Fifth-grader Testing to Take Place After All, Sum of €160,000 Earmarked for It

Bratislava, September 21 (TASR) – Nation-wide testing of fifth-graders in the Slovak language and maths will take place this year after all, particularly on November 22, and will apply to 45,000 pupils at over 1,400 primary schools, TASR learnt from the Education, Science, Research and Sport Ministry’s Press Department on Thursday.

The testing originally should not have taken place this year, as the ministry led by Peter Plavcan (a Slovak National Party/SNS nominee) failed to ensure money for it in the budget. However, newly appointed Education Minister Martina Lubyova (a SNS nominee) said that she would try to change it.

Some €160,000 has been earmarked for the Testing 5-2017, which is an initial assessment of pupils’ knowledge and skills at the beginning of the second stage of primary school (lower secondary education).

“Pupils do not have to spend any extra time preparing for the testing, as the knowledge they have gained over the first-fourth grades will be tested. Fifth grade teachers needn’t worry either about it being a concrete assessment that is individualised or personalised in any way,” said Lubyova.

The testing should provide schools with feedback on how pupils are prepared for transitioning from the first to the second stage of primary school. It also serves for the country-wide monitoring of the state of pupils’ knowledge when leaving the primary education.

“As Slovakia is falling deeper and deeper within PISA testing, we need to have such a regular nation-wide tool to be able to diagnose our problems and make a remedy,” added Lubyova.
Results of the Testing 5-2017 will be available by the end of year.