Deficit of Democratic Care in the Educational System in Slovakia

Abstract

This chapter discusses the deficit of care in the Slovak education system in particular and examines it as an example of (non)democratic care practices. It shows why and how care ethics can be a useful tool for understanding and assess educational public policies in terms of their effectiveness for care, protection, development (not only) in the Slovak context and in the field of education. The chapter reflects on how a democratic deficit in education is linked to the lack of care in the education system in Slovakia and how that influences the failure of establishing an inclusive education system. As key factors of these processes it examines conditions for mutual trust and recognition of all stakeholders and how these are supported by educational policy through the analysis of relevant policy documents. It shows that democratization of educational care practice depends on the conceptualization of protection as a part of care in particular contexts.