The government punishes children for being poor, withdrawing benefits does not solve the problem of truancy. In reality, this is a dangerous and unfair step that punishes the most vulnerable families and can further deepen poverty in Slovakia. The deputy said it was oppositional Progressive Slovakia (PS) Ingrid Kosová in response to the Ministry of Labour, Social Affairs and Family (MPSVR) of the Slovak Republic, which launched the preparation of changes to the laws for the initiative Without school, there will be no benefits.
“The proposal entitled There will be no benefits without school is based on a simple but erroneous assumption – that the problem of truancy is primarily a matter of parental irresponsibility. However, the reality is much more complex. It is often a consequence of poverty, poor living conditions, unavailability of kindergartens, segregation or insufficient support from the state. Unsubscribing does not solve these problems. On the contrary, it worsens them,” said Kosová.
“If you take money from a family that is already living on the edge, you’re not punishing the parent. You’re punishing the child. And that is in direct contradiction to what the government declares today,” she declared. According to Kosova, the government is trying to cover the simple reality with nice words about protecting children. “When you take money from a poor family, you’re not only punishing the parent – you’re punishing the child the most. To say that ‘nobody loses a cent’ is simply misleading. This government plans to take money from the most vulnerable. And he does it consciously,” Kosová added.
Kosová identified investments in accessible and high-quality education from the pre-school level, support for teachers, systematic work with families in the field, elimination of segregation in education, and stronger support for schools in difficult regions as priority measures. The MP considers it particularly worrying that, although the proposal is formulated as ethnically neutral, its practical effects will with a high probability disproportionately affect a specific ethnic group. especially children from marginalized Roma communities. According to her, instead of systematic support, the state chooses a repressive approach, which further marginalizes these communities. “This solution places responsibility solely on families without addressing the systemic failures of the state. I urge the government to stop punishing poverty and start addressing its causes,” concluded Kosova.
The Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications has launched the preparation of changes to the laws for the initiative Without school, there will be no benefits. The new legislation should enter into force on January 1, 2027. On Tuesday, the head of the department Erik Tomáš (Hlas-SD) announced this at a joint press conference with the Minister of Education, Research, Development and Youth Tomáš Drucker (Hlas-SD) and the Commissioner for Children Jozef Miklošek. According to the Minister of Labor, the key change will be the expansion of the already existing mechanism, the so-called special beneficiary. If the child does not attend school properly, the allowance will first go to a special recipient, usually the municipality. After this period, however, families are at risk of having their allowance withdrawn completely.
