Students in pre-tertiary education, school years 2024/2025 and 2023/2024
Fewer pupils in basic education, more in upper secondary education
At the beginning of the school year 2024/25, 82,412 children were attending kindergartens, 195,704 basic school and 83,839 upper secondary school.
Fewer kindergarten children than a year earlier
At the beginning of the school year 2024/25, 82,412 children were enrolled in kindergartens, i.e. 2,110 fewer than in the previous year. The number of children in the first age group (children aged 1 and 2) went down by 6% and in the second age group (children from 3 years of age until entering school) by almost 1%.
Pre-school education was provided by 986 kindergartens and their units, 862 of them public and 124 private. A large majority of children (94%) were attending public kindergartens.
Slightly fewer children in basic education than in the previous year
In the school year 2024/25, 195,704 children were enrolled in basic school programme, 0.3% fewer than in the previous year. 192,416 children were enrolled in basic school programme with regular and 3,288 with adapted curriculum.
20,128 children entered first grade of basic school. Children in Slovenia enter basic education at 6 years of age. However, for various reasons, some start school a year later than their peers. In the observed school year, 12% of first-graders were seven years old.
On average, 19 pupils per class
Compulsory basic education was carried out by 772 basic schools and their branches and by 48 basic schools with adapted curriculum and institutions for children with special education needs. In the largest school, 1,145 pupils were attending classes, and in the largest branch school 540.
The average class had 19 pupils. In independent and central basic schools, there were on average 20 pupils per class, and in branch schools only 11 pupils per class. The average number of children per class also varies among statistical regions. It was the lowest in basic schools in the Pomurska and Koroška statistical regions (16) and the highest in the Osrednjeslovenska statistical region (21).
A tenth of the basic school population were children with special needs
In regular and adapted basic education programmes, there were 20,534 children with special needs, which was 10% of all children in basic school. Most of them (84%) were included in regular programmes with adapted implementation and additional professional assistance. They represented 9% of all pupils in regular basic education programmes.
The number of pupils in upper secondary education continues to grow
In the school year 2024/25, 83,839 pupils were enrolled in upper secondary education, almost 4% more than in the previous school year. This education was carried out by 143 public upper secondary schools, 6 private upper secondary schools and 7 institutions for special needs children.
Among 24,692 first-year pupils, 23,534 were new entrants, entering upper secondary education for the first time. Others were either repeaters or changed their study programme.
In upper secondary vocational programmes more boys, in general programmes more girls
29,308 pupils were enrolled in upper secondary general programmes, 39,470 in technical programmes, 13,644 in vocational programmes and 1,417 in short-term vocational programmes.
Girls represented 33% of pupils in short-term upper secondary vocational education, 30% in upper secondary vocational education, and 47% in upper secondary technical education. On the other hand, they represented 61% of pupils in general upper secondary education.
Most male pupils in engineering, most female pupils in health and services
Men tend to choose technical and vocational programmes much more often than women. Almost three out of four (73%) male pupils were enrolled in these programmes, mostly in the fields of engineering, manufacturing and construction (43% of all male pupils), followed by information and communication technologies (ICTs) (8%).
On the other hand, 56% of female pupils were enrolled in technical and vocational programmes, mostly in the fields of health and welfare (12% of all female pupils), followed by services and by business and administration (11% each).
More participants in adult education programmes
In the school year 2023/24, 1,379 adults took lessons in basic school programme for adults (a year earlier 1,221). Two out of three participants (66%) were men, and nearly half (48%) were younger than 18 years.
Upper secondary education programmes for adults were attended by 16,846 participants in 2023/24, which is almost 6% more than in the previous year. 75% of participants were younger than 25 years, while the distribution by sex was even. 4% of participants wished to receive a general upper secondary education, 60% of adults were enrolled in technical programmes and 36% in vocational upper secondary programmes. The largest number of participants attended programmes in the field of business and administration.
Tables with the latest data are available in the SiStat Database.
At the beginning of the school year 2024/25, 82,412 children were enrolled in kindergartens, i.e. 2,110 fewer than in the previous year. The number of children in the first age group (children aged 1 and 2) went down by 6% and in the second age group (children from 3 years of age until entering school) by almost 1%.
Pre-school education was provided by 986 kindergartens and their units, 862 of them public and 124 private. A large majority of children (94%) were attending public kindergartens.
Slightly fewer children in basic education than in the previous year
In the school year 2024/25, 195,704 children were enrolled in basic school programme, 0.3% fewer than in the previous year. 192,416 children were enrolled in basic school programme with regular and 3,288 with adapted curriculum.
20,128 children entered first grade of basic school. Children in Slovenia enter basic education at 6 years of age. However, for various reasons, some start school a year later than their peers. In the observed school year, 12% of first-graders were seven years old.
On average, 19 pupils per class
Compulsory basic education was carried out by 772 basic schools and their branches and by 48 basic schools with adapted curriculum and institutions for children with special education needs. In the largest school, 1,145 pupils were attending classes, and in the largest branch school 540.
The average class had 19 pupils. In independent and central basic schools, there were on average 20 pupils per class, and in branch schools only 11 pupils per class. The average number of children per class also varies among statistical regions. It was the lowest in basic schools in the Pomurska and Koroška statistical regions (16) and the highest in the Osrednjeslovenska statistical region (21).
A tenth of the basic school population were children with special needs
In regular and adapted basic education programmes, there were 20,534 children with special needs, which was 10% of all children in basic school. Most of them (84%) were included in regular programmes with adapted implementation and additional professional assistance. They represented 9% of all pupils in regular basic education programmes.
The number of pupils in upper secondary education continues to grow
In the school year 2024/25, 83,839 pupils were enrolled in upper secondary education, almost 4% more than in the previous school year. This education was carried out by 143 public upper secondary schools, 6 private upper secondary schools and 7 institutions for special needs children.
Among 24,692 first-year pupils, 23,534 were new entrants, entering upper secondary education for the first time. Others were either repeaters or changed their study programme.
In upper secondary vocational programmes more boys, in general programmes more girls
29,308 pupils were enrolled in upper secondary general programmes, 39,470 in technical programmes, 13,644 in vocational programmes and 1,417 in short-term vocational programmes.
Girls represented 33% of pupils in short-term upper secondary vocational education, 30% in upper secondary vocational education, and 47% in upper secondary technical education. On the other hand, they represented 61% of pupils in general upper secondary education.
Most male pupils in engineering, most female pupils in health and services
Men tend to choose technical and vocational programmes much more often than women. Almost three out of four (73%) male pupils were enrolled in these programmes, mostly in the fields of engineering, manufacturing and construction (43% of all male pupils), followed by information and communication technologies (ICTs) (8%).
On the other hand, 56% of female pupils were enrolled in technical and vocational programmes, mostly in the fields of health and welfare (12% of all female pupils), followed by services and by business and administration (11% each).
More participants in adult education programmes
In the school year 2023/24, 1,379 adults took lessons in basic school programme for adults (a year earlier 1,221). Two out of three participants (66%) were men, and nearly half (48%) were younger than 18 years.
Upper secondary education programmes for adults were attended by 16,846 participants in 2023/24, which is almost 6% more than in the previous year. 75% of participants were younger than 25 years, while the distribution by sex was even. 4% of participants wished to receive a general upper secondary education, 60% of adults were enrolled in technical programmes and 36% in vocational upper secondary programmes. The largest number of participants attended programmes in the field of business and administration.
Tables with the latest data are available in the SiStat Database.
METHODOLOGICAL NOTE
Additional explanations are available in the methodological explanations.
When making use of the data and information of the Statistical Office of the Republic of Slovenia, always add: "Source: SURS". More: Copyright.
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