On the benches of the school
Today, 99.6% of Slovaks over the age of 15 can read and write correctly. Schooling for children is free and compulsory. In Slovakia, pupils attend primary school from the age of 6 to 16 and then move on to secondary school. There are several kinds of secondary schools. Gymnaziums (high schools) prepare pupils for university in four years. They can already start to specialize in certain fields such as art, science or computer science. They take the baccalaureate or maturitat at the age of 19. In class, each lesson lasts forty-five minutes, not an hour. The lunch break is short (about thirty minutes) and the school day ends around 2:00 p.m. The general atmosphere in these establishments is much more serene than in France. Students are more "free" and relaxed, they can for example listen to music or the radio during breaks, the schools are equipped with speakers in almost every corridor. When they arrive in the morning, they go to their lockers to take off their shoes and put on slippers, especially in winter. Vocational schools combine the learning of a trade with the study of general subjects. As in France, training is divided between periods in companies and in schools. The language of instruction is Slovak, but minority groups have the right to study in their own language. Two foreign languages are compulsory. In order of preference, students choose English, German, French, Italian and Spanish. Children of minority groups who study in their own language are obliged to learn Slovak as a foreign language. Finally, 80,000 students attend the country's 20 universities. Higher education is accessible thanks to a selection process that results in an entrance examination. The Slovak university has a reputation in the fields of science, wood industry and the environment. Slovakia has made progress in the field of education, and the literacy rate has also increased.
Liberalization of the health care system
The fall of communism was followed by a radical reform of the health care system, which was completely liberalised. Three of the five health insurance funds are private, and two are joint stock companies in which the state retains 100% of the shares. Since1 June 2003, a government reform had put an end to free health care, which was enshrined in the Constitution. This measure was approved by the European Union, which sees it as a way to reduce corruption: since the communist era, Slovaks had been in the habit of giving envelopes and gifts to doctors as a 'thank you' (this practice still exists on the fringes). But a new reform in September 2004 has accentuated the liberalisation of health care: hospitals are becoming joint stock companies... These measures aim to restore the financial balance of the health care system, which is very much in deficit. These measures aim to restore the financial equilibrium of the health system, which is very much in deficit. It should be noted that all health personnel are paid by the State, a system inherited from communism, and salaries are now barely equivalent to the Slovak minimum wage. Today, the Health Insurance Act stipulates that contributions must be paid by employees, the self-employed, employers and the state. The health insurance covers most of the costs of medical care. However, some medicines and medical procedures are not covered and the patient must pay for them in full. Dental costs are only partially covered. Slovakia has an improving health system: infant mortality has halved since 1985 to 5.23 deaths per 1000 births, below the EU average. Life expectancy now stands at 77.3 years. Yet the new Western way of life has its setbacks: the consumption of narcotics and medicines has risen sharply.
An aging population and low pensions
As elsewhere in Europe, the population is ageing. Young people aged 0 to 15 account for only 15.5% of the population, the active population aged 15-64 accounts for 69.5% of the population, and finally, the proportion of elderly people (over 65) is increasing every year and accounts for 15% of the population. The average age of a Slovak woman today is 41.9 years, compared to 35.5 in 1993, and 38.7 for men, compared to 32.5 in 1993. Life expectancy is increasing, on average it is 77.3 years, 73.7 years for men and 81.1 years for women. Slovakia, like other European countries, is therefore confronted with the ageing of its population, health problems and the need to provide care in old age. In addition to this fundamental problem, Slovakia is also unable to ensure the upgrading of pensions. Today, there are 1 382 464 pensioners for 5 435 343 inhabitants. Since 2017, the retirement age has been set at 62 years and 76 days. The amount of retirement pensions is on average €467 gross for a man and €372 gross for a woman. Poverty therefore hits the elderly hard, who are sometimes forced to continue to find a small job to make ends meet. Since 2005, a new law has required all employees to pay 9% of their gross salary to private pension funds in order to build up a pension in addition to the one managed and paid by the state. Slovakia has therefore opted for a dual pay-as-you-go and funded system.
Marriage, but not for everyone
The Slovak model of the family is that of a monogamous family unit in a church marriage. Religion in Slovakia is regarded as a component of society in its own right and the strength of marriage and the family retains its full meaning even if one marries later and the number of marriages is declining. Indeed, the average age for marriage (23.1 years in 1993) is now 30.1 years and the number of births outside marriage (1 in 10 in 1993) is now 4 in 10. As everywhere, many couples live outside marriage, which is why the number of marriages fell by 2 per cent again between 1993 and 2016.
Homosexuality has been legal in Slovakia since 1961, but homophobic reflexes persist, partly due to the country's strong Catholic influence. Homosexual rights movements have existed since 1990, but they are struggling to defend a community in which 52% of its members have declared themselves victims of harassment or discrimination in the last year. We are still a long way from marriage for all.One of the lowest fertility rates in the world
Families are traditionally united and their members see each other regularly, whether at family celebrations or simple visits. There are few births and children are raised with respect for their elders, and intergenerational dialogue is important. Slovakia follows the same trajectories as Western countries. Its population is stagnating like its European neighbours. The population growth rate was 0.14 per cent, and the fertility rate of 1.41 children per woman was one of the lowest in the world. For information, it is estimated that a rate of 2.1 births per woman is needed to reach the level of population renewal in developed countries. There are only very few births, 10.69 per 1,000 inhabitants, a figure that is roughly the same as in 1918 at the end of the First World War!
Since independence, demographic data show that Slovakia has tended to follow the Western model with late births. The average age of first pregnancy has increased from 22.5 years in 1993 to 27.8 in 2016. Slovak first names are very close, if not identical, to Czech or Polish first names. Some common first names: Peter, Jan, Martin, Adam, Štefan, Marek, Tomaš for boys, and Mária, Anna, Zuzana, Katarína, Eva, Jana, Karolina for girls. The Slovaks very often use diminutives, which are sometimes longer, for example: Jana (Janka), Simona (Sissa), Katarina (Katka), Peter (Pet'o), Radoslav (Rado).And women in this society?
Despite the progress made during the communist era, which advocated equality between the two sexes, Slovak women tended to live a much harder life than men. They are multiplying their roles as mothers, responsible for household chores and in many cases full-time employees. They also lag behind in terms of leadership positions and salaries. The average gross salary for a woman is around €917 compared to €1,167 for a man. Although they say they regret the overwork they have to do and the inequalities they suffer, they seem resigned to it and no feminist movement has yet been formed in Slovakia. However, women seem to have adapted better to the market economy than men: there are fewer unemployed women than men in Slovakia, which can surely be explained by the fact that they are generally better qualified. In politics, Iveta Radičova led the way by serving as prime minister from 2009 to October 2011, followed by Zuzana Čaputová, elected president of the Slovak Republic in 2019. At the level of parliamentarians, a proposed quota on the lists of candidates for elections (women may not account for less than one third of the list) is regularly discussed, but has still not been implemented.
A people proud of their mountains
Slovaks have been exposed to particularly harsh historical conditions, yet they are far from showing signs of weariness. Mountaineers firmly rooted in their native soil, they faced the political storms of Central Europe. At first glance, the Slovaks will probably seem a bit unattractive to you. Older people who have lived most of their lives under the communist regime are sometimes cold and reserved. The new generation has adopted a new culture and the young people are friendlier and more open. Very patriotic in general, Slovaks like to talk, a lot, and without reservation, especially after a few beers. However, it is unfortunately still sometimes preferable to avoid certain sensitive subjects such as the Roma or other minorities (homosexuals or Hungarians). Modest, traditional and patriotic, Slovaks are often delighted to meet travellers who have chosen their country as their holiday destination and will be very willing to offer help and advice. A small compliment on the country or the beauty of nature will give them the greatest pleasure.
Work, bar, sleep
Life in Slovakia is adapted to the rhythm of the sun, everything starts and ends earlier than in France. In summer, the sun can rise at 4.50 am and set in winter before 4 pm! A working day at the office nevertheless lasts eight hours, between 7.30am and 4pm, with a break of about half an hour at lunchtime. The pace of work is not very stressful, despite restructuring, some Slovak companies and the public sector as a whole are affected by overemployment. These non-working habits established under communism continue to exist. After work, the bar is a place of socialisation and, regardless of social class, people meet more easily in these friendly places than at home. The public and private space is well differentiated and the neighbours are therefore not tolerant of noise after 10pm, so be careful if you are partying!
