First Day of School
First Day of School
School holidays are almost over and on Monday schools will open the doors for about 264,000 basic and upper secondary school pupils. Before this happens, let us see what the year that is drawing to a close can tell us about the school year 2019/20.
Pupils in basic education
In the school year 2018/19, 186,328 children were enrolled in basic school program with regular and adapted curriculum, 5,000 more than in the previous year. The number of children in basic education has been growing since 2010/11 when the population of pupils was the smallest in independent Slovenia (161,046). Smaller generations born 10–15 years ago are leaving for upper secondary schools and bigger generations of 6-year-olds are entering basic education. The 2018/19 generation of first-graders (almost 22,000) was nearly a quarter larger than the generation of ninth-graders (17,751). We expect this trend will reverse soon due to falling fertility and thus smaller generations of today’s pre-school children.
Going to school for the very first time
In the school year 2018/19, 21,945 children entered first grade of basic school. Children in Slovenia enter basic education at 6 years of age. However, for various reasons lately more and more children have been entering basic education at the age of 7. Five years ago there were 6% 7-year-olds among first graders. In 2018/19 the share was 10%. The majority of these children are born in November or December and are the youngest of their generation. Children with special needs also represent a considerable part of 7-year-old first graders (19.8%).
The average class with 19 pupils
The average class in regular programs had 19 pupils. This number varies depending on the organizational form of schools. In independent and central basic schools there were on average 20.7 pupils per class, and in subsidiary schools only 11 pupils per class. The average number of children per class also varies among statistical regions. The lowest average number of children per class was recorded in basic schools in the Koroška statistical region (16) and the highest in the Osrednjeslovenska statistical region (21.5).
Pupils in upper secondary education
While the number of pupils in basic schools increases the number of upper secondary school pupils continues to fall. In the school year 2018/19, 73,110 pupils were enrolled in the upper secondary education, 5,000 fewer than five years ago. We expect this trend to turn in the coming year since larger generations of 15-year-olds begin to enter upper secondary education.
Among 19,735 first-year pupils 18,920 were new entrants, entering upper secondary education for the first time. Others were either repeaters or had changed their study programme.
General or vocational?
In upper secondary general programmes 35% of all upper secondary school pupils were enrolled, 61% of them girls. 46.2% of all pupils were enrolled in technical programmes (47% of them girls) and 18% of all pupils were enrolled in vocational education (30% of them girls). In the last few years the interest in vocational and technical programmes has increased. Compared to 2010/11 the share of pupils in these programmes has increased by 5 percentage points and decreased by just as much in general programmes.
Men tend to choose technical and vocational programmes more often than women. Three out of four (74%) male pupils are enrolled in these programmes, mostly in the technical fields (39% of all male pupils) and computing (11%). On the other hand, 56% of female pupils are enrolled in technical and vocational programmes, mostly in the fields of personal services (13% of all female pupils), health (12%) and business and administration (10%).
My family name is »Šola«
Schools are among the most important institutions in individual towns, so it is not surprising that the most common street name in Slovenia (52 streets in 2018) is Šolska ulica (School Street). In addition, one can find six streets named Šolska pot (School Path) and six streets named Šolska cesta (School Road). There are also three streets named Dijaška ulica (Pupils’ Street).
There are also some personal names connected with school. Ten people in Slovenia have the family name Šola (school), 510 Šolar (school child) and 108 Dijak (pupil).
On average 70 cents for a pencil
School supplies can be a big burden for family budgets. Individual textbooks and workbooks can cost around EUR 20. For example, a year ago the Slovene language textbook for fourth grade cost on average EUR 17.40. To purchase an ordinary pencil one had to spend on average EUR 0.70 and for a 50-sheet A4 notebook EUR 1.83.
In the school year 2018/19, 186,328 children were enrolled in basic school program with regular and adapted curriculum, 5,000 more than in the previous year. The number of children in basic education has been growing since 2010/11 when the population of pupils was the smallest in independent Slovenia (161,046). Smaller generations born 10–15 years ago are leaving for upper secondary schools and bigger generations of 6-year-olds are entering basic education. The 2018/19 generation of first-graders (almost 22,000) was nearly a quarter larger than the generation of ninth-graders (17,751). We expect this trend will reverse soon due to falling fertility and thus smaller generations of today’s pre-school children.
Going to school for the very first time
In the school year 2018/19, 21,945 children entered first grade of basic school. Children in Slovenia enter basic education at 6 years of age. However, for various reasons lately more and more children have been entering basic education at the age of 7. Five years ago there were 6% 7-year-olds among first graders. In 2018/19 the share was 10%. The majority of these children are born in November or December and are the youngest of their generation. Children with special needs also represent a considerable part of 7-year-old first graders (19.8%).
The average class in regular programs had 19 pupils. This number varies depending on the organizational form of schools. In independent and central basic schools there were on average 20.7 pupils per class, and in subsidiary schools only 11 pupils per class. The average number of children per class also varies among statistical regions. The lowest average number of children per class was recorded in basic schools in the Koroška statistical region (16) and the highest in the Osrednjeslovenska statistical region (21.5).
Pupils in upper secondary education
While the number of pupils in basic schools increases the number of upper secondary school pupils continues to fall. In the school year 2018/19, 73,110 pupils were enrolled in the upper secondary education, 5,000 fewer than five years ago. We expect this trend to turn in the coming year since larger generations of 15-year-olds begin to enter upper secondary education.
Among 19,735 first-year pupils 18,920 were new entrants, entering upper secondary education for the first time. Others were either repeaters or had changed their study programme.
General or vocational?
In upper secondary general programmes 35% of all upper secondary school pupils were enrolled, 61% of them girls. 46.2% of all pupils were enrolled in technical programmes (47% of them girls) and 18% of all pupils were enrolled in vocational education (30% of them girls). In the last few years the interest in vocational and technical programmes has increased. Compared to 2010/11 the share of pupils in these programmes has increased by 5 percentage points and decreased by just as much in general programmes.
Men tend to choose technical and vocational programmes more often than women. Three out of four (74%) male pupils are enrolled in these programmes, mostly in the technical fields (39% of all male pupils) and computing (11%). On the other hand, 56% of female pupils are enrolled in technical and vocational programmes, mostly in the fields of personal services (13% of all female pupils), health (12%) and business and administration (10%).
Schools are among the most important institutions in individual towns, so it is not surprising that the most common street name in Slovenia (52 streets in 2018) is Šolska ulica (School Street). In addition, one can find six streets named Šolska pot (School Path) and six streets named Šolska cesta (School Road). There are also three streets named Dijaška ulica (Pupils’ Street).
There are also some personal names connected with school. Ten people in Slovenia have the family name Šola (school), 510 Šolar (school child) and 108 Dijak (pupil).
On average 70 cents for a pencil
School supplies can be a big burden for family budgets. Individual textbooks and workbooks can cost around EUR 20. For example, a year ago the Slovene language textbook for fourth grade cost on average EUR 17.40. To purchase an ordinary pencil one had to spend on average EUR 0.70 and for a 50-sheet A4 notebook EUR 1.83.
When making use of the data and information of the Statistical Office of the Republic of Slovenia, always add: "Source: SURS". More: Copyright.
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