Education reforms and budget concerns emerge in Slovakia and Czechia

In Slovakia, the Ministry of Education has proposed new powers for school principals to ensure student safety. Under the proposal, if there is serious suspicion of a threat to life or health, principals would be authorized to inspect students' personal belongings, such as backpacks, clothing pockets, or school lockers, and seize dangerous items. This measure follows incidents involving students bringing weapons or airsoft guns to school. The proposal requires a written record of each search and notification of parents for minors. While the Association of Primary Schools of Slovakia supports the move to create a safer environment, experts have raised concerns regarding the criteria for assessing such situations.

In the Czech Republic, the Teachers' Platform Kaderka has criticized the government's proposed education budget for 2027. The proposed budget of 287.9 billion CZK is significantly lower than the 334 billion CZK required to meet OECD spending targets. Critics argue that the share of education spending relative to GDP is expected to decline from 3.52% to 3.38%. Furthermore, the budget may hinder the government's goal of raising average teacher salaries to 75,000 CZK by 2029, as projected increases of 3-4% fall short of the levels needed to reach that target.