicultural education, personal and social development, protection of life and health, developing projects and presentation skills
Coordinating the activities of the Central Subject and Expert Committees within NIE
Professional guidance and experimental verification of innovative and alternative models of education in pre-primary, primary and secondary schools, the evaluation of outcomes and defining innovations
Designing of didactical and methodical materials for teaching practice, also for children and young people with special educational needs - for children and young people with disabilities or from socially disadvantaged environment, and also for gifted children and young people
Implementation of innovative projects funded within grant schemes (Financial Mechanism of the European Economic Area, Norwegian Grants, Erasmus+).
Designing of innovative education programmes and teaching materials focusing on the Romani language and Roma culture; organising international workshops, conferences and study visits abroad
Designing of didactical and methodical materials for specific needs practice - prevention of drug abuse and other addictive substances, prevention of bullying and other social phenomena, education on healthy lifestyles
Performing activities focused on the evaluation of education, the defining of evaluating criteria and instruments
Analysing, reporting, providing information for international organisations and institutions in the field of education
Assessment of education programmes, curricular documents, textbooks and methodical materials for the Ministry of Education and other institutions
Initiating, planning, designing and coordination of various forms of in-service trainings for pedagogical staff, head teachers, state administration personnel in education, teacher trainers
Advisory and consultancy services for schools, educational bodies and other parties
Discourse and publishing activities to promote education policies, new trends in education and transfer of new experience and outcomes into practice
Issuing of periodical and non-periodical publications and methodological materials
Publishing of journals ”Jazyk a literatúra” and ”Pedagogická revue” and bulletins for schools

ESF, EEA Grants and Erasmus+ Projects

“Further education of primary and secondary school teachers in computer science”. The strategic objective of the project was to design, develop and carry out modern in-service trainings for computer science teachers in primary and secondary schools, using digital technologies. The specific objectives of the project were to create and implement accredited training modules for three target groups of IT teachers at primary and secondary schools, as well as to equip participants with the digital technologies necessary for their effective education to be used in the learning process.
“In-service trainings for primary school teachers in the field of foreign languages in compliance with the Conception of Teaching Foreign Languages at Primary and Secondary Schools” approved by Government Resolution No. 767/2009. The objective of the project was to increase the quality of in-service training for teachers and to provide especially primary schools with a sufficient number of qualified foreign language teachers in the transition and long-term period and to contribute to transforming the traditional school into a modern one.
“Development of the professional competencies of teachers in pre-primary, primary and secondary schools in the context of increasing the success of the education reform” (ITMS 26120130079). The main objective of the project was to increase teachers' professional competences through career development activities and to identify the impact on the management of learning processes.
The project “Innovative education for primary school pedagogic employees aimed at increasing their intercultural competence in education of Roma pupils” was a part of the programme SK 04: Local and regional initiative for decreasing inequality among ethnic groups and for social inclusion support. The partner of the programme was the Council of Europe and it was administered by the Government Office of the Slovak Republic. The project was co-financed by the Financial Mechanism of the European Economic Area and the government budget of the Slovak Republic. Its objective was to support the process of intercultural and inclusive education at schools by educating primary school teachers. Education and publications published within the project focused on the Romani language, culture and history of Roma and supported the process of intercultural and inclusive education in schools.
“The Slovak and Czech Regional Academy: Building Inclusive School Environments for All. Diversity – Recognition – Equality”. The aim was to strengthen the competences of education professionals and community actors in the field of human rights education (HRE), education for democratic citizenship (EDC) and to encourage joint actions and partnerships of schools with NGOs and other actors in the field of education. The training programme was dedicated to building a democratic and inclusive culture in primary schools in the Slovak Republic and the Czech Republic. It provided opportunity for school leaders, teachers, etc. to learn practical tools and strategies on how to create more democratic and inclusive environments for all children through EDC and HRE.
Erasmus+ K2 project “Innovation of Romani language didactics for inclusive education of pupils from a disadvantaged environment” – Cooperation in the field of innovation and exchange of best practices, Strategic partnerships in vocational education and training. The project partners are the Nansen Fredssenter/Nansen Centre for Peace and Dialogue, based in Lillehammer, and the Seminar of Romani Studies (Department of Central European Studies, Faculty of Arts) at Charles University, Prague. The aim of the project is to promote and develop education in the Romani language as one of the main tools of applying the inclusive method in primary and secondary schools with pupils from Roma communities. The project reflects the latest trends in inclusive education from abroad, especially from the Czech Republic and Norway.
Erasmus+ K2 project “Teacher training to the inclusion of children of foreigners”, no. 2016-1-1-CZ01-KA202-024034 – Cooperation in the field of innovation and exchange of best practices, Strategic partnerships in vocational education and training. The project is coordinated by the National Institute for Further Education, Czech Republic, project partners are the National Institute for Education, Slovak Republic, Associazione C.E.M.E.A. Napoli, Italy, 1st General Lyceum of Trikala, Greece. The project aims to devise principles of methodological support of teaching staff in the education and inclusion of children / pupils - foreigners attending schools and other educational facilities in the Czech Republic, Slovak Republic, Italy and Greece.

Advisory bodies

To ensure activities of the NIE and assess different issues and solutions, following advisory bodies were established by the director:

Scientific Council
NIE Council
Editorial Board
Central Subject and Expert Committees

Co-operation

The Institute co-operates with:

Pre-primary, primary, secondary and higher education institutions
Institutions under the Ministry of Education, Science, Research and Sport of the Slovak Republic, regulatory bodies and associations active in the field of education and training
International institutions operating in similar field and international organisations dealing mainly with conceptual education issues, pedagogical research, and evaluation of outcomes

In the near future, you will find more information in English language at this web page.
For any question, use the available contacts.