Education Minister plans increased subsidies for second languages

Education Minister Martina Lubyová (a Slovak National Party/SNS nominee) has stated that she'd like to increase subsidies for the education of second foreign languages at primary schools. She acknowledged, however, that there's not enough time left to make such a move in this election term, as it would require a change in legislation. The education minister added that in the past Elementary schools in Slovakia provided classes of two different foreign languages, but later reduced it to only one foreign language, and in 2011 it became exclusively English. "Now," she stated, "we're returning to the ideal of the Bologna Declaration, which means . . . we want to gradually ensure that schools will teach two foreign languages." As of September, primary school students in the first stage (grades 1-4) can opt to take a different foreign language than English as their primary foreign language. They can choose from among English, German, French, Russian, Italian and Spanish. If they don't select English, it will be obligatory for them in the second stage (grades 5-9).