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Czech System of Education

School attendance in the Czech Republic is compulsory from the age of 6 to 15. Most children attend state school, but there are also newly established private and church schools. Education at state schools up to 18 is free of charge but students at secondary schools must pay for their textbooks. Private and church schools charge school fees. All schools are coeducational. Children in our school system do not wear uniforms. Handicapped children are educated separately. The school year starts on 1^st September and ends on 30^th June of the following year. The school year is divided into two terms (September - January, February - June). A school day is different at different types of schools. The average number of lessons at a secondary school is around thirty a week, primary schools have fewer lessons. While specialized schools often have more. Classes begin between 8 and 8.15 and there are from 4 to 6 lessons in a row, followed by a lunch break. Usually 45 minutes long, which is one period, and afternoon classes. Afternoon classes end between 4 and 5 at the latest. Breaks between the lessons last from 5 to 15 minutes. Pupils and students are evaluated by marks from 1 to 5, 1is the best, 5 is the worst. Each term students get their school report with marks from both compulsory and elective subjects.

Education in our country includes these stages: pre-school, primary, secondary and tertiary. Pre-school education is provided by creches for children up to 3 year's of age and nursery schools for children aged 3 to 6. Not many children attend creches but quite a lot of them attend kindergartens. At 6 children start to go to primary schools and they stay there until 15. At the age of 15 the pupils transfer from primary to secondary school. Some pupils, whose parents wish them to, can transfer to grammar schools at the age of 11 after they have passed an entrance examination. At the age of 15 pupils can choose among a variety of secondary schools: a) grammar schools with general and rather academic education which prepare students for university study b) special schools which include technical colleges, specialized in building, chemistry, engineering etc., business academies, agricultural schools, nursing schools, music and art schools which offer professional education and c) vocational schools training would-be workers for practical jobs. Secondary education usually lasts for 4 years and at grammar and specialized schools it is finished with school-leaving examination which is required by all universities and colleges. This examination is taken in four subjects at grammar schools (Czech, a foreign language and two optional subjects chosen from foreign languages, science subjects or humanities) and in five or more subjects at specialized schools. The examination is held in May and is mostly oral except Czech in which an essay is written about a month before. The oral part of the exam takes about two hours - half an hour for each subject. A student chooses one of 25 to 30 topics by drawing a number and after 15 minutes preparation he/she speaks on the topic and solves given tasks. After the graduates have passed their school-leaving exam they receive the School-Leaving Certificate and they can apply for study at universities and colleges. - Universities and colleges provide tertiary education which lasts from 4 to 6 years. Each secondary school graduate can apply for as many universities and colleges as he/she likes but before he/she is accepted they have to pass an entrance examination in the subjects in which the university specializes. The examination consists of a written test and an interview. Every large regional town in our country is a seat of a university or college now but the oldest ones are the most renowned. Our oldest university is Charles University in Prague, founded by Charles IV in 1348 as the first Central and East European university. Other notable universities are Masaryk University in Brno, Palacky University in Olomouc and Purkyne Universityin Usti nad Labem. Prague has also one of the two technical universities in our country (CVUT), the other one is in Brno. Undergraduates can study a variety of subjects such as economics, foreign trade, architecture, law, journalism, the humanities, foreign languages, medicine, science, music, art, drama, engineering or computer science at various schools e.g. School of Economics or Architecture, Law, Medical or Science Faculty, Faculty of Journalism, Arts, Teachers Training College, Art School, College of Agriculture, technical universities or polytechnics.

The university or college students can enroll at three-year courses for a Bachelors Degree or four and five year courses for a Master's Degree. Medicine usually takes 6 years. The university or college study is finished with a state examination and every undergraduate also has to write a thesis in order to receive a diploma in a certain field of study. The diploma is handed over at a graduation ceremony. Doctoral Degrees are awarded after another few years of study, which may be also individual, and completion of another few years of study, which may be also individual, and completion of another thesis. Full-time university students are expected to bear the expense of their tuition and they must also pay for their accommodation and board. The students from distant places usually lodge at a hall of residence (dorm). Only a limited number of students get a grant or scholarship. For those who do not want to enter the university there are various types of two year training courses such as for managers, businessmen, social workers, specialized nurses or language experts.

(Jana Chuda, Tomas Chudy: Topics for English Conversation", page 18)