In response to the educational needs of children displaced from Ukraine, amendments to existing legislation were introduced in Slovakia. 

The Lex Ukraine 4 legislation package brings vital amendments to the laws governing state administration in education and school self-governance, explicitly addressing the needs of Ukrainian refugee children (144/2024 Coll, which amends and supplements Act No. 480/2002 Coll. on Asylum and on Amendments and Supplements to Certain Laws as amended, and which amends and supplements certain laws).

The new amendments create a legal framework for municipalities to temporarily maintain a register of refugees residing within their jurisdiction, specifically targeting those of school age who are required to attend compulsory or pre-primary education. This framework enables municipalities to collect and process data from relevant information systems, allowing for better oversight of and support for refugee children. Previously, the legal provisions only allowed for the registration of children with permanent residency, excluding refugees who do not have permanent residency status in Slovakia and, consequently, are not subject to compulsory schooling and pre-primary education requirements. The new legislation empowers municipalities to gather data on how many refugees of school age are enrolled in local schools, ensuring that their educational needs are met.

Additionally, the school law has been revised to outline the procedure for cases in which a refugee wishes to discontinue their education (due to permanently leaving Slovakia, for instance). A legal guardian or the refugee individual themselves (if they are of legal age) can notify the school principal of their intention to cease education. Following this notification, they will no longer be considered a student at the relevant preschool, primary school, or secondary school. The effective date for discontinuing education will be the day after the notification is received or the date specified in the notification (though not earlier than the day after receipt). If a minor refugee's legal guardian or the refugee themselves fail to notify the school principal about discontinuing their education and do not participate in the educational process, the refugee will cease to be considered a student at the preschool, primary, or secondary school after 30 days from their last attendance.

This new legal framework for refugee children from Ukraine in the laws governing state administration in education and school self-governance came into effect on 1 September 2024.