Slovakia Faces Shortage of 17,000 School Assistants, Education Ministry Promises Reforms

Slovakia's education system is facing a critical shortage of 17,000 teaching assistants, according to the first comprehensive assessment conducted under Education Minister Tomáš Drucker. The ministry's analysis revealed significant flaws in the current system for allocating assistants to schools across the country. Drucker, who leads the education portfolio in the ruling coalition government, has promised to implement changes to address the systemic problems identified by ministry analysts. Teaching assistants play a crucial role in Slovak schools by supporting students with special educational needs and helping classroom teachers manage larger class sizes, making the shortage a significant concern for the quality of education delivery.