Investor Presentaiton

Curriculum The binding document for education in basic school as well as in lower stage of multi-year secondary general school is the Framework Educational Programme for Basic Education (FEP BE) approved by the MEYS in 2005. On the basis of the FEP BE, schools have to prepare their own school educational programmes (SEPs): in 2010/11 schools were providing instruction according to their SEPS in most grades. The FEP BE defines nine main educational areas consisting of one or more educational fields, cross-curricular topics, complementary educational fields and key competences of a school leaver. It specifies the curriculum of the fields, i.e. the recommended content and expected outcomes at the end of every period (the first stage is divided into first and second periods: years 1-3 and 4-5). The educational areas are: (1) Language and language communication, (2) Mathematics and its application, (3) ICT, (4) People and their world, (5) People and society, (6) People and nature, (7) Art and culture, (8) People and their health, (9) People and the world of work. The cross-curricular topics comprise: Personal and social education, Education for democratic citizenship, Education towards thinking in the European and global context, Multicultural education, Environmental education, and Media studies. 4 5 6 The SEP BE divides the curriculum into particular years (or other compact parts, e.g. modules) and into subjects and specifies the syllabus. One educational field can form part of one or more subjects or the educational content of different fields can be combined into an 'integrated subject'. Schools profile themselves through their SEPs. Teaching of a foreign language starts in the 3rd year, but the school head can include it in the 1st year if pupils are interested and parents agree. The pupils must be offered the instruction in English before other languages. Teachers can choose their own teaching methods, within the scope of the proposals or recommendations articu- lated in the educational programme and according to the general policy of the school. Each school has a free choice of textbooks. Assessment The general principles of assessment of pupils' educational results are set out in the Education Act. The rules of pupils' assessment are defined by each school in the School Code and respect the MEYS's degree and curriculum. Continuous assessment is provided by teachers and 5-point scale is most commonly used. Continuous assessment results are summarized in a school report at the end of each semester. According to the MEYS degree, the 5-point scale, verbal assessment (authorized at all educational levels since 2005) or a combination of both may be used in the school report. Final school reports are issued with proof that the required level of basic education has been reached. Pupils who have not succeeded in all compulsory subjects can repeat a year once at every sta- ge. Nevertheless, Czech com- pulsory school attendance is characterised by its low rate of failure - for a number of years the average number of pupils repeating a grade has been less than 1%. 7 Support and guidance Educational staff responsible for guidance services at schools include: educational counsellors school prevention specialists (sometimes) school psychologists or special educators. Their activities include assistance in preventing pupil failure, dealing with socially pathological phenomena, support to pupils with special educational needs and special talent and career guidance. Schools can cooperate with educational and psychological guidance services or (in case of disabled children) special educational centres. Special educational needs In general, the emphasis is on integrating SEN pupils into regular classes, which is an important principle of inclusive education and is also stressed also in the new Education Act. (2.4% of the population falls outside mainstream education.) If required by the nature of the disability, schools, eventually classes, departments or study groups using adapted educational programmes are established for disabled chil- dren, pupils or students. Pupils with serious mental disability, pupils with multiple disabilities, and autistic pupils are entitled to be educated at special schools, which exist from the pre-primary to upper secondary level. Their curriculum and qualifications are as close as possible to those of mainstream schools and the methods are appropriate to the specific educational problems. At the compulsory level, the basic special school can be established for pupils with me- dium and severe mental disabilities and multiple mental disabilities and a basic practical school for pupils with mild mental disabilities. These pupils can continue their education in courses at a practical school (ISCED 2C) or a secondary vocational school (ISCED 3C) - two secondary schools set up for pupils with lower study prerequisites - or in other special vocational courses at upper sec- ondary level (ISCED 3C) for pupils with mild mental disabilities and for those who have not successfully completed lower secondary education. Attendance at a special school requires a recommendation from the appropriate authority and parental consent. Teachers Would-be teachers at a primary and lower-secondary level of education must obtain a university qualification at Master's level (4 or 5 years course, usually at a faculty of education), which includes relatively short practical experience. Teachers at the pri- mary level are generalists, at lower-secondary specialists. They do not have the status of civil servants and their prescribed teaching load is 22 lessons per week. 20 24 21

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