On the benches of the school
Today, 99.6% of Slovaks over the age of 15 can read and write properly. Schooling for children is free and compulsory. In Slovakia, pupils attend elementary school from the age of 6 to 16, and then enter secondary school. There are several types of secondary school. Gymnaziums prepare students for university in four years. They can already begin 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 (around thirty minutes) and the school day ends around 2pm. The general atmosphere in these schools is much more serene than in France. Students are more "free" and relaxed, and can listen to music or the radio during breaks, for example, as 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, on the other hand, combine learning a trade with the study of general subjects. As in France, training is divided between periods spent on the job and at school. 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 from 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 twenty universities. Access to higher education is based on a selection process involving an entrance exam. Slovak universities are renowned in the sciences, the timber industry and the environment. Slovakia has made progress in the field of education, and the literacy rate has also risen.
Liberalization of the health care system
The fall of communism was followed by a radical reform of the healthcare system, which was completely liberalized. Three of the five health insurance funds are private, and two are joint-stock companies in which the state retains a 100% stake. Since June1, 2003, a government reform has put an end to free health care, even though it was enshrined in the Constitution. This measure has been approved by the European Union, which sees it as a means of reducing corruption: since the Communist era, Slovaks had been accustomed to giving envelopes and gifts to doctors as a "thank you" (this practice still exists on the margins). However, a new reform in September 2004 has further liberalized the health sector: hospitals are now joint-stock companies... The aim of these measures is to restore financial equilibrium to the health system, which is heavily in deficit. It should be emphasized that all healthcare staff are paid by the State, a system inherited from communism, and salaries are today barely equivalent to the Slovak minimum wage. Today, the law on health insurance stipulates that contributions must be paid by employees, the self-employed, employers and the state. Health insurance covers most medical care costs. However, some drugs and medical procedures are not covered, and the patient must pay for them in full. Dental care is only partially covered. Slovakia has an improving health system: infant mortality has halved since 1985 to 5.23 deaths per 1,000 births, below the European average. Life expectancy now stands at 77.3 years. However, the new Western lifestyle has its downsides: the use of drugs and medicines has risen sharply.
An aging population and low pensions
As elsewhere in Europe, the population is aging. Young people aged 0 to 15 account for just 15.5% of the population, while the active 15-64 age group accounts for 69.5%, and the proportion of elderly people (over 65) is increasing every year, accounting for 15% of the population. The average age of a Slovak woman is now 41.9, compared with 35.5 in 1993, and 38.7 for men, compared with 32.5 in 1993. Life expectancy is increasing, averaging 77.3 years (73.7 for men and 81.1 for women). Slovakia, like other European countries, is therefore faced with the problem of an ageing population, health issues and care for the elderly. This fundamental problem is compounded by Slovakia's inability to ensure pension increases. Today, there are 1,382,464 pensioners for a population of 5,435,343. Since 2017, the retirement age has been set at 62 years and 76 days. Retirement pensions average €637 gross for a man and €520 gross for a woman. Poverty therefore takes its toll on the elderly, who are sometimes obliged to continue finding odd jobs to make ends meet. Since 2005, a new law has required all employees to pay 9% of their gross salary into private pension funds, in order to build up an additional pension to that managed and paid by the State. Slovakia has thus opted for a dual pay-as-you-go and funded system.
Marriage, but not for everyone
The Slovak family model is that of a monogamous family unit, married in church. In Slovakia, religion is seen as a component of society in its own right, and the strength of marriage and the family retains all its meaning even though people are marrying later and the number of marriages is falling. Indeed, the average age of marriage (23.1 in 1993) is now 30.1, 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% 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. Movements to defend the rights of homosexuals have been in existence since 1990, but they are struggling to defend a community where 52% of members reported being victims of harassment or discrimination in the last year. Marriage for all is still a long way off.
One of the lowest fertility rates in the world
Families are traditionally close-knit and see each other regularly, whether at family gatherings or just visiting. There are few births, children are brought up to respect their elders and intergenerational dialogue is important. Slovakia is following the same trajectory as other Western countries. Like its European neighbors, its population is stagnating. The population growth rate is 0.14%, and the fertility rate of 1.41 children per woman is 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 very few births, 10.69 per 1,000 inhabitants, a figure virtually identical to that of 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 rose from 22.5 in 1993 to 27.8 in 2016. Slovak first names are very similar, if not identical, to Czech or Polish first names. Some very common names: Peter, Jan, Martin, Adam, Štefan, Marek, Tomaš for boys, and Mária, Anna, Zuzana, Katarína, Eva, Jana, Karolina for girls. 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 sexes, Slovak women tend to live a much harder life than men. They multiply their roles: mothers, housekeepers and often full-time employees. They also lag behind when it comes to occupying positions of responsibility or in terms of wages. The average gross salary for a woman is around €917, compared with €1,167 for a man. Even if they say they regret the extra workload 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 as Prime Minister from 2009 to October 2011, followed by Zuzana Čaputová, President of the Slovak Republic from 2019 to 2024. At parliamentary level, a project for a quota on candidate lists for elections (women may not account for less than a third of the list) is regularly mooted, but has yet to come to fruition.
A people proud of their mountains
The Slovaks have been exposed to particularly harsh historical conditions, yet they are far from showing any signs of weariness. Montagnards firmly rooted in their native soil, they have weathered the political storms of Central Europe. At first glance, Slovaks may not seem very friendly. The older generation, who spent most of their lives under the Communist regime, can be cold and reserved. The new generation, on the other hand, has embraced a new culture, and young people are friendlier and more open-minded. Very patriotic in general, Slovaks like to talk, a lot, and without reserve, especially after a few beers. Unfortunately, however, it's still best to avoid certain delicate 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 a holiday destination, and will be more than willing to offer help and advice. A small compliment about 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, with everything beginning and ending earlier than in France. In summer, the sun can rise at 4.50 a.m. and set before 4 p.m. in winter! Nevertheless, an office working day lasts eight hours, between 7.30 a.m. and 4 p.m., with a half-hour lunch break. The pace of work is not very stressful, and despite restructuring, some Slovak companies and the public sector as a whole are affected by overemployment. The habits of non-work adopted during the Communist era persist. After work, the bar is a place for socializing and, regardless of social class, locals meet more easily in these convivial places than at home. Public and private spaces are well differentiated, so neighbors are not tolerant of noise after 10pm, so be careful if you're partying!
