80% of schools sent data on pupils and parents to new registry system

The Education Ministry is gathering information on pupils, parents and teachers for the new Departmental Information System (RIS). So far they have information on more 910,000 people. "It's basically the biggest single data collection about the Slovak population if we discount the two censuses," said Education Minister Juraj Draxler on Wednesday. So far 80 percent of schools under the regional educational system have already provided the necessary data. Schools that haven't done so yet will be contacted by the ministry, and possibly even penalised. Each pupil registered in the RIS system will get an identification number, which will accompany them right through their schooldays. Thanks to the system, parents will be able to view their children's study results or recordings from centres of psychological counselling if their child goes to such facilities. Authorities will be able to monitor children's school attendance. The RIS system was launched in 2009 and has so far cost more than €12 million.