The aim of the national project is to contribute to the reduction of ESL at primary and secondary schools in Slovakia: introducing an early warning system for ESL; ensuring the accompaniment of OE and OZ in the implementation of tools and procedures specifically aimed at preventing ESL in selected primary and secondary schools; education of OE and OZ in SPaP focusing on the application of the early warning system and setting up support for pupils at risk of ESL. The aim of the national project is to create and validate an early warning system for ESL, to prepare it for implementation at national level and to create methodological materials and education for the application of targeted support measures for pupils at risk of ESL. National project sub-objectives: Comprehensively map the causes and factors contributing to ESL in the Slovak context Ensure accompanying and supporting ESL in selected primary and secondary schools in the pilot implementation of the early warning system and support measures aimed at preventing ESL Create methodological materials and education of ESL and OL in the SPaP for ESL prevention and the application of targeted support measures for pupils at risk of ESL, following the mapping of the causes and factors contributing to ESL and the experience gained during accompanying ESL and OL in selected primary and secondary schools and ZPP Create analytical material from the pilot implementation of the early warning system for the needs of the department, which will include recommendations to support ESL prevention at the systemic level (e.g. funding of support measures, complementing the Catalogue of support measures, etc.) Disseminate knowledge at local, regional and national level through information seminars Main outputs of the national project: Established and verified early warning system for ESL as a basis for its implementation at national level 2 methodological materials for primary and secondary education institutions to prevent ESL at primary and secondary schools (for the use of the early warning system) and to implement targeted support measures – methodological materials will be developed following the pilot implementation of the early warning system, during the process of accompanying primary and secondary education institutions and primary education institutions Min. 24 information seminars to ensure awareness of the early warning system and methodologies to prevent ESL – the expert seminars are intended for representatives of schools, primary and secondary education institutions, state administration and local authorities Analytical material “Causes and factors contributing to ESL in the Slovak context”, which will include a summary of the mapping of causes and factors contributing to ESL and systemic recommendations to promote prevention before ESL at sectoral level – priority recommendations to complement the expert outputs used in methodological support in the ESL and proposals to complement the Catalogue of support measures in the field of ESL. Key results of the national project: Min. 20 schools that piloted an early warning system Min. 1020 PZ and OZ in SPaP, who participated in education focused on the application of the early warning system and setting support for pupils at risk of ESL Database of causes and factors contributing to ESL, available to the Ministry of Education of the Slovak Republic and its PRO to ensure targeted prevention and intervention; for researchers in follow-up research activities Min. 3 600 pupils affected by the intervention Projected impact of the national project: The early warning system is used at a systemic level and contributes to reduced ESL rates in primary and secondary schools Schools are able to identify ESL risks in pupils in a timely manner by using the ESL early warning system and OEs have methodological materials and education to prevent ESL and are able to apply targeted support measures to prevent ESL Information on the causes and riskiness of ESL acts as a basis for multidisciplinary and interdepartmental cooperation of all actors able to influence ESL at both preventive and intervention levels Reduced ESL rates lead to savings in public expenditure, for example in the area of social assistance