Gimnazije offer students (aged 15-18) four years of general education aimed at upgrading and extending the knowledge gained during compulsory education. The primary missions of gimnazije are:

• to give students the knowledge and skills in accordance with international quality education standards that  they need to continue their education at universities or other institutions of tertiary education;
• to develop critical judgement and responsibility;
• to foster responsibility towards themselves and towards other people and the environment; to develop general cultural and civilisation values;
• to prepare them for active citizenship;
• to encourage creativity and to develop the ability of artistic expression and the perception of artistic work; and
• to support decisions concerning further education and professional careers.

The emphasis is on subjects and topics, such as mother tongue,  literature, national identity, history and culture, the development and preservation of cultural heritage and education about other cultures and civilisations. Upon the completion of gimnazija, students undertake state wide external examinations (Matura), which allow them to enrol into any type of tertiary education course. Those who fail to complete gimnazija and/or do not wish to pursue further education, can acquire professional and vocational skills and knowledge in short 1-year vocational courses, after the completion of which they can search for a suitable job in the labour market.

Students may enrol in the gimnazija after the successful completion of elementary school. One of the important criteria for enrolment is their overall success grade in elementary school, although schools may specify additional admission criteria.

Gimnazije which specialise in the arts may require candidates to undertake special talent tests, gimnazije specialised in sports may require candidates to provide evidence of their previous achievements in sport.

In cases, when the number of candidates exceeds the number of available student places, the central enrolment procedure for the admission of candidates is taken into consideration. This nationally determined procedure is agreed by the Minister of Education, based upon the proposal of the Expert Council.

The nationally determined admission criteria for the school year 2006/2007 were specified as follows: overall success in grade 9 of the elementary school (max. 70 points) and achievements at different competitions and projects depending on the specific criteria of the individual school (max. 15 points). Admission criteria for the sports gimnazije included the candidates' achievements and results in the field of sport. If there were more candidates who achieved the required number of points set for admission, candidates were selected on the basis of their pondered grades in specific subjects in grade 9 of compulsory school. 

The language of instruction in gimnazije is Slovenian. However in areas where members of the Italian national minority live, some schools provide secondary education in Italian (with Slovenian as a compulsory second language), while others offer education in Slovenian (with Italian as a compulsory second language). Gimnazija in the area where members of the Hungarian national minority live provide bilingual education (in Slovenian and Hungarian).

There are two other general upper-secondary schools, which offer the 2-year International Baccalaureate courses (UNESCO,UN) in Year 3 and 4 of gimnazija and the programme of International school in English language. Citizens from other EU members have the right to receive upper-secondary education under the same conditions as Slovenian citizens.

Upper-secondary education is governed by the Gimnazije Act (enacted in 1996, Amendments 2001, 2006) and the Matura Act (enacted in 2003, with an amendment in 2006).

Gimnazije can be publicly or privately owned. Public gimnazije are funded by the State (possibly by city municipalities) and are maintained by the Ministry of Education and Sport. Out of six privately owned gimnazije, one provides the nationally determined curriculum, 4 are catholic and one is the Waldorfska gimnazija (in accordance with Steiner pedagogical principles). The courses of private gimnazije must meet the standards of the national gimnazija curriculum in order to receive public financial support and be able to issue publicly recognised educational certificates and qualifications. Therefore, they must be evaluated by the National Council of Experts and approved by the Minister of Education.

Gimnazije provide various types of courses with different specialisms. All courses last 4 years. Gimnazije are divided into two major groups:  

• Gimnazije with no specific fields of study, which can however organize some classes with a special interests, for example:
  • Classes, intended for students, actively involved in sports;
  • European classes with emphasis on social sciences, foreign language learning, international cooperation and out-of-school activities linked to European and global issues;
  • Gimnazije offering specific fields of study: Classical gimnazije; Gimnazije with International Baccalaureate courses; Catholic gimnazije and the Waldorf gimnazija.
• Specialist gimnazije:
  • Technical gimnazije, which offer a range of technical subjects from various technical fields (engineering, electrical engineering, computer science, construction and building, wood engineering, nutrition and agriculture);
  • Gimnazije specialized in economics
  • Gimnazije specialized in arts, which are additionally subdivided to Music, Dance, Arts, Theatre and Drama.

Gimnazije schooling is free. Privately-owned gimnazije receive public funding (to cover at least 85 % of the public gimnazije costs), based on their compliance with the statutory requirements for the provision of general education. They may also collect admission fees (which are not very high) from their students. Publicly-owned gimnazije are also entitled to charge fees for certain services (i.e., learning materials, excursions, etc).

The State pays for students' medical health insurance and subsidises school meals and school transportation, depending on the social status of an individual student's family. The State is also responsible for the organisation of the network of school dormitories, where students from distant and/or remote locations can reside during their education. Students who live there can attend different schools.  These dormitories perform educational activities and employ educators, who help students to plan their learning. Students have to pay for their residence in dormitories (approx. 90 €/month). They must pay also for their study books, although they can as well borrow them. The state encourages the formation of "textbooks funds". 

All gimnazije are coeducational. The number of students at an individual school may vary: from 60 to approx. 1100 students. In large school centres, which have combined various types of upper-secondary schools,  the number of students can be up to 3000.

Organisation of school

Coursework consists of 45-minute lessons, organised by subject, together with exercises and practical work, compulsory elective contents, excursions, seminar work, project work and individual work. Organised school work may comprise at most 36 lessons per week (from 32 to 36 lessons). Teaching time is spread over 5 days per week and 38 weeks per school year (from 1 September to the second half of June). School activities consist of 35 weeks of coursework plus three weeks of compulsory elective contents. The school year may comprise from 4605 to 5340 of 45-minute lessons (depending on the year of study).

Education is organised in a single cycle. Students usually begin the course at the age of 15. Students of the same age attend the same year. The common practice is that the same teachers teach the same students the same subject for all four years of schooling.

The school year is divided into terms.  Assessment grades are given in the end of each term. The Minister of Education specifies the distribution of school days and school-free days. Education is provided in the morning. In the evening and during weekends schools may organise education courses for adult learners.

Teachers can independently choose text books and other teaching materials, from the list of text books approved by Council of the Experts for General Education. Schools have the autonomy to decide how to implement the syllabi. In accordance with the teaching capacities and students' needs and interests, the schools decide the emphasis to be placed on specific subjects. The school may choose, for example, a balanced curriculum, or a wider range of foreign languages, natural science subjects, sports, social sciences or European studies. It is up to the school to decide for which of the matura optional subjects its students should be prepared more thoroughly.

Curriculum

Programmes of gimnazije are prepared by education experts and the National Education Institute. They are adopted by the Expert Council for General Education and promulgated by the Minister of Education. The programme contains: the name of the course; the objectives; the duration of the programme; the compulsory forms of testing and assessment of knowledge; the knowledge and skills required for teachers of individual subjects; the entrance requirements, the criteria for the selection of candidates in case oversubscription, the requirements for the progression and the completion of the programme, and the curriculum documents. The main curricular documents include: a course syllabus with teaching subjects weekly scheme, subject curricula and examination catalogues for individual subjects. The curricular part of the programme is specified by the Council of Experts, while the Minister of Education defines the structural and formal elements based upon the proposal of the Council of Experts.

Subject curricula are designed so that students can gradually attain the appropriate level of knowledge, competences and skills and develop non-cognitive attitudes. Students learn the foundations of scientific reasoning in various fields, while developing an interest for deepening and upgrading their theoretical knowledge base. By the time they complete gimnazija, they reach the level of knowledge, required for a successful career in university, the labour market and in  life. General gimnazija curriculum promotes creativity and ensures the provision of the knowledge and skills which are the common basis for all university studies. Students can choose from several gimnazije of different profiles; they can select contents and subject options  within the curriculum. Schools allow students to choose courses with different emphasis, e.g. mathematics option, foreign language option(s), European option, etc.

The syllabus of general secondary school (gimnazija) comprises:  

• Compulsory subjects: mother tongue, mathematics, first foreign language, second foreign language, history and music, arts, geography, biology, chemistry, physics, psychology, sociology, philosophy and information science.
• Optional subjects; lessons aimed at students' special preferences and/or preparation for the matura examination; optional subjects may include: third foreign language, history of arts or any other subject according to the national core curriculum.
• Compulsory elective contents which the students complete within or outside schools and which aim to equip students with knowledge and skills, according to their own interests and wishes. 

The syllabus of the Classical gimnazija has basically the same structure, except that the four-year compulsory subjects include Latin. Optional subjects include the third foreign language, Ancient Greek being among them.

The syllabus of Technical gimnazija also has a similar structure, but includes optional technical matura examination subjects (biotechnology, electronic science, mechanics, computer science and materials), laboratory work and optional technical subjects (electronics, construction, agriculture, wood engineering, microbiology, descriptive geometry, computer systems and networks and engineering).

The syllabus of gimnazija specialising in economics differs from the syllabus of the general gimnazija in the range of technical subjects offered (economics, business information science, history of economics, geography of economics and entrepreneurship).

Arts gimnazije offer a wide range of options. The music option includes subjects on the theory and history of music, learning musical instruments and singing lessons, different forms of group work (choir, orchestral play, orchestra, fundamentals of improvisation, etc). The dance course comprises modern and classic dancing techniques, the history of dancing, stage arts, creative workshops; the visual arts course offers presentation techniques, theory of arts, living culture, modelling, drawing and painting, fundamentals of protection of cultural heritage, etc; and the acting and drama course includes: the history and the theory of drama, the art of speaking, the art of performance, video and films and creative workshops. 

Some gimnazije also offer a European course. The latter is in fact a general course with  certain amendments of content and teaching methods, i.e. higher level of language learning (Slovenian as well as foreign languages, including CLIL - Content and Language Integrated Learning), a new compulsory subject - European Studies, more project work, compulsory international cooperation and extended choice of extra-curricular activities.

The first foreign language is the language that students have learnt in elementary schools. In most cases this is English, while some students in elementary schools also learn German. Second foreign language options include: German, English, French or Italian; while some schools with foreign language profile also offer: Spanish, Hungarian or Russian. 

Between 81 % and 93 % (arts) of the total course is compulsory. Students can choose the rest of the course.  They have the least choice in Year 1 and the most choice in Year 4, during which time the students prepare for the matura examination. Students choose from different examination subjects, optional subjects and contents as core curriculum options. Through optional subjects and elective contents students undertake problem-solving exercises, field work and inter-disciplinary project work. Contents as core curriculum options include inter-curricular and general content, e.g. ethics for family, peace and non-violence; environmental care; health care; entrepreneurship; sports, culture and arts events; voluntary work; translation activities; citizenship education; course of effective learning; first aid course and traffic regulations course.

Students can also participate in additional extra-curricular activities (i.e. choir, artistic workshops, debating and literature group meetings, the school radio and the school newspaper). Schools organise extra foreign language courses and courses for gifted students preparing them for various competitions.

The Matura preparatory course is a short 1-year course intended for those who successfully complete a 4-year technical school and wish to take the matura exam needed for  access to university . The Matura preparatory course is also intended for those, who have successfully completed a vocational school or have not successfully completed gimnazija.

The syllabus of the general gimnazija:

* Lessons included in compulsory elective contents
** Psychology and Sociology may be introduced in Year 2 or 3, while Psychology can be introduced in Year 3 or 4.

Schools may adapt the number of hours intended for core curriculum options according to their specific profile and the preparation of students for the matura.

Assessment/certification

The primary aim of the assessment and evaluation of knowledge during the year is to foster learning so that students can progressively reach the standards of knowledge specified in the curriculum and examination catalogues. The law stipulates that: knowledge of subjects and other components of the course is tested and assessed through written tests, oral tests, exams, exercises, seminar work and demonstrations and by other means. The teacher must enable students to participate in the planning of the assessment and evaluation of knowledge. Students must be informed about the grades they receive. For students who fail to achieve minimum standards, individual teachers, or teams of teachers prepare an individualised learning plan, in cooperation with student, his/her parents and a school counsellor.

The Minister of Education issues rules specifying the different forms of evaluation. Prior to the evaluation, the subject teachers must, together with students, check the students' prior knowledge and students' attainment of knowledge standards. Testing of knowledge prior to the written evaluation is compulsory. Evaluation of knowledge in each subject is carried out by the relevant subject teacher, who also awards the students their end-of-year grades.

Following the assessments, students are given numerical and descriptive grades. The scale of grades used in numerical assessment is 1-5 . Grade 2 indicates satisfactory, 3 good, 4 very good, 5 excellent. Unsatisfactory (1) is a fail grade, while other grades (2-5) are pass grades. Other activities (extra-curricular activities, compulsory elective contents, field work and other activities) are graded with the descriptive grades: "pass" or "fail". At the end of each school year students receive their school year certificate which contains grades achieved in individual subjects, and the grade for their overall success (satisfactory, good, very good or excellent). The grade for the overall success is decided by the teachers' assembly based on the proposal of the teacher responsible for the group that the student belongs to. After successful completion of Year 4 of the gimnazija, students undertake the general matura examination - the external state wide examination. In order to complete gimnazija students must successfully pass these examinations.

The General matura examination is held in the spring and autumn term, in one or two parts. It comprises five subjects, of which three subjects are compulsory for all students (Slovenian/Hungarian/Italian, Mathematics and a foreign language), while the other two may be chosen from the list of matura subjects. The list of subjects is adopted by the Council of Experts for General Education based on the proposal of the National Committee for the general matura examination and with the consent of  higher education institutions.

Exams can be written; written and oral; written and practical; written, oral and practical; only practical or take the form of a demonstration. The forms of different exams are laid down in subject examination catalogues. Written exams are taken by all candidates on the same day and at the same time.

Examination sets are defined by committees specify same examination sets in upon the examination. The results are evaluated by external evaluators, experienced or retired teachers as well as teachers from higher education institutions.

A students' success in the matura examination is measured in points. These are converted into grades according to the criteria specified by the National Committee for the general matura examination and in accordance with a five-level grading scale. Some subject exams can be taken at a higher level, in which case, the grading scale changes appropriately. Students may improve their grade by retaking an exam once, not later than 2 years after successful completion of the matura examination.

Progression/guidance/transition arrangements

Students progress to the next year if they receive a pass grade in all subjects by the end of the school year and if they complete all the obligations specified by the relevant education programme. If students fail in three or less subjects, they may undertake a re-examination. Students with more than 3 fail grades may repeat a year once, although this can only be done once throughout the entire course. However, students with special needs and students with social or health concerns may repeat the same year several times.

Successful completion of gimnazija,  along with the completion of the matura examination, allows students to enter higher education. Admission criteria in higher education is based on results achieved at  matura examination. However, in some cases the admission criteria may also include grades achieved in specific subjects during upper-secondary school, either during  the last year or any year, the grade for overall success, or  tests of special skills, etc.

Responsibilities for vocational and educational guidance are shared amongst teachers and counsellors. Vocational guidance is partially included in the "Guidelines for the work of counselling services" and is carried out through several activities: visits of staff to different classes, individual consultations and workshops entitled "Where to go, after matura?" The development of vocational orientation plans and guidelines is entrusted to the National Education Institute. It initiates various projects, the purpose of which is to provide students with the ability to make autonomous decisions concerning their education and life in general and equip them with skills they need to plan their professional career.

Gimnazije help students to search for information about study opportunities provided by the higher education sector using ICT. School libraries supply students with publications, which describe higher education institutions, courses and professions. Lessons of information science equip students with the ability to search for information available on the Internet. Additionally, all teachers provide students with information about further career and education opportunities in his/her field of subject specialisation. Schools also regularly invite former students to present their personal experience; organise school trips to various companies and higher education institutions. Gimnazije plan vocational and professional guidance activities during their class- discussion hours, as part of cross-curricular contents and through the contents as core curriculum options.

Teachers

Teaching staff in general secondary schools include:

• general subject teachers;
• technical subject teachers;
• visiting teachers and foreign lecturers, who participate in foreign language teaching;
• counsellors, who provide counselling services;
• librarians, who are in charge of the school libraries and participate in lessons;
• teachers responsible for the organisation of contents as core curriculum options;
• teachers responsible for the organisation of adult education;
• teachers of practical subjects and skills
• laboratory assistants, instructors, staff responsible for the organisation of practical lessons.

A university degree in one or two subjects, equivalent to the 2nd cycle of Bologna studies is required for teachers of theoretical subjects, counsellors, librarians, contents as core curriculum options and for adult education teachers.

Teachers of practical subjects and skills are required to have a higher vocational education qualification (equivalent to ISCED 5B), while laboratory assistants, instructors and staff responsible for the organisation of practical lessons must have completed at least technical upper-secondary education programme (ISCED 3A).

Apart from the appropriate level of education in their field of instruction, all members of teaching staff must complete pedagogical and teacher training as well as pass the State Teacher Certification Examination.

In practice, the majority of teachers have completed a 4 year pre-Bologna university study programme in their relevant field. They will have then acquired their teaching skills during an additional 6-month theoretical training course at university. In addition, they acquire practical skills in a traineeship period prior to the State Teacher Certification Examination, which lasts from 6-10 months.

In general, teachers are full-time employees with the status of civil servants. They have the right and duty to participate in in-service training activities for at least 5 days per each school year. Further professional development and in-service training is also one of the prerequisites for promotion.