Christian Schools in Slovakia at Risk after School Funding Reform
The Slovak government has introduced a proposal to reform state subsidies for private and church schools. Under the new policy, full funding would be limited to schools that meet specific public-service criteria, including enrolling at least 70% of students from local school districts, refraining from charging tuition, and signing contracts as public education providers. Christian leaders and private school associations have raised concerns that the reform could undermine parental rights and threaten the sustainability of faith-based education.
The new proposal changes the existing model entirely. Under Minister of Education Tomáš Drucker’s plan, full state subsidies would only be granted to non-state schools that meet a new set of criteria: 70% of their students from the local school district, refrain from charging tuition, and operate under the supervision of regional education authorities. In effect, these schools would have to become "public providers of education and training". Those that choose not to meet these conditions may continue to operate, but with 20% less public funding per pupil. The policy is expected to take effect in 2026, with the funding reduction introduced in 2027, pending parliamentary approval.
Private and church school associations have warned that the proposed changes threaten more than just financial viability; they pose a broader risk to educational pluralism and parental freedom of choice. Limiting enrolment based on geographical boundaries, they argue, could exclude many Christian families whose children currently attend faith-based schools outside their district. They further stress that financial pressure could force schools to abandon their religious character or close altogether.
The Slovak Bishops’ Conference has voiced strong opposition to the reform, emphazising in a public statement that “the free choice of school based on religious beliefs is one of the fundamental rights of parents and children”. They also warned that it represents “a serious risk of weakening the character and financial stability of Church schools” (PillarCatholic). The bishops underscored that the right of parents to choose schools in line with their religious and moral convictions is protected not only under the Slovak Constitution but also under binding international human rights treaties, such as Article 13.3 of the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (ICESCR) and Article 2 of Protocol No. 1 to the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR).
Minister Drucker has defended the initiative as a means to preserve the integrity of the public education system and ensure that taxpayer funding supports schools that are open, free of charge, and accessible to all children in the local community. He has argued that while parents remain free to choose private or religious schools, those institutions should not expect full state support if they do not meet the criteria for public service provision.
Whether Slovakia’s reform will withstand constitutional or international legal scrutiny remains to be seen. But for many parents, educators, and religious leaders, the message is clear: a funding policy that indirectly penalises religious education—by attaching conditions that many faith-based schools cannot fulfil without compromising their mission—risks undermining not only religious freedom, but the diversity and pluralism that democratic education systems are meant to uphold.
Source: Pilar Catholic; Postoj-sk; enrisi.stvr.sk; tvnoviny.sk
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