News digest: Slovak children anxious over poverty and bad relationships

Municipalities plan a street-light protest, general prosecutor does not plan to run in presidential election. Learn more in today's news digest.

Good evening. Here is the Monday, January 30 edition of Today in Slovakia - the main news of the day in less than five minutes.


Children fear divorce and starvation

Kids are most worried about hardship in the context of the family. Being separated from one or both parents, divorce, and unstable relationships within the family are their most serious anxieties, a survey conducted by Children's Commissioner Jozef Mikloško suggests.

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In the world outside their families, children notice injustice around them, the survey shows. Girls in particular are more prone to notice such issues at school or in their online community, but also suffer negative emotions because of them. When in the online space, cyber-bullying is a prevalent issue for the younger generation. Children now spend more time online, too. The study shows that a Slovak child in seventh grade spends five hours a day, on average, on the internet.

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More stories from The Slovak Spectator website

Minorities: The Vietnamese community in Slovakia is closer to receiving official recognition.

Bratislava: In a short time, the state postal firm Slovenská Pošta will close two of seven branches in Petržalka, the biggest borough of Bratislava. What does it mean for people living in the borough?

President: The past Saturday President Zuzana Čaputová congratulated Czechia's president-elect Petr Pavel on winning the presidential elections right in Prague, a move that some did not like.

Opinion: Ex-prime minister Mikuláš Dzurinda's cinematic relaunch may not be a watch for everyone.


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SONG OF THE DAY

Listen to one of Dara Rolins' earliest hits, "Až Raz Budem Učiteľkou" (When I become a teacher).

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The Slovak singer has sold out Prague's O2 Arena.

The singer is preparing for the 'concert of her life' to celebrate her 50th birthday. Rolins first appeared on stage as a nine-year-old.

Her first released album sold 250,000 copies.


Feature story for Monday

Teaching Slovak kids to think differently

Cambridge International School in Bratislava teaches its students by means of project-based courses.

Other schools in Slovakia prioritise teaching the country's language and culture. Project-based thinking is supposed to develop independence, support collaboration, and let children tap into critical and presenting skills.

In an interview with The Slovak Spectator, Aaron King, director of the Cambridge International School in Bratislava, praises aspects of the Slovak educational system, but says his own school's approach is less textbook-focused: "It's good to have continuity in the educational system, but one of the key questions that I encourage students to ask is 'Why are we learning this and what is the value of learning this?'."


IN OTHER NEWS

  • Weather forecast for Tuesday: Mostly cloudy across Slovakia. Snow expected in northern and central parts. The temperature during the day will vary between 1°C and 4°C and in northern parts between -3°C and 0°C.
  • General Prosecutor Maroš Žilinka is not considering a run for the presidency in the next head-of-state election, due in 2024. Žilinka was elected to his current position by MPs in 2020 and says he wants to serve all seven years of his term.
  • Some municipalities are turning off their streetlights this evening as a sign of protest. The temporary blackout will last for half an hour, starting at 19.00. Municipalities are demanding more government help to tackle rising energy costs. (TASR)
  • The police are urging gun-owners to fulfil their duties by the end of January. Owners of weapons that have not yet been registered with the police and whose possession is now subject to the issuance of a firearms licence or registration as of February 1, 2023, must apply for this by the end of January.
  • Entrepreneurs must file a motor vehicle tax return and pay the applicable tax by the end of January. This obligation applies to every entrepreneur who uses a car for business or other self-employed activities, writes finance leasing company Arval Slovakia.

Thank you for reading The Slovak Spectator!

If you have suggestions on how this news overview can be improved, you can reach us at editorial@spectator.sk.

Top stories

Stock image.

Twice as many Ukrainians work in Slovakia now than before the Russian invasion.


Píšem or pišám?

"Do ľava," (to the left) I yelled, "Nie, do prava" (no, to the right), I gasped. "Dolšie," I screamed. "Nie, nie, horšie..." My Slovak girlfriend collapsed in laughter. Was it something I said?


Matthew J. Reynolds
Czech biochemist Jan Konvalinka.

Jan Konvalinka was expecting a pandemic before Covid-19 came along.


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