Good evening. Here is theFriday, January 26 edition of Today in Slovakia - the main news of the day in less than five minutes.
The reform to help lift up Slovak education
Education Minister Tomáš Drucker assessed the results of Slovak students in PISA testing of reading comprehension as “exceptionally tragic”. (source: TASR)
A new reform to the school curriculum, which is intended to completely transform the approach to teaching in Slovak public education, is currently being tested in 40 primary schools.
Education Minister Tomáš Drucker (Hlas) is hoping that it will improve what he has called students’ “exceptionally tragic” results in reading comprehension.
The results of international PISA testing published in December, which assessed the skills of 15-year-olds in 83 countries, show how far Slovak students have fallen behind their international peers.
Slovakia’s below-average performance is not altogether a surprise, as its results from previous years were already poorer than those of other OECD countries. Learn more here.
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FEATURE STORY FOR FRIDAY
US skiing star amazed by Slovak jewellery
Mikaela Shiffrin celebrates on the podium after winning the women's World Cup slalom race in Jasná. (source: AP/TASR)
After her victory in Jasná last weekend, US skier Mikaela Shiffrin took home a specially designed crown inspired by Slovak folklore. The crown was made by jeweller Petra Toth. "It’s gorgeous! Ďakujem," Shiffrin wrote on Facebook, and shared a video showing the making of the crown.
In addition, find out which Slovak dish has been ranked among the five best snack foods in Europe, and meet the new family of wolves at Bratislava Zoo in this week's feel-good stories from Slovakia.
EVENTS FOR THE COMING DAYS
Tips on activities for weekend and beyond
You're right - that's not a wolf. The new arrivals are being presented to the public this weekend. (source: TASR)
If you're in Bratislava, don't miss the chance to witness the first public feeding of a wolf pack in the zoo, attend a concert under the pyramid, or dance to tunes from the 1990s and 2000s. Find out more with our tips in this week's edition of the Top 10 events.
If you're looking for something beyond the capital city, come to Osrblie to watch biathlon races, or visit the Hrebienok resort in the High Tatras, which will host an ice-sculpting challenge. And there's more.
IN OTHER NEWS
SNS chair Andrej Danko confirmed that has has submitted over 20,000 signatures in support of his presidential candidacy to the Interior Ministry. A mimimum of 15,000 is required. Danko confirmed his candidacy last week. According to a poll released at the time, he would have attracted around 1.5 percent of the first-round vote. (TASR)
Marián Magát has been sentenced to six years in prison for extensive and long-term serious extremist criminal activity. He was found guilty of committing 43 crimes, including denying the Holocaust, founding, supporting and promoting a movement aimed at suppressing fundamental rights and freedoms, and more. The verdict by the Specialised Criminal Court is still subject to appeal, which Magát's lawyer says he will file. Magát ran unsuccessfully in the 2023 election on the slate of the far-right ĽSNS. (TASR)
On Friday, President Zuzana Čaputová appointed Dušan Kekéti as Tourism and Sports Minister. Formerly, he was the director of Bratislava Airport. The new ministry will be established as of February 1. (source: TASR)
Slovak tennis player Renáta Jamrichová advanced to the junior women's singles final at the Australian Open in Melbourne. She won in the semifinals over Japanese Ena Koike 6:4, 2:6, 6:3. (Sportnet)
A little over 70 percent of Slovaks think that the atmosphere in society is getting worse, according to a survey by the AKO polling agency carried out for private broadcaster TV Joj. Mostly women, people under 65, those with higher education and residents of Prešov and Košice Regions think this way, as do supporters of the opposition parties. By contrast, a total of 21.7 percent think that things are improving. (TASR)
On Friday, President Zuzana Čaputová filed a motion regarding the Competence Act with the Constitutional Court. She has objections in regards to the appointment and dismissal of the heads of the Statistics Office and the Health Care Supervisory Authority, as well as the use of a fast-tracked procedure during the act's adoption. In addition, the president welcomed the government continuing help for Ukraine, but regretted Prime Minister's Robert Fico's recent questioning of the effect of the war on Ukraine's capital, Kyiv. (TASR)
French biathlete Antonin Guigonnat (centre) won gold in the men's 10km sprint at the IBU Open European Championships in Osrblie on January 26. Norway's Johan-Olav Botn (left) finished second and compatriot Isak Frey (right) took bronze. (source: TASR)
WEATHER FOR THE WEEKEND
Saturday will be overcast, with snowfall expected in many places, falling as rain at lower altitudes and in the south. Daytime temperatures should be between 3°C and 8°C. On Sunday, snowfall is expected in Žilina and Prešov Regions, with temperatures rising slightly to between 4°C and 9°C.
Several weather warnings have been issued, especially for Saturday, with a level 2 wind warning in the mountains. Check these out here. (SHMÚ)
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