SLOVAK SWALS (Students Without A Language Section)
Welcome to the webpage of the parents of the Slovak SWALS students at the European school III in Ixelles (Brussels)
We are open to co-operation with parents, management, students and other stakeholders of the European schools. In this way we would like to contribute to the progress of our school.
Feel free to contact us.
- Persons representing the parents of the Slovak SWALS students:
Ms Eliška Mamdaniová
Ms Monika Suchanová
Mr Matúš Minárik
Contact address: ixelles.sk.parents@gmail.com
- Person representing the parents of the Slovak SWALS in APEEE is Mr Pavol Juhas.
- Persons representing the parents of the Slovak SWALS students in the Pedagogical Committee of APEEE: Ms Monika Suchanová (in the past also Mr Roman Doubrava).
- Persons representing the parents of the Slovak SWALS students in the school library (primary level): Ms Marta Mičietová and Ms Zuzana Čunderlíková. Volunteers in the school library (primary level): Ms Marta Mičietová, Ms Danica Page-Murančanová (in the past also Ms Judita Podolinská).
General information on SWALS students
A fundamental principle of the European Schools is the teaching of mother tongue /dominant language as first language (L1). This principle implies the pupil’s enrolment in the section of his/her mother tongue/ dominant language where such a section exists.
This principle may be waived only where the child has been educated in a language other than his/her mother tongue/dominant language for a minimum of two years at primary or secondary level. The European Schools will presume in that case that the child will be capable of continuing his/her schooling in the language in question.
In schools where the section corresponding to a pupil’s mother tongue/dominant language does not exist, he/she will generally be enrolled in one of the vehicular language sections (remark – English, French, German). He/She will attend the classes in his/her mother tongue/ dominant language organised for so-called SWALS (Students Without A Language Section) as L1.
Parents will not be free to choose their child’s first language (L1), its determination being the responsibility of the school’s Director. L1 must correspond to the child’s mother tongue or dominant language, in the case of multilingual children, the dominant language being the one of which they have the best command.
Should there be any dispute about the pupil’s L1, it will be the Director’s responsibility to determine which language it is, on the basis of the information provided by the pupils’ legal representatives on the enrolment form and by requiring the pupil to take comparative language tests, organised and under the control of the school’s teachers. The tests will be organised whatever the pupil’s age and teaching level, i.e. including the nursery cycle.
Determination of L1 at the time of the child’s enrolment is definitive in principle. A change of Language 1 may only be authorised by the Director for compelling pedagogical reasons, duly established by the Class Council and on the initiative of one of its members. Should a new language section be created, children previously enrolled with SWALS status and who had the language of this new section as their Language 1 will automatically be admitted to the newly created language section without the need for them to be required to take comparative language tests. In that case, a change of L1 may only be authorised by the Director for compelling pedagogical reasons, duly established by the Class Council and on the initiative of one of its members.
(article 47e), page 31, General Rules of the European Schools, Réf. : 2014-03-D-14-en-1)
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