Investor Presentaiton
10
10
Education Policy
of the Czech Republic
The Czech system of education has undergone several important reforms during the past
20 years. Several reform processes and changes are especially of high importance:
The Education Act set a two-level structure for educational programmes for
pre-primary, compulsory and upper secondary education (incl. initial vocational educa-
tion and training). Framework Educational Programmes specify the concrete objectives,
form, length and compulsory content of education and some general conditions for their
implementation, as well as conditions for the education of pupils with special educa-
tional needs. Each school has to draw up its own School educational programme in
accordance with the Framework Educational Programme and the school's conditions.
In the area of higher education the Bologna process has fundamentally influ-
enced the system of tertiary education in the Czech Republic. Besides significant massi-
fication of higher education, all initiatives approved by the Ministers in the framework of
Bologna process have been adopted (i.e. 3-structure system, ECTS, diploma supplement,
quality assurance, etc., the national qualification framework is being developed).
Bologna process implementation report 2012 - results for the Czech Republic:
Degree System
Range of five colours:
Quality Assurance
Recognition
from dark green (fully implemented)-green-yellow- -orange- to red
(not implemented/insufficient implementation)
Sources: http://www.ehea.info/
-The Czech Republic has adopted the key principles of lifelong learning and in
line with the European Union policy the Strategy of Lifelong Learning was approved
by the Government in 2007. Seven strategic priorities for the development of lifelong
learning in the Czech Republic have been defined: (1) recognition and permeability, (2)
equal access, (3) functional literacy, (4) social partnership, (5) demand stimulation, (6)
quality, (7) counselling services. This strategy is followed by the Implementation Plan,
where responsibilities, timetable, financial provision and procedures are specified.
In response to the Recommendation of the European Parliament and the Council of the EU on the devel-
opment of European Qualification Framework (EQF), the Czech Republic is developing the National qualification
framework which is should be based on a national qualification register and national qualification framework
for tertiary education.
Ongoing reforms
A number of reforms have been introduced to respond to current challenges (results of Czech pupils and students
in international surveys, labour market needs, demography, support for competitiveness, etc.). These reforms are
also mentioned in the National Reform Programme of the Czech Republic.
The following reform steps are crucial:
1) Improving the quality and availability of pre-school education
The Government will take steps to facilitate the establishment of pre-school education institutions by removing
existing regulatory barriers, especially the superfluous demands regarding specific conditions for the establish-
ment of such facilities. The Government will also financially support the establishment of company nurseries and
increase the availability of preschool education for children from socially disadvantaged backgrounds.
i.
2) Systematic improvements in the quality of education and reform of the education system
Beginning with the school year 2013/2014, the Government will introduce systematic evaluation
of results of education of pupils of the 5 and the 9 basic school grades and of the corresponding grades
of six- and eight-year secondary grammar schools with the aim of using such results in its own evaluation
of the school. The evaluation will focus primarily on the pupil's orietation in his/her own knowledge and
on his/her ability to make use of attained skills. Such evaluation system will be motivating for the school;
concrete results will be provided only to the pupil and to the school.
ii. Focus will be placed on the social integration role of basic education and equal access to education.
By 2020 the Government will reduce the number of children educated outside the mainstream.
iii. Conditions for teaching staff should be improved by a new system of remuneration for teachers, which will
be closely linked to the career system and both these systems will motivate teachers towards lifelong
improvement of the quality of their work.
iv. Reform of school-leaving examination (at the end of upper secondary education) focuses on the
comparability of knowledge among all students from different types of upper secondary schools.
A new final examination in vocational education should also be introduced.
v. European tools such as European Quality Assurance in VET or others should be also used for improvement
of cooperation between VET and employers.
vi. Further steps are planned for the support of adult education, especially through the recognition of further
education results and the development of a national qualification framework..
vii. A new model of norms for financing of the regional education system are being elaborated. This model will
include also other parameters, which will contribute to the optimisation of the network of schools (with
regard to the demographic development). The reform will also take into account all types of special
educational needs and will provide support to the basic schools involved in the integration and
provision of mainstream education with the aim of educating pupils with special educational needs.
3) Higher education reform
Reform targets in higher education are focused on the following priorities: raising the quality, excellence and
relevance of education and other activities of higher education institutions; the diversification of higher educa-
tion institutions according to their specific mission and the performance achieved; the opening up of higher
education institutions in an international, national and regional context and to the needs of various social part-
ners and groups; the efficient use of legal, economic and other Government instruments to rationally guide the
development of higher education. The main instruments for achieving these targets are of both a legislative and
non-legislative nature. The new Higher Education Act, which is being prepared, involves the financial participation
from students and the Act on Financial Assistance. These Acts are the basic legislative materials concerning the
higher education system and which will newly define, among others, the basic types of higher schools, will balance
the competencies of the main bodies of public higher schools and will ensure comprehensive regulation of the
relation between the state and the higher schools.
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