Education
School year 2008/20067
Number of elementary schools 447
Number of pupils in elementary schools 165,241
Number of pupils per teacher 10.8
Number of secondary schools 141
Number of pupils at secondary schools 96,310
Number of tertiary education establishments 89
Number of all students in tertiary education 90,403
Number of graduates in tertiary education (2004) 14,888
Number of students enrolled for postgraduate study 8,378
Source: Ministry of Education and Sport
Science
2005
Gross domestic expenditure on R&D (GERD) as a % of GDP 1.49
Number of research organisations 375
R&D personnel in head count 12,600
R&D personnel in FTE (full time equivalent) 8,994
R&D personnel (FTE) per 1000 total employment 11,1
Researchers in head count 7,664
Researchers in FTE 5,253
Researchers (FTE) per 1000 total employment 6.5
Sources: Statistical Office of the RS
Slovenia has a clear development vision concerning education and science: a society based on knowledge with an internationally competitive economy and sustainable, regionally balanced development.
Education
The Slovenian school system has seen a number of changes in recent years, aiming to ensure that as many people as possible realise their right to education, better than before, thus achieving a higher educational level.
The education system in Slovenia is almost fully financed from the state budget; a small share of the finance is also contributed from municipal budgets.
Public expenditure for education includes expenditure on basic compulsory, secondary and tertiary institutions, as well as the running costs of pre-school education, post-graduate study and expenditure related to boarding at some secondary schools and in university students accommodation. Included are both state schools and private schools with concessions and, to an extent as determined by law, also other private schools.
The educational profile of Slovenia’s population is improving. The best educated are those employed in the area of education and public administration, while the unemployed are still less educated than those in employment. More than 17% of persons aged 25 to 64 were in some form of education or training in 2005.
98% of primary school leavers decide to continue their education, and 84% of secondary school leavers go on to tertiary education. The number of students has more than doubled since 1991. The share of higher education students per thousand inhabitants has risen from 19.1% in 1991 to 41.1% in 2005.
Slovenia has four universities: the University of Ljubljana, the University of Maribor , the University of Primorska and the University of Nova Gorica.
The competent body for planning and implementing education is the Ministry of Education and Sport.
Science
Science is one of the fields in which Slovenia least lags behind the developed world. It can compete on equal terms in international research projects. A range of Slovene scientists have obtained international reputations during temporary or permanent work abroad.
Slovenia's main development document relating to R&D is the National Research and Development programme (NRDP) 2006-2010, which is a synthesis of the most general objectives and policies on R&D from national strategic documents. Significant sections of the NRDP are included in the plans and documents for the utilisation of EU structural funds under the new financial perspective.
First internationally relevant research achievements of the Slovenian people are nearly five hundred years older, and Slovenian researchers started joining distinguished scientific associations as early as in the 17th century.
The development of science, medicine and technology was particularly stimulated by the discovery of mercury in Idrija in 1490.
In 1693, the first scientific organisation was founded in Ljubljana, the Academia Operosorumm Labacensium.
The 17th century was marked by the works of the polymath Janez Vajkard Valvasor (1641-1693), who in 1689 published an encyclopaedia of Slovenia in 14 volumes entitled Slava vojvodine Kranjske (The Fame of the Duchy of Carniola). On the basis of his research work into the intermittent Cerknica lake, Valvasor in 1687 became a member of the Royal Society in London.
The mathematician and ballistics expert Jurij Vega (1754-1802) was also the author of the logarithm tables, which were used worldwide until electronic calculators prevailed.
In 1879, Jožef Stefan (1835-1893) discovered the law of light radiation, which is now called Stefan's Law.
The first map of the territory of Slovenia, including marked ethnic borders, was created in 1853 by the Slovenian geographer, jurist and politician Peter Kozler (1824-1879).
In 1909, Edvard Rusjan (1886-1911) became the first Slovene to achieve motor-powered flight, in an aeroplane, which was constructed by himself.
In 1929, Herman Potočnik-Noordung, a Slovenian rocket engineer and officer in the Austrian armed forces, published a book entitled Das Problem der Befahrung des Weltraums (The Problem of Space Travel) that is considered one of the key pioneering works on space technology.
The chemist Dr Friderik Pregl is so far the only Slovene to have received a Nobel Prize in 1923.
The Slovenian Academy of Sciences and Arts (SASA) is the main centre through which flows all the knowledge in Slovenia. In its present-day structure it was founded in 1938; nonetheless it has a reputable tradition. Namely, in 1693, its predecessor the Academia Operosorum was founded in Ljubljana. Its activities ended approximately in 1725. For a long time Slovenes were without an academy, although the thought of it never vanished. It materialized only in 1938.
Today, the SASA is the supreme national institution of sciences and arts uniting scientists and artists who were elected in this institution for their particular achievements in the area of science and art.
The competent body for planning and implementing higher education, science and technology is the Ministry of Higher Education, Science and Technology.