The National Education Institute of the Republic of Slovenia

During more than fifty years of existence, The National Education Institute has always had a significant role in the shaping of the Slovenian education system at the pre-university level. Indirectly, all our work is intended for pre-school children, pupils, students, parents and the public.

We perform research and development tasks and, by linking theory and practice, form conceptual solutions.

We implement projects, defined by the directives and demands of the national curricular reform on one hand and by internationally recognized pedagogical approaches on the other; we organized in-service teacher training, published guide books, etc.

We undertake a noticeable role in the processes of implementing and monitoring innovative programs and educational practices in kindergartens, schools and secondary student dormitories. We dynamically connect to their daily work and lives through a branched-out network of 9 regional units and pedagogical consultants.

Our partners and co-workers are

• Professional staff in kindergartens, primary and secondary schools, student dormitories and other educational institutions;
• The Ministry of Education, Science and Sport;
• The National Examination Centre, The Centre for Vocational Education and other public institutes linked with education
• Council of The Republic of Slovenia for General Education, Council for Vocational  and Professional Education, Council for Adult Education and other professional bodies
• Higher education institutions, research organizations and other professional institutions in the area of education.

The role of NEI in Gifted and Talented education provisons

From 2002 onwards a designated Expert Commission for educational work with gifted and talented operates at the NEI. Its main task is to guide and to provide a professional support to kindergartens and schools for the implementation of nationally approved Concepts for recognizing and educational work with gifted and talented students in primary and secondary schools. Concepts were confirmed by the Council of the Republic of Slovenia for General Education - in 1999 for primary and in 2007 for secondary schools.

One of the important tasks of the Expert Commission is to monitor the implementation of Concepts and to develop the essential tools and other resources for recognizing as well as for teaching and counselling the gifted and talented.

So far NEI has published 4 guidebooks for teachers and school counsellors, organized dozens of seminars for them as well as hundreds of counseling conferences designed especially for a concrete educational institution.

At the moment we are piloting the effectiveness of “Quality indicators for educational work with gifted and talented” at 72 primary schools in Slovenia, which were created jointly with them. We have adapted the Quality indicators primarily developed in 2011 for the secondary schools (ISCED3).

More about the NEI’s provisions in the area of G/T education can be found on http://www.zrss.si/default.asp?rub=3159 (edited by Tanja Bezić).