Slovakia Today, English Language Current Affairs Programme from Slovak Radio

With schools remaining closed indefinitely in Slovakia due to coronavirus measures, both parents and teachers are searching for ways to cope. While parents who lack teaching skills express frustration, teachers and educational authorities are likewise struggling with the question of how best to manage the situation. We speak with Peter Dráľ, an education specialist and current director of the civic assocation New Education, about how the current situation is revealing already-existing problems in the educational system and offering a unique opportunity for reform. Monika Dojčárová, an English teacher at a primary school in Slovakia who has now begun online lessons with groups of her students via Skype, talks about how well it's working, what she is learning from the experience, and the relief felt by overburdened parents once these lessons started.