Continuing education of teachers in the context of lifelong learning:

legislative framework and practice - Slovakia

Dr. Peter NemecCatholic University in RužomberokFaculty of Education

Legislation framework

• Concept and laws• Accreditation• Funding of continual education • Qualification eligibility of pedagogical employees• Types of continual education

Practice

• Salary tariffs of pedagogical employees in SR and EU• Accredited programs by Ministry of Education SR • Continual education at the Centre of Lifelong Learning, Faculty of

Education, CU in Ružomberok - 1st and 2nd attestation • Continuing education teachers at other universities • National projects of continuing education of teachers in SR• Pros & Cons

LEGISLATION FRAMEWORK

Definition

Continuing education of teachers (continual education) as a part of lifelong learning is a constant process of acquiring knowledge, skills and competencies with the aim to sustain, renew, improve, expand and deepen professional competences of teaching staff /of pre-primary, primary, secondary schools/ and professional staff needed for the performance of pedagogical and specialized activities.

(Act on Teaching Staff and Professional Staff, 2009)

2007 2008 2009 2010 2011

Concept of Professional Development of Teachers in the Career System

Act on Teaching Staff and Professional Staff

Act on Qualifications and Specific Qualification Requirements for Different Categories of the Teaching Staff and Professional Staff

Act on Continual Education, Credits, and Attestation of Teaching Staff and Professional Staff

Lifelong Learning Act

Act no. 390/2011 that changes and complements Act on Teaching Staff and Professional Staffand some of the laws.

Main aims of the Concept of Professional Development of Teachers in the Career System

1. To define requirements of professional competences of educators through professional standards

2. To create career system including career paths and advancement that allows choice of professional development of teachers

3. To create system of continual education of teachers as a component of lifelong learning

4. To create credit system that will accept education of adults in accredited educational programs or in other creative activities of teachers presenting their results of non-formal and informal learning

5. To create new system of differentiated reward of educators connected with professional standards, career system and credit system

Accreditation

is a state authorization of programs of continual education on the basis of approval of personal guarantors, aims, content, length, forms and method of completion

Providers of continuing education for teachers:• School or school establishment• University• Organizations established by Ministry• Religious organizations • Legal entity (activity education)

Funding of Continual Education

• state budget• budgets of regional and local municipalities• budgets of school founding entities• budgets of employers• participants fees• contributions and donations• other EU funds (ESF)

Types of Continual Education

• Adaptation Education – to gain professional competences, needed for independent role of teacher - relevant for starting teachers

• Specialization Education – aim is to gain professional competences for performance of specialized activities

• School Leadership Education – aim is to gain professional competences for performance of managerial activities

• Actualization Education – aim is to sustain professional competences needed for standard performance of pedagogical activities, or for preparation for attestation

• Innovation Education – aim is to improve professional competences needed for standard performance of pedagogical activities

• Qualification Education - aim is to gain professional competences , needed for teaching another subject or for completion of qualification requirements

PRACTICE

Salary tariffs of pedagogical employees

Credit bonus - salary increase of 6% from work class for each 30 credits (first attestation) gained but to maximum of 60 credits (second attestation).

Latest Act (October 2011) brings improvement to credit system,making it more flexible, as it allows school directors to recognize credits, but it also sets obligation to disclose who and what for gained credits.

From 2012 starting teachers with: • small doctorate receive 1st attestation • PhD. title receive 2nd attestation

Teachers with attestation receive salary raise.

Annual teachers salaries in the MASON countries

Accredited programs by the Ministry of Education SR

(July 2011) • 531 accredited continual education programs by the Ministry• Methodology and Pedagogy Centre - 200 accredited programs

Other providers: • Institutions on national level governed by the ministry• Universities• Primary and secondary schools• Ltd. companies• Inc. companies• Foundations• Non-profit organizations• Religious organizations• Civil organizations

Centre of Lifelong Learning FE CU Continual Education

In 2010 Centre started its activities in the area of continual education by: • Monitoring needs and interest in education• Creation of information site on the faculty website • Establishment of lecturer and guarantor teams• Accreditation of study programs. Currently accredited:

• School management • Innovation in management of schools and school establishments• New trends in didactics of religious education• Current questions of pedagogy and psychology in European education area• Education preparation for 1st attestation• Education preparation for 2nd attestation

• Work on own strategy of continuing education in the scope of legislation

Centre of Lifelong Learning FE CU Continual Education

Attestation

• Education preparation for 1st attestation– Applicant needs to gain 30 credits before starting preparation and 60

credits before applying for 1st attestation– Thesis of 1st attestation should be between 25-25 pages in length for

applicant with Master degree and 22-28 pages for applicant with Bachelor degree

• Education preparation for 2nd attestation– Thesis of 2nd attestation should be between 40-60 pages

Topic of the thesis should be connected with teaching or study subjectContent of the thesis is an objective knowledge connected with current research

Centre of Lifelong Learning FE CU Continual Education of Teachers

2011 Statistics

2011 (completed) 2012 (registered)Function-innovational 17 15

Credit education 66 Time to register during the year

1st attestation 16 1262nd attestation 21

Other universities carrying out attestation of continual education

• Slovak University of Technology• Constantine the Philosopher University in Nitra• Pavol Jozef Safarik University in Kosice + national institution govern by the Ministry of Education• Methodology and Pedagogy Centre

Continual Education Statistics Methodology and Pedagogy Centre

2009

1st qualification exam 949/891

2nd qualification exam 2018/1502

Functional education (240 hours) 4501 >>> will end in 2010

Specialized education 1070

Specialized innovation education / 1st qualification exam 281 / so far 55

2010

Specialized education (before law 317/209 in force) 120

Non-accredited education 9-100 hours 1325

Non-accredited education less then 8 hours 10007

National projects of continual education

Methodology and Pedagogy Centre• Training of Pedagogical Employees of Kindergardens

as a Component of Lifelong Learning Process• Training of Pedagogical Employees for the Inclusion of Marginalised

Roma Communities• Professional and Career Development of Pedagogical Employees

Institute of Information and Prognoses of Education • Modernization of the Process of Education in Primary and Secondar

y Schools

National projects of continual education

State Vocational Education Institute • National Projects of Teachers Education in Connection with Creation o

f School Educational Programs

National Institute for Education • Further Training of Primary and Secondary School Teachers in the Sub

ject Informatics • Training of Primary School Teachers in Foreign Languages in Accordan

ce with the Concept of Foreign Language Teaching in Primary and Secondary Schools

PROS

• Legislative framework• Salary increase according to clear rules• Quality standards• Bringing current up-to-date information to teachers from

attestation thesis

CONS

• Changes of ministers and government• Frequent amendments of laws • Not defined position of teacher• Low social status of teacher and insufficient funding of education• Problems with funding in EU funded national projects• Motivation - teacher enrolls to education because of salary

increase not because of gaining necessary competences