Secondary education

Secondary education in the Republic of Slovenia is divided into general education (general secondary schools – gimnazije), vocational and secondary technical education. General secondary education lasts 4 years and ends with an external examination called matura, which grants students access to university and other post-secondary vocational and professional higher education programmes. Vocational and technical secondary education prepares apprentices and students for a profession. The length of education ranges from two to five years, depending on the individual programme. Education finishes with a final examination, and secondary technical programmes also end with a vocational matura, which enables students to enrol in post-secondary vocational and professional higher education programmes.

The school year begins on the 1^st of September and ends on the 31^st of August of the following year. Classes are held 5 days a week and one lesson lasts 45 minutes. Apart from summer holidays, lasting about 10 weeks, students also have autumn holidays, Christmas and New Year holidays, winter holidays and first of May holidays. Furthermore, no lessons are held on public holidays.

Each year in February, the pre-enrolment announcements for secondary schools are published. Schools also organise Information Days on which pupils can get acquainted with the programmes offered by a particular school. The application for enrolment in the preferred secondary school needs to be submitted by the given date in March. If there are more applications than available vacant places, a school may limit enrolment.

Detailed information on secondary school programmes, enrolment conditions and other activities is available on the website of the Ministry of Education and Sport.