Legal and institutional challenges of extracurricular mother tongue and culture instruction in Slovenia

Despite its formal inclusion in Slovenia’s constitutional and legal framework, extracurricular mother tongue and culture instruction (EMTCI) faces substantial implementation gaps shaped by unclear procedures, fragmented funding and uneven school-level support. Drawing on document analysis, Ministry of Education administrative records, and a cross-sectional survey of thirty-three EMTCI teachers, this article examines how the legal framework, funding mechanisms and organisational practices structure access to EMTCI for pupils with immigrant backgrounds. Empirical data reveal a significant implementation gap: much mother-tongue instruction occurs outside the Ministry of Education’s co-financing scheme and remains statistically invisible, while unclear procedures and the absence of secondary legislation limit effective access. Schools’ decisions to host classes, submit applications and inform parents directly shape EMTCI’s availability, continuity and visibility across languages and regions. These findings highlight the need for secondary legislation that clearly defines procedures and institutional responsibilities, ensures stable public funding and strengthens awareness of the benefits of multilingualism to create a more inclusive school environment. This article was published open access under a CC BY licence: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ .