The Slovak Levies (source: Sme)
The inspection was carried out after the Denník N daily reported about the activities in late June.
The schools’ headmasters allowed the paramilitary organisation to prepare the lectures without asking for any identification, and they even did not evaluate available information about the activities and character of this organisation, according to the inspectors. This resulted in incompetent and unprofessional presentation of certain topics, they added.
“They threatened the pupils’ healthy social development and posed a risk to building their historical knowledge,” main school inspector Viera Kalmárová said, as quoted by the TASR newswire, adding that they found several mistakes in promotion materials, including grammatical mistakes and profanity.
The inspectors recommended that the headmasters adopt measures to remove the deficiencies and prepare a report about it. They also claimed that the headmasters know they were manipulated and regret their decisions, as reported by TASR.
Informing about partial topics is part of education, thus it is necessary to have some professional qualification, according to the Education Ministry.
“The representatives of the organisation were neither qualified nor competent to present the respective topics,” ministry spokesperson Beáta Dupaľová Ksenzsighová said, as quoted by TASR.
Moreover, since the unqualified lecturers spoke about historical events and health topics, the law was violated.
“I do not have any objections if schools will turn to our army and ask them to introduce the defence education or hold lectures on similar topics; I even welcome it,” Education Minister Juraj Draxler said, as quoted by TASR. “The schools cannot accept the offers of demonstrating the use of weapons from unofficial groups or so-called historical lectures whose content is not based on facts and whose aim is to promote specific ideology.”
The minister called on headmasters not to allow paramilitary organisations into schools already in June.
