Rankings do not comprehensively evaluate the quality of a school, but they inform about the students’ results. These results do not consider the differences between the students of individual schools caused by various factors other than the educational process (such as the different social background), they do not cover the whole content of education and they do not assess the added value of a school, that is, what skills and knowledge has the school delivered to its students. Rankings can therefore be a useful indicator when choosing a school, but they should mainly draw the public into the discussion about the quality of schools.

For acquiring a more precise image, the parents should ask the schools about the further prospects of the students, either in enrollment on universities, or when entering the labor market. Important are also information on the performance of the students in various competitions, on the technical equipment, or the structure of the classes.

This project was supported by a grant from the Foundation Open Society Institute in cooperation with the Think Tank Fund of the Open Society Foundations. The project is run by INEKO Institute which is a non-governmental non-profit organization established in support of economic and social reforms which aim to remove barriers to the long-term positive development of the Slovak economy and society. INEKO is not responsible for the full functionality of portals created by INEKO or third parties, or for the accuracy of data displayed on the created portals.