Abstract
This chapter discusses the deficit of care in the Slovak education system in particular and examines it as an example of (non)democratic care practices. It shows why and how care ethics can be a useful tool for understanding and assess educational public policies in terms of their effectiveness for care, protection, development (not only) in the Slovak context and in the field of education. The chapter reflects on how a democratic deficit in education is linked to the lack of care in the education system in Slovakia and how that influences the failure of establishing an inclusive education system. As key factors of these processes it examines conditions for mutual trust and recognition of all stakeholders and how these are supported by educational policy through the analysis of relevant policy documents. It shows that democratization of educational care practice depends on the conceptualization of protection as a part of care in particular contexts.
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Notes
- 1.
I have dealt with the issue of care in relation to the teaching profession in Jesenková (2012), but not from the perspective of care ethics.
- 2.
A similar point is made by Marian Barnes (2012, 127f.) that space and place are clearly vital to an understanding of individual and collective well-being. Particular spaces and environments can create material and symbolic conditions for developing confidence and critical thinking and thus for more equal and free caring practices or, on the contrary, increase distrust, control and obedience. So that environments, public spaces and institutions can be more or less caring from the democratic care perspective and can be more or less supportive for developing capacity to care inclusively and so democratically.
- 3.
National Institute for Certified Educational Measurements is a state organization founded in 2008 by the Ministry of Education of the Slovak Republic.
- 4.
The majority of students in special education are Roma students from a socially disadvantaged environment, especially students diagnosed with mild mental disabilities. Ministry of interior of the Slovak Republic. 2012. The Strategy of the Slovak Republic for Roma Inclusion until 2020. https://www.minv.sk/swift_data/source/romovia/dokumenty/StrategiaSR_integraciaRomov.pdf. Accessed 14 January 2019.
- 5.
Within European countries, Slovakia ranks first in the share of children educated in special classes or schools, thus, being separated from their peers. There are almost 6% of children in Slovakia special school system, while the European average is 2.3%. Ramberg, Joacim, Lénárt, András, and Watkins, Amanda, eds. 2017. European Agency Statistics on Inclusive Education: 2014 Dataset Cross-Country Report. Odense: European Agency for Special Needs and Inclusive Education. www.european-agency.org. Accessed 7 January 2019.
- 6.
Ministry of Education of the Slovak Republic. 2017. Learning Slovakia—National Programme for Educational Development. Proposal for Public Discussion. https://www.minedu.sk/data/files/6987_uciace_sa_slovensko.pdf. Accessed 28 June 2019.
- 7.
Ministry of Education of the Slovak Republic. 2017. “Learning Slovakia”—National Programme for Educational Development. Proposal for Public Discussion. https://www.minedu.sk/data/files/6987_uciace_sa_slovensko.pdf. Accessed 28 June 2019.
- 8.
Ministry of Education of the Slovak Republic. 2018. National programme for the development of education 2018–2027. Quality and available Education for Slovakia. https://www.minedu.sk/data/att/5250.pdf. Accessed 20 January 2019.
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Acknowledgements
This work was supported by the Slovak Research and Development Agency under contract No. APVV-15-0234.
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Jesenková, A. (2020). Deficit of Democratic Care in the Educational System in Slovakia. In: Urban, P., Ward, L. (eds) Care Ethics, Democratic Citizenship and the State. International Political Theory. Palgrave Macmillan, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-41437-5_13
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