Basic Curriculum Changes in Technical Education at Elementary Schools in the Slovak Republic
Abstract
Significant curricular reform took place in the Slovak republic in September 2008, resulting in a new two-level curriculum. However, not all of the standards established have proved helpful to teachers, schools, parents or students, either in relation to the achievement of positive educational goals or when it comes to providing support for the evaluation of students. Therefore, the National Institute for Education has created a new committee of experts for areas in education, whose task has been to review the existing educational standards and propose new ones. Technical studies are a part of our culture and have even become the driving force of our times, so schools should allow all of their pupils to undergo proper acculturation in this area. Technical education is, moreover, considered an important part of the process of educating young people. It may count as preparation for a future career, and, in many cases, has real applications in the labour market. The author of this paper was responsible for creating new educational standards for technical education at primary schools. The concept of technical education employed here is based on general cultural literacy, with scientific and technical literacy viewed as a fixed element within this. In the current paper, the author wants to introduce the principles that define the new conception of technical education at primary-school level in Slovakia, both in terms of its contents and in terms of its character as a process. Within the process of learning, a great deal of attention is paid to the personality of the pupil. The article states the main principles of learning, acquired from personal teaching experience. This new conception of technical education will be in force from September 2015 at all schools in the Slovak Republic.References
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Curricula for elementary school, Bratislava 2014, available at: http:// www.statpedu.sk/sk/Inovovany-Statny-vzdelavaci-program/Inovovany- SVP-pre-1-stupen-ZS.alej (access on: 30.07.2015).
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