Ljubljana - The government adopted on Thursday a bill to introduce emergency measures in education in light of the cost of living crisis. The bill will be fast-tracked and includes steps such as freezing the prices of school meals and student dorm fees, said Education Minister Igor Papič.

This is a new piece of legislation in a series of measures to alleviate the cost of living crisis. The proposal includes measures to mitigate the consequences and impact of high prices, which would help significantly to reduce costs, the minister said at a press conference after the government's meeting.

Under the law, the price of school meals for primary and secondary school students would not increase in the coming school year and would remain the same as in the 2021-2022 school year, while the difference between the cost and the price charged to parents would be covered by the state budget in order to ensure the positive business performance of schools.

The government also proposes that students who are accommodated in secondary school dormitories would pay a boarding fee the same as the starting price in the January-August period.

If the dormitory set the actual price of the fee lower than the starting price in the previous school year, students would pay the fee at that lower price. The difference in the price of the fee would also be covered with budget funds.

The proposal includes measures to mitigate the effects of high prices, especially surging energy prices, so it would also cap student accommodation costs in the next academic year by capping subsidised prices of public and private dorms for university students.

The costs of these measures will be at EUR 4 million this year and EUR 14 million in 2023, Papič said.

The law would apply retroactively from 1 September, so it is important the proposal is fast-tracked, he added.