11/08/1998
I thank the organisers of the World Conference of the ministers of youth for having invited me and the possibility to make an address at this summit with a short contribution about the work with youth in Slovakia.
The Government of the Slovak Republic has commissioned the Ministry of Education of the Slovak Republic to perform the State administration in the field of care of youth, and this activity is being performed through the Youth Department. The Ministry of Education is responsible for the conceptional and legislative activities, making system measures, creating conditions for making use of the leisure time, as well as for financial support of activity of the subjects working with children and youth.
The State youth policy is being developed in accordance with the "Principles of State Policy Related With Youth in The Slovak Republic", which were approved by the SR Government on January 7, 1992. The basic aim of the State youth policy in the Slovak Republic is to develop the partnership collaboration with youth, to support their independence, responsibility and readiness to selfassistance, as well as to support young people's participation in the life of the society. At present, about 300 civic associations act in Slovakia, working with children and youth. There are about 60 children and youth organisations which are associated in two summit organisations - the Slovak Youth Council (about 40 member organisations) and the Slovak Youth Assembly (about 20 organisations). Through these summit organisations, young people take part in the process of decision making on all essential matters affecting their work and activity and which pertain to the competence of the Youth Department.
The basic directions of action of the Youth Department are realised through the following items:
*Programmes of protection and support of children and youth in the Slovak Republic, which have been declared by the Ministry of Education of the SR, each year, since 1992, and within the framework of which the children and youth organisations and other subjects working with children and youth can creatively take part through projects'in a concrete work with children and youth or create conditions for it. The programmes of protection and support of children are being realised on two levels - the all-Slovakia level and the district level. In realising the Programmes on the district level, the Ministry of Education of he SR closely collaborates with organs of the local State administration organs (district offices). In 1998, the Government of the SR has allocated Sk 16,000,000.- to the Programmes on all-Slovakia level and Skl8,000,000.- to the programmes on district levels.
*Providing financial means designed to the development of associations and unions, oriented tothe young generation. The Ministry of Education of the SR helps in this way to implement the activity of children apd youth associations and contributes to support youth activities of different nature. In 1999, the Government has allocated Sk 16,000,000.- to the development of associations and unions, which have been distributed among 22 children and youth associations, which meet the required criteria and have an all-Slovakia action.
Forming conditions for the development of international collaboration and supporting the mobility of children and youth, which is realised especially based on bilateral agreements, and participation of the Slovak Republic in programmes of the European Union of Youth for Europe I I I
*Support of full-value making use of the leisure time of children and youth in leisure time centres and school centres of interesting activity. About 2200 professional expert, educational, and operating workers are active in these purposeful premises, the number of which amounts to 130 in the Slovak Republic. *Support to the creation and operation of an information system about youth by means of which information is being obtained, recorded and evaluated, which is necessary for conceptualisation, planning, and realisation of the State policy related with youth.
As to our conception of the State youth policy, we keep the principle that the work with youth is the place where, in common with youth and its representatives, we teach tolerance, constructive dialogues, and mutual acceptance of various opinions. The Slovak Youth Council and the Slovak Youth Assembly, as summit youth associations, take part, in the most important moments of decision making, in a real partnership with State organs. However it must be emphasised that the relatively low ratio of organisation of young people (only about 8% of youth in Slovakia are organised in children and youth associations) leads to the fact that only a low percentage of young people is really linked with the process of decision making. The low ratio of organisation of youth, however, can be understood owing to the more or less obligatory membership in a unique youth organisation for long years in the past. Therefore it is a positive fact that even after the experience, a part of youth is interested in public affairs and is willing to collaborate and to be co-responsible for the development of the society. Therefore we see our common task - of youth organisations and organs of the State administration - also in supporting the interest of young people in the life around them and their engagement in societal affairs.