Slovak Education Minister Tomáš Drucker Defends ePrihlášky System After Technical Glitches

Education Minister Tomáš Drucker apologized again for technical problems that affected the ePrihlášky portal used for secondary‑school admissions. He rejected opposition calls to revert to the old paper system, insisting that this year’s admission process was fair, with about 80 % of pupils placed at their priority school and more than 10 600 students avoiding an appeal round.

The ministry has ordered a deep audit of the portal, but Drucker maintained that the system did not collapse and that all deadlines and rules were upheld. Opposition parties (KDH, Progressive Slovakia and Hnutie Slovensko) tried to convene a parliamentary session to file a vote of no confidence, but the session could not be opened and was rescheduled.

Critics argue that the centrally‑run automated allocation, based on a pre‑set school order, is costly, untested and limits parental choice. The ministry counters that most technical issues were resolved during the admission period and that more than three‑quarters of parents used the new system.