Almost 230 schools and kindergartens across Slovenia received bomb threats by email early on 27 January and at least 18 cancelled classes in what turned out to be a hoax.

The schools received a generic message similar to emails sent to schools in other countries in Europe in recent months.

Because it was assessed as posing low risk to security, schools and kindergartens were advised to continue the educational process, the General Police Administration said.

The email was sent to more than 800 addresses in 229 primary and secondary schools, and kindergartens.

Slovenia has more than 450 primary schools and 178 secondary schools according to Education Ministry data. There are 416 kindergartens, though about half are attached to primary schools.

Schools respond in different ways

Classes were cancelled in 18 schools and in an as yet unknown number of kindergartens, Education Minister Vinko Logaj said.

Police acted on the threats, securing school premises and vacating them in agreement with the school managements. "We will always do everything we can to protect children, because of course they come first," Primož Ogrinc, head of the terrorism and extreme violence department at the General Police Administration, told reporters.

While in some schools students and staff returned to class after the initial scare, others sent the kids home and will resume classes on 28 January.

The Education Ministry said that a special protocol to notify relevant stakeholders and take action in case of threats was activated immediately at primary and secondary schools.

The new protocol that determines the course of action in the event of security threats aimed at schools was put in place in June 2024, two months after an anonymous online threat led to panic in schools due to what was widely condemned as an overreaction by the authorities.

"We sent a circular to all schools at 8:23am stating that [the email] was a generic message and that there was a low level of risk," Logaj said. He described the reaction by headteachers as fast and proportionate.

Interior Minister Boštjan Poklukar said police "immediately acted in line with protocol". While it was soon clear that the risk was low, he said police did not leave anything to chance.

"I'm glad that this was not too bad, but we have to be careful. The examples in Serbia and Zagreb have made it clear that we need to be cautious, especially when it comes to the most vulnerable groups," the minister said.

A police investigation under Article 314 of the Criminal Code, which makes causing general danger a criminal offence, is ongoing.