A Comparative Analysis of Secondary School Teaching Conditions and the Implementation of School Curricula mainly in terms of Teaching Science at an Icelandic and a Slovak Secondary School
Introduction
The main aim of this paper is to analyse ways how Science as a school subject is taught at Menntaskólinn í Reykjavík, an Icelandic secondary school, and Spojena skola Novohradska, a Slovak school that offers both primary as well as secondary level education. This analysis is the outcome of the “Science at School in Iceland and Slovakia” project that enabled mutual exchange of experience and strengthening bilateral cooperation in the European Economic Area. This project was funded by the Fund for Bilateral Relations that provides financial support to institutions in the Slovak Republic and the Donor states (Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway).
In order to implement green innovations into the area of industry and everyday life, society needs to have top scientists with high-quality education to design such innovations. “Science at School in Iceland and Slovakia” provided an opportunity to establish a partnership between an Icelandic school and Slovak school and to create a platform for future cooperation on an international level. A group of Science teachers of Spojena skola Novohradska visited their Icelandic counterparts at their school and participated in discussions and networking events to learn, exchange know-how, and understand the intricacies of teaching Science in their counterparts’ respective environments. The teachers of both schools presented their national curricula for Science, i.e. Biology, Chemistry, and Physics. The teachers of Menntaskólinn í Reykjavík shared particular approaches and knowledge on how to conduct particular chemical experiments in class at an upper secondary school in Iceland as well as provided supervised access to a school science laboratories.
Such cooperation between teachers is needed in order to implement the newest teaching approaches regarding sciences. It even creates a platform that may provide opportunities for future cooperation between Icelandic and Slovak students via teacher- and student-designed projects in order for students to share their experience, learn about remote scientific collaboration, and find new friends – all crucial aspects of students’ future university studies and career in sciences.
Secondary Education System
Iceland
The education system in Iceland is divided into four levels: pre-school, compulsory, upper secondary and higher education (universities) covering all eight levels of the International Standard Classification of Education (ISCED). The system is mainly publicly funded; there are very few private schools. The central government, specifically the Ministry of Education, Science, and Culture, and the Icelandic parliament take legal and political responsibility for all levels of the education system. They are also responsible for establishing its administrative framework and principal goals.
The Ministry prepares educational policies, including national curricula at all school levels and ensures their implementation. It also takes the initiative in the development of educational innovations, including distance learning and the publication of educational material. Local authorities are responsible for the operation of pre-schools and the single structure compulsory school level (primary and secondary schools) in their area.
The provisions regarding the National Curriculum Guide for Upper Secondary Schools and school working guides are found in the Upper Secondary School Act nr. 92/2008. A curriculum and work plan are prepared for each school based on the national curriculum. It is stipulated by law that individual schools are to write their own school working guides which, among other things, are to specify what areas individual schools have chosen to emphasize, define the education they offer, and their teaching and administrative methods. Movever, the school curriculum describes available study programmes, the length and content of courses, division according to subject matter, and learning assessments. The school board of the school in question must approve the curriculum for it to take effect, and the board monitors its implementation. Even though the schools working guides may vary, they have to offer courses on various levels of strength and skills. Under the National Curriculum Guide, the matriculation examination, one of the paths toward concluding the upper secondary school level, must include courses with various levels of strength to ensure deeper knowledge and skills.
[https://eurydice.eacea.ec.europa.eu/national-education-systems/iceland/overview ]
Slovakia
The education system in Slovakia is divided into four levels as well: pre-primary education, primary and lower secondary education, upper secondary education, and higher and adult education, covering all eight levels of the ISCED as well. Public schools provide primary and secondary education free of charge. Higher education is free for full-time students as well if they do not exceed the standard length of study. Private and church schools may charge for education provided.
The Slovak language is the language of instruction at most schools, however, schools with teaching languages of minorities or ethnic groups are founded as well. In addition to the state language, education takes place also in Hungarian, Ukrainian, Bulgarian, Ruthenian, and German language.
Education in early childhood, primary, lower secondary, and upper secondary education (ISCED 0-3) takes place in compliance with state educational programmes, which define the compulsory content. State educational programmes are published by the central public administration authority for education – the Ministry of Education, Science, Research, and Sport of the Slovak Republic. It is responsible for the development of the content, goals, and methods of education. Local self-governance is within the competence of municipalities, which provide most of pre-primary, primary and lower secondary education in Slovakia. Regional governance is within the competence of higher territorial units, which provide most of upper secondary education. Municipalities and higher territorial units organise and fund the cooperation with founders in their territorial competence, provide methodological and counselling services, monitor compliance with generally binding legal regulations, and provide space and material to schools they founded.
[https://eurydice.eacea.ec.europa.eu/national-education-systems/slovakia/overview ]
Overview of Analysed Schools
Menntaskólinn í Reykjavík
Menntaskólinn í Reykjavík is a secondary school that offers a 3 year track, attended by age-groups 16-19. There are approx. 700 students every year with almost 100 teachers. The school is known to be one of if not the most academic school in the country. It is known for its traditional and classic education and has always made every effort to prepare students for university studies. It offers two separate “paths” which students choose when enrolling in the school. These are a natural science path and a language path. The natural science path divides into a biology department and a physics department in the second year, while the language path divides into a modern language department and a classical language department. Menntaskólinn í Reykjavík is the only school in Iceland which teaches mandatory Latin in some form and the only one which teaches Ancient Greek. It is the oldest junior college in Iceland. It has been in its current location since 1846.
[https://mr.is/about-menntaskolinn-reykjavik/ ]
Spojená škola Novohradská
Spojená škola Novohradská is an educational institution consisting of Gymnázium Jura Hronca, a secondary school, and Základná škola Košická, a primary school (both schools sharing the same building). Overall, there are approx. 1250 students who attend the school (approx. 600 primary school students and 650 secondary school students) with 130 teachers. Gymnázium Jura Hronca provides general upper secondary education, preparing students for university studies. It has four different study programmes – a 4-year and 8-year study programme with the focus on Computer Science, a 5-year bilingual English study programme, and a Diploma International Baccalaureate study programme (DIB). Spojená škola Novohradská, though under a different name, opened its gates in 1959.
[https://gjh.sk/absolventi-a-zaujimavosti/historia-skoly]
Age Span of Students
Menntaskólinn í Reykjavík
The age span of students at Menntaskólinn í Reykjavík is between 15 to 19 years. These students attend a three-year programme. In the past, the programme comprised four years.
Older students, under supervision of the career and guidance counselors, act as peer tutors for younger students and organize classes to assist those students who need help in specific subjects.
[https://mr.is/about-menntaskolinn-reykjavik/]
Spojená škola Novohradská
The age span of students at Spojená škola Novohradská is between 7 to 20 years as it consists of two educational units – Základná škola Košická and Gymnázium Jura Hronca. The age span of students that attend Základná škola Košická, where primary and lower secondary levels of education are provided, is between 7 and 15 years. The upper secondary education, provided at Gymnázium Jura Hronca, is for students between 12 and 20 years. To be more specific, a four-year programme is for students between the ages of 15 and 20, a five-year programme is for students between the ages of 14 and 20, and an eight-year programme is for students between the ages of 12 and 20. The majority of students graduate at the age of 19, yet some students were born between 1 September and 31 December, so they enrolled older.
Similarly to Menntaskólinn í Reykjavík, Spojená škola Novohradská has created a platform called “GJH Tutoring”, where older students tutor younger students on a voluntary basis.
Assessment
Menntaskólinn í Reykjavík
The school year is divided into two 14.5 week terms of teaching, followed by 3-6 weeks of examinations. There are two exam-grades (Mid-term and Term exam) plus the teacher’s grade (Term mark) covering the students’ class work throughout the school year. The average of these three grades is the final yearly grade in a respective subject. The lowest final passing exam grade is 4 and the weighted average of the averages must be 5.00 or higher. Menntaskólinn í Reykjavík operates on a year-based system, not semester, thus students must complete a full year in a course to receive a final, transferable grade and pass to the next year.
Menntaskólinn í Reykjavík Student Matriculation certificates have two columns. The first column is the Term mark given by the teacher based on the student’s work in class through the last year, the second column is the Term exam mark given by the teacher and the external examiner jointly. The final exams in each subject are comprehensive and cover 1, 2 or 3 years of material depending on the subjects. The finals are 2-3-hour written examination, plus oral in the languages and math.
The average of each column is the final grade in the respective subjects and the weighted average of all averages is the final GPA. Students matriculate either from Ancient Languages I or II, Modern Languages I or II, Physics Line I or II or Natural Sciences Line I or II.
Grade Point Average (GPA) Calculation
Grades 9.00-10.00 are Prae Ceteris or Excellent
Grades 7.25 –8.99 are a First Grade
Grades 6.00 –7.24 are Second Grade
Grades 5.00 –5.99 are Third Grade
Grade below 5.00 is a Fail Grade
To matriculate a student may have a grade under 4.0 in two subjects. A student with a grade under 4 in three subjects may retake one exam and can matriculate if he obtains 4.0 or higher and has an overall GPA of 5.0. Grades are recorded on the transcript, GPA is computed in May. The average of each line is the final grade in a respective subject and the weighted average of all averages is the final GPA for the year. A directive from the Ministry of Education requires a minimum of 200 credits for graduation,but in Menntaskólinn í Reykjavík the students graduate with between 209 and 216 credits.
No national statistics on the outcome of the matriculation exam exist. A quick survey of the outcome in this school during the last ten years reveals that 3-6% of the graduating class obtain final marks in the highest category, about 40% First, about 20-35% a Second and 10-15%a Third. This is a very rough estimate but can be used as a guideline.
The “Stúdentspróf” (Certificate of Matriculation) qualifies students for entrance to the Universities of Iceland, but they must also fulfill the requirements of the divisions, some such as nursing and medicine have limited placement and numerus clausus and require students to take exams.
[https://mr.is/about-menntaskolinn-reykjavik/]
As stated by the teachers interviewed, their students are examined by taking written tests, and their performance in laboratory classes is reflected in their final mark, too.
Spojená škola Novohradská
In Slovakia the school year consists of approx. 33 weeks. It is divided into two equal terms; one term ends in January, the other in June. A student’s performance is evaluated regularly by using marks throughout individual terms. At the end of each term they are given class reports with performance assessments regarding each school subject.
When measuring academic achievement in Slovakia, there are two scales traditionally used – a 5-point scale (1 being the highest, 4 being the lowest passing mark, and 5 being the lowest mark overall indicating a student has not passed) for the majority of subjects and a passed/not passed scale for a specific number of school subjects (e.g. Applied Experiments). The 5-point scale
100 – 90% – 1 – excellent
89 – 75% – 2 – praiseworthy
74 – 50% – 3 – good
49 – 25% – 4 – sufficient
24 – 0% – 5 – failure
The student needs to have a 4 as the lowest mark in order to pass to another year; otherwise they are examined by a committee consisting of two teachers teaching that particular subject and a representative of the school management either at the beginning of July or at the end of August. If a student does not pass this examination, they fail and are not allowed to pass and have to repeat the whole year.
In the International Baccalaureate® (IB) Middle Years Programme (MYP), in terms of Applied Experiments Seminar there are two criteria of assessment – Criterion B – design and experimental methods, and Criterion C – the analysis of results and evaluation of methods and given results. The final mark on a class report is then given as the result of a student’s performance in both theoretical subject (Chemistry or Biology or Physics) and practical subject (Applied Experiments Seminar), with 7 being the highest mark and 1 being the lowest.
In the bilingual programme Applied Experiments Seminar students are not given any mark, they only get “Passed”.
As far as the teaching process is concerned, the teacher that teaches Theory to a particular class of students teaches the same class Applied Experiments as well. The Science teachers meet regularly at their staff meeting to share experience, share and update their worksheets, and plan together the chemical equipment use to reflect the needs of the curricula.
Students are examined either orally (usually one individual per lesson) or by taking a written test.
Time Allocation
Menntaskólinn í Reykjavík
At Menntaskólinn í Reykjavík as far as Biology goes, there are three theoretical classes per week per year with one class of lab experiments. In the final (third) year Biology is taught every other week, with 20 to 25 laboratory sessions all together that particular year. Chemistry and Physics are taught twice per week with only cca 10 laboratory sessions per year, yet it is taught only two years.
Spojená škola Novohradská
At Spojená škola Novohradská there are two theoretical classes of Chemistry, two theoretical classes of Physics as well as Biology per week the first three years of students’ studies. The first two years students attend Applied Experiments Seminars concentrated on Biology, Chemistry, and Physics, each week a different one. In the third and fourth year of their studies students may select to attend such a seminar, as they choose two seminars of their own choice in the third and four seminars in their final year. Each such seminar is a 90-minute lesson taking place once per week.
Textbooks
Menntaskólinn í Reykjavík
The main textbooks used in Science classes are by American publishers, even though the language of the teaching process is Icelandic. Some textbooks have been translated, but according to the teachers of Menntaskólinn í Reykjavík the quality is not the best. Despite this fact, other schools in Iceland tend to use the translated versions. The reason for this issue is that apparently the Icelandic market is not big enough in terms of the demand to call for publishers to do their best to provide more than adequate learning material. However, some foreign publishers recognise special circumstances of the Icelandic market, so some of their textbooks that are written in English are somewhat edited to reflect the Icelandic needs.
The main textbook for Biology that is employed at Menntaskólinn í Reykjavík is Inquiry into Life by S. Mader and M. Windelspecht, published by McGraw Hill (ISBN-13: 978-1260231700). For Chemistry they employ Chemistry: The Central Science by T. Brown, H. E. LeMay, B. Bursten, and C. Murphy, published by Pearson (ISBN-13: 978-1292021522). Teachers regularly prepare worksheets for their students in Icelandic.
Spojená škola Novohradská
At Spojená škola Novohradská it is important to differentiate between the national programme, where they employ textbooks written in the Slovak language, and the international programme, where they employ textbooks written in the English language. For the national programme, in terms of Biology, there are two textbooks used per a school year, six in total – Biológia pre gymnáziá 1 – 6 by K. Ušáková et al., published by Slovenské pedagogické nakladateľstvo – Mladé letá. For Chemistry they employ Chémia pre 1. ročník gymnázia so štvorročným štúdiom a 5. ročník gymnázia s osemročným štúdiom (ISBN – 9788080915605) for the first year of studies, Chémia pre 2. ročník gymnázia so štvorročným štúdiom a 6. ročník gymnázia s osemročným štúdiom (ISBN – 9788080915858) for the second year of studies, and Chémia pre 3. ročník gymnázia so štvorročným štúdiom a 7. ročník gymnázia s osemročným štúdiom (ISBN – 9788081150425) for the final year of studies, all written by Jarmila Kmeťová et al., published by Expol Pedagogika.
The international programme employs a variety of textbooks. The main ones for Biology are Biology Study Guide 2014 Edition: Oxford IB Diploma Programme (ISBN-13: 978-0198392118) by A. Allot, published by Oxford University Press; and IB Biology Course Book (ISBN-13: 978-0321536167) by N. Campbell and J. Reece, published by Pearson. The main ones for Chemistry are Chemistry for the IB Diploma Coursebook (ISBN: 9781107622708) by S. Owen, P. Hoeben, and M. Headlee, published by Cambridge University Press; Complete Chemistry for Cambridge IGCSERG Student Book (ISBN-13: 978-0198399148) by R. Gallagher and P. Ingram, published by Oxford University Press; and Chemistry for the IB MYP 4 & 5 (ISBN – 9781471841774) by A. Termaat and C. Talbot, published by Hodder Education.
Teachers
Menntaskólinn í Reykjavík
There are three Biology teachers, three Chemistry teachers, and three Physics teachers. Once a week teachers of one particular subject have a staff meeting that is officially allocated and is part of their timetable. They either discuss and plan what needs to be done or meet with the school management and discuss departmental issues.
One teacher’s timetable consists of approx. 24 lessons per week, each lasting 40 minutes. Parallel classes (classes where teachers teach the same curriculum that week) and classes with smaller numbers of students are in terms of wages paid less by their employer.
Spojená škola Novohradská
There are six Biology teachers, six Chemistry teachers, and six Physics teachers. There is no officially allocated time for a staff meeting during the timetable. Teachers discuss any matters either during their breaks or decide to have a meeting after they finish teaching.
One teacher teaches approx. 22 lessons per week, each lasting 45 minutes. All classes are paid the same in comparison to their Iceland counterparts.
School Curricula and Teaching Process
The science curriculum in Icelandic secondary schools is designed to develop critical thinking and problem-solving skills. It emphasizes a holistic understanding of scientific principles through the integration of theoretical knowledge and practical experiments. This approach not only encourages students to grasp scientific concepts but also applies them in real-world scenarios.
Moreover, technology integration is a notable feature of the Icelandic science curriculum. Students have access to modern tools and resources, promoting digital literacy and preparing them for the technological demands of the scientific field. The curriculum’s focus on application rather than rote memorization enhances students’ ability to apply scientific knowledge beyond the classroom.
The Slovak science curriculum shares similarities with Iceland’s focus on developing analytical skills and a comprehensive understanding of scientific principles. Slovak secondary schools, like their Icelandic counterparts, aim to create supportive learning environments. However, they may face challenges such as larger class sizes and limited resources, which may impact the extent to which practical experiments can be conducted. Slovak teachers often compensate for these challenges by emphasizing theoretical knowledge, employing innovative teaching strategies, and integrating real-world applications to enhance relevance. Despite these constraints, Slovak teachers demonstrate dedication and creativity in adapting their teaching methods to ensure effective science education.
Menntaskólinn í Reykjavík
The school curricula are prepared by teachers in individual departments. The curriculum is not assigned by the government or the MInistry of Education as it is in Slovakia. What is taught and at what level is decided by what universities expect secondary school students to know. During the school year teachers actively communicate and update the plan as far as the curriculum goes, depending on the issues that might arise.
In terms of laboratory experiments, Science teachers use the “flipped classroom” method. It helps prioritize active learning during class time by assigning students lecture materials and presentations to be viewed at home or outside of class. Experiments are conducted in an 80-minute block (two lessons). There is always only one half of the entire class (approx. 12 to 14 students). The most common software used for measuring is Vernier, which means students are taught how to analyse the measured data using the most modern technologies.
In comparison to Spojená škola Novohradská, Icelandic students dissect various animal organs (from a pig, a cod-fish, a sheep). These organs are purchased at the beginning of every school year.
Spojená škola Novohradská
The school curricula are an extension of the state curricula that give the basic framework concerning the knowledge, skills and competences a graduate of a secondary school should acquire. It is therefore a two-level model. Slovak schools are expected to implement the state curricula into the teaching process with a limited leeway in what they want to focus on (e.g. mathematics, computer science, humanities, foreign languages, sciences, etc.). To be specific, there are cca 7.5 lessons per week per school year that every Slovak secondary school is allowed to use as they see fit with 23.5 lessons per week that are mandatory in terms of state curricula. In total, there are 31 lessons per week that students should attend.
Similarly to Icelandic teachers, Slovak teachers use the “flipped classroom” method, too. However, it is employed mainly for the theoretical part of the studies.
The laboratory experiments are always done with a third of the whole class, meaning that three groups of students have Applied Experiments Seminar simultaneously – one is Biology-oriented, one is Chemistry-oriented, and one is Physics-oriented. Another similarity with their Icelandic counterparts is that they employ Vernier software to analyse the gathered data, with Sparkvue software employed in Chemistry classes as well. Unlike Menntaskólinn í Reykjavík, no dissections are conducted in Biology Applied Experiments Seminar due to a lack of proper cooling storage equipment needed to do such experiments.
[https://www.minedu.sk/data/files/6987_uciace_sa_slovensko.pdf]
School Environment
Menntaskólinn í Reykjavík
Menntaskólinn í Reykjavík is located in seven buildings. The first one is a historic landmark – all Icelandic presidents have attended this school. The school is in the city centre. Due to the high number of tourists the school closes between 3.30 pm and 4.30 pm; yet if students feel the need to continue their studying, they may do so in the school library located across the street. All school laboratories are located in one building.
The school’s Physics laboratory, in comparison to Spojená škola Novohradská, is not so well equipped in terms of various tools and experiment equipment. On each student desk there is a desktop computer, so students are used to using for the most part electronic materials. There are different experiment sets already prepared for students. Students do not do the same experiment at the same time; they rotate in small groups around the classroom, each group doing a different form of an experiment. That approach is very similar to an approach employed in Slovakia at the university level.
The Biology laboratory is very modern, spacious, and extremely well equipped. There are high-quality microscopes prepared for students in the back of the classroom, ready to use. There is a microcentrifuge, spectrophotometer, micropipettes, a telescope, a fridge and a big freezer. They have a lot of taxidermied animals in mint condition that are used to teach students about the local fauna. There are even bookcases with textbooks that students can borrow for their studying. It is evident that the whole space is employed to support knowledge acquisition by first-hand and hands-on learning.
The Chemistry laboratory is divided into two main sections – one section with workstations with gas burners, water taps, and sinks, and one section with desks with computers for data analysis. A separate room for storing chemicals is locked, and only the teacher is allowed to go there. What surprised Slovak teachers during their visit was that Icelandic Chemistry teachers have in the storage room even a deionized water preparation device.
Spojená škola Novohradská
The school resides in one building, and has been doing so since its foundation in 1959. It has an adjacent school yard that underwent reconstruction in 2017. One side of the building is occupied by the secondary school programmes, the other side by the primary school programme. Both sides are symmetrical to each other and mirror the location of individual departments.
The school is very close to the city centre of Bratislava. Its location is very convenient for students that live outside the city in various suburbs or commute from more distant towns and villages as it is located right next to the main bus station. The building closes at 6.30 pm. If students need to do their homework or attend various extracurricular activities, such as a debating club, book club, or a sports course organised by the school, they are allowed to stay till the building closes.
There are two Physics laboratories. The one used by secondary school students is better equipped in comparison with the one intended for primary school students due to the nature and topics of the secondary school Physics curriculum. The former is basically one room with workstations, yet not enough space for free movement of students between them. The way they are designed hinders students’ free movement when they want to go to a different workstation. Yet it does not pose such a big issue since when doing experiments, all students do the same one, and do not have to leave it that often. The biggest drawback is for the teacher, as they are the ones that should walk around and monitor students’ work. This original design, since the laboratory has not changed for 64 years, reflected the frontal teaching requirements. During the discussions between Icelandic and Slovak Physics teachers it became evident that both schools use Vernier software when collecting data and that the Physics laboratory at Spojena skola Novohradska has more hands-on equipment and aids to demonstrate the various inner workings and laws of physics for students.
Despite the fact that the original design had two Biology laboratories at the school, at the moment both are used by and large as traditional classrooms. The Biology laboratory in the secondary school’s wing has cabinets where they store microscopes and other vital equipment for experiments. Unfortunately, it is clearly not the best solution as students do not have workstations and desks, where they write their notes, in two separate areas, but rather they use their traditional desks for everything. There is one area in the back of the classroom that can be employed as a workstation. That is where various plants are stored as well. All Biology teachers agree that this laboratory is in desperate need for reconstruction. This need is temporarily balanced by modern technology – modern microscopes with LCD panels, tablets, and various measuring devices.
Both Chemistry laboratories at Spojena skola Novohradska were first renovated in 2010. The laboratory in the secondary school’s wing was renovated in 2023. Thanks to Norway Grants the laboratory was reconstructed and modern equipment required for secondary school chemical projects was purchased (e.g. multimeasurement devices, spectrophotometer, heated magnetic mixers, etc.). Unfortunately, this aforementioned laboratory is the smallest one when compared to other laboratories at school, which provides a palpable discomfort. There is a separate room for storing chemicals as well. It is located next to the Chemistry teachers’ office and one needs to go there through the said office. That makes it very inconvenient, and poses a clear health and accident risk. Furthermore, it is not big enough and teachers do not have sufficient space to prepare the chemical substances for the students’ experiments there.
Issues
An interesting fact is that even though both schools are located very far away from each other, they face similar if not identical problems, namely a lack of financial resources, low societal status of teachers, and insufficient students’ knowledge of certain topics that were supposed to be covered at their primary schools but for whatever reason were not. At primary schools, teachers may be asked to teach several subjects and then have not enough time to work only on lesson plans for subjects they have a specialisation for. In addition, like in many other developed countries, Icelandic and Slovak secondary schools also grapple with addressing the mental health and well-being of both students and teachers. Below are comprehensive lists of the biggest issues both schools face and have to tackle on a regular basis.
Menntaskólinn í Reykjavík
- Little or no prior knowledge of certain topics because some primary schools may not teach Sciences or cover only a certain number of topics
- Not enough time to cover all topics concerning Science curricula within two or three year period time
- A lack of financing leading to budgetary issues (inevitably even lay-offs)
- A dilapidated state of a sports facility that makes the building effectively unsafe and therefore out of order
Spojená škola Novohradská
- The great complexity and number of programmes make school management difficult, e.g. the coordination of school events in order to avoid any time conflicts is a constant challenge
- Methodological and didactic differences between international and national programmes hinder the school’s function as one cohesive unit
- Due to a high number of classes (up to 45) there is an issue at the beginning of every school year to do all the necessary divisions in terms of seminar groups
- Outdated and insufficient IT equipment
- A lack of financing leading to no opportunity to invest into school’s property and modernise it
- Departure of young prospective teachers due to low salaries, especially when considering that teachers’ salaries do not differ across the country, yet life in the Bratislava region is immensely more costly than in other regions of Slovakia
- Gradual departure of experienced teachers to retirement and the problem of finding their replacement
Possible Cooperation
Spojená škola Novohradská has a long-term cooperation with secondary schools in Eschenbach, Germany and Maribor, Croatia, and has recently established a cooperation with a secondary school in Kristiansand, Norway via a project financed by the Norway Grants. It intended to create a trilateral cooperation with an Icelandic secondary school, and was very eager for that school to be Menntaskólinn í Reykjavík. Menntaskólinn í Reykjavík was open to welcome Slovak teachers on their premises and held several discussions and workshops where Icelandic and Slovak teachers shared their know-how and experience. Unfortunately, Menntaskólinn í Reykjavík has already a full plate in terms of cooperations with other schools, and cannot establish any long-term cooperation with Spojená škola Novohradská beyond this singular joint activity.
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