Czech school system Nursery school from the age

Czech school system

Nursery school • from the age of 3 to 6 • not compulsory • parents pay for it, only the last (pre-school) year is free • postponing compulsory education • some children aren’t ready for schools, so they can stay in the kindergarten 1 year longer (teacher suggests it, psychologist recommends it) • reasons: can’t speak well, is not mentally or socially ready, the child is often ill, …

Primary education • from the age of 6 -15 • compulsory education (since 1774) • free for everybody • Grades 1 -5 • have only 1 teacher • learn to read, write, count, basics of biology, geography, start with a language, … • can pass entrance exam to grammar school after grade 5 • Grades 6 -9 • more subjects, more lessons a week, more teachers • start with the 2 nd language + other subjects like Chemistry, Physics, …

Secondary education • • from the age of 15/16 last 3 or 4 years not compulsory finished by maturita exam or final exam Grammar schools (general secondary schools) Secondary Technical Schools Secondary Vocational Schools

Grammar school • entrance exams • last 4, 6 or 8 years • general education, preparation for universities • Finished by maturita exam • oral and written, 3 -4 subjects • written in Czech and Maths or a language • oral Czech, a language, 1 -2 other subjects • in May • oral part – 15 -20 minutes to prepare, 15 min talk on chosen topic

• • • Secondary Technical Schools entrance exams usually 4 years finished by maturita exam specializes in some subjects (IT, medicine, economics, …) prepare students for university or for practical jobs +conservatories (school for musically-talented students) Secondary Vocational Schools usually no entrance exams 3 -4 years finished by final exam except for studying, apprentices have professional training • prepare students for manual jobs (car mechanics, hairdressers, dressmakers, …. )

• • • Universities entrance exams last 3 -6 years academic studies finished by state exam, thesis degrees – Bc. , Ing. , MUDr, MVDr. , … universities are divided into faculties (e. g. Faculty of Education, Faculty of Textile Engineering, Faculty of Medicine, Faculty of Law, …) Doctoral studies • 2 -3 years, Ph. Dr. , RNDr. • work at university (teach, research, …)

Organization of a school year (in Czech elementary / secondary schools) • • from September to June 2 terms school report at the end of each term many holidays (summer, winter, Easter, …) • school starts at 8 am • usually 4 -8 lessons a day, 45 minutes/lesson • breaks between classes (10 or 20 minutes, lunch break)