Education in the Czech Republic

Briefly about the main thing

Education in the Czech Republic is free and compulsory for all residents of the country aged 6 to 15 years. However, there are some exceptions here, for example, preschool institutions, the stay in which is paid by the parents, with the exception of the last year of the child's stay in kindergarten, but more on that later.

There has been talk of introducing tuition fees at universities in the country for quite a long time, but today education is officially free, parents pay only for textbooks and meals (if their child eats in the university cafeteria). An important fact that significantly affects the family budget is that for students under 26 years of age, medical insurance in the Czech Republic is free, that is, it is paid by the state (but only if the student has permanent residence or citizenship of the state).

Officially , the Czech education system is divided into four stages:

• Preschool education – from 3 to 6 years;
• Compulsory primary education – from 6 to 15 years;
• Vocational education (gymnasiums, vocational schools and courses);
• Higher education (institutes, colleges and universities).

Kindergartens

The concept of preschool education in the Czech Republic is based on the same principles as in most other countries: from an early age to teach a child key knowledge and skills that he can use throughout his life to become more successful in the modern "information" world.

The local preschool education system is very diverse. Parents can choose from municipal or private kindergartens, as well as from a small number of preschool institutions operating under churches. The gardens can accept kids full-time (stay from 6.5 to 12 hours a day), half-day (up to 6.5 hours a day) or full board on a round-the-clock basis. A distinctive feature of the Czech kindergarten is considered to be mixed age groups: there are both pre-school children and the very crumbs, which in Russia are usually identified in a nursery. At the same time, separate stay in groups of boys and girls is practiced in religious children's institutions.

Kindergartens (školka) in the Czech Republic are paid, except for the last year of stay in them. The payment for the maintenance of 6-year-olds in the kindergarten graduation group is compensated by the state, region or municipality; this is done so that before entering school, children must attend kindergarten during the year, learn to interact in a team and develop immunity, having been ill with major childhood diseases. In other cases, the amount of payment is set by the management of the children's educational institution. On average, the maintenance of a child in a state kindergarten costs parents 500 kronor per month. A private kindergarten will monthly "facilitate" the family budget by 7,000-40,000 CZK. The baby's stay (from 6 months to 3 years) in a private nursery costs approximately 3000-6000 crowns per month.

Schools and gymnasiums

Elementary school (základní škola) consists of 9 classes, and the learning process is divided into two stages. As in Russia, at the first stage, which lasts five years, all subjects in the school are taught by one teacher, the second teacher is involved, for example, to conduct lessons of a foreign language or physical education. The main subjects at this stage are Czech, the first foreign language (mainly English), mathematics, computer science, fundamentals of history and geography, fundamentals of sciences, drawing, music, physical education and labor. The first stage of education is available in almost all towns and villages of the Czech Republic. At the second stage, in the 6-9 year of study, the list of subjects studied is expanded. In particular, the study of a second foreign language, social studies, physics, biology, chemistry is introduced, and an in-depth study of history and geography begins.

In public schools, education is free of charge and is provided to both Czech children and foreign children, provided they confirm their legal residence status in the country. At the same time, parents should be prepared that the entire learning process is conducted in Czech. You can study in Russian at a school under the Government of the Russian Federation, where the monthly tuition fee is 2000-3000 kronor. You can get an education and simultaneously study Russian, Czech and English at the gymnasium school "Dialog", which also has the opportunity to stay on full board. In this case, parents will have to pay 13 500-16 000 CZK per month.

Education in international schools is always paid. The cost of English-language schools rarely falls below 10 000 per academic year, and representatives of the British education system are considered the most prestigious, and therefore the most expensive educational institutions. International schools with an educational program in German or French can cost €7000 per year.

Gymnasiums in the Czech Republic belong to professional education, without which it is impossible to enter a university. They can be general education and specialized with a bias. An 8-year-old gymnasium can be entered after the 5th grade of elementary school; a 6-year-old after the 7th grade of elementary school and a 4-year-old after the 9th grade of elementary school.

Despite the increasing spread of inclusive education, that is, when disabled children study in regular schools, there are specialized schools for students with a complex form of mental retardation or severe physical limitations, where the list of subjects and the depth of the material studied are reduced to the necessary minimum. Foreign children who need a special approach to the educational process are also admitted to specialized schools.

Universities

There are 26 public or public, 2 government and 42 private universities in the Czech Republic. Considering that both government universities - the Police Academy of the Czech Republic and the University of Defense in Brno - have a military orientation, it is not surprising that they are not under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Education, but under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Defense and the Ministry of Internal Affairs.

To date, there are more than 42,000 foreign students studying in the Czech Republic. And, based on the fact that the Czech higher education system dates back more than six hundred years, when in 1348 Emperor Charles IV founded the university in Prague, it is not surprising that Czech higher education institutions attract so many foreign students. Now the oldest educational institution in Central Europe is called Charles University.

In 2001, the Czech Republic joined the Bologna System, which implies the division of education into three stages: bachelor's, master's and doctoral studies. The main language of instruction is Czech, but the range of programs organized in foreign languages (mainly in English) is expanding, in particular, to meet the demand from foreign students. You can study in English at a number of Czech universities, for example, at the Higher School of Applied Arts in Prague, the Czech Technical University in Prague, the Brno Technical University, the Czech Agrotechnical University, Charles University, Masaryk University in Brno and many other universities in the country.

The cost of training varies depending on the educational institution, specialty and academic degree received. For example, a year of study at Charles University at the Faculty of Physical Education and Sports, specialty Physiotherapy (bachelor's degree) will cost about 8000 euros per year, annual study at the same university, but at the Protestant Theological Faculty will cost 500 euros. Training in both programs is conducted in English. For comparison, the most expensive course of study in English can be taken here, at the prestigious Charles University at the Faculty of Medicine, specializing in dentistry, a year of study for a master's degree will cost about 13,000 euros.

The main requirement for admission to a bachelor's or master's degree is the presence of a diploma of full education or a diploma of professional education with a certificate of maturity. For admission, it is necessary to send a package of documents to a specific selected university. The minimum set includes an application, an entrance fee for admission and consideration of the application (an average of 500 kronor) and one special condition of the university, for example, a resume, a motivation letter, a portfolio, an English proficiency test or a Skype interview with the head of the curriculum. Each university independently determines the requirements and deadlines for submitting documents. As a rule, applications are submitted from February to April, and students can apply for several study programs at different universities and for differentfaculties. A certified copy of the certificate can be brought for enrollment, it is not needed when submitting applications. The certificate, as well as the degree, must be recognized by the Czech Republic – nostrified, as a rule, nostrification lasts several months and provides for two or three exams on the school curriculum in the Czech language.

Foreign students are enrolled in many programs without entrance exams, and the package of documents is remotely evaluated by the admissions committee. If the chosen specialty involves passing entrance tests, then they are held in the period from June to September (for creative specialties a little earlier). If a student already has an academic degree obtained abroad and wishes to continue his education in the Czech Republic, it is necessary to obtain an official document confirming that the degree is recognized in the Czech Republic.

The academic year is divided into two semesters: the winter semester lasts from mid-September to mid-December, after which the examination period begins (January-mid-February), in the second half of February the spring semester starts, which will last until mid-May, ending with the examination period (until the end of June).

It is important to note that studying at state and government universities is free for citizens of any country, but only if they are willing to take a course of study in Czech. Only private universities can introduce tuition fees. Therefore, it may make sense to spend an academic year studying the Czech language in order to then receive a free European education for 4-6 years on a par with residents. Thus, a preparatory course at Charles University, where Czech is intensively studied, to which specialized subjects are gradually being connected, costs about €5000 per year.

Additional education

For those who want to go beyond the standard education system and get additional skills, there are a great many courses, circles, seminars, electives and advanced training programs in the Czech Republic. Of course, the widest choice is open to those who speak the Czech language, therefore, perhaps the most popular and numerous are the language courses necessary, in particular, for admission to a Czech university.

Language courses

Language courses for foreign students are organized on the basis of some Czech universities. They are usually paid, but there may be exceptions (for example, language courses within the framework of a scholarship program). So, at the same Charles University, you can take preparatory language courses, master a general Czech language course (lasting a year, semester, several weeks or take summer courses), evening courses, take individual lessons or take distance learning online. For reference, the cost of one pair (90 minutes) of individual lessons costs 1240 CZK. Foreigners wishing to study Czech at Charles University can count on accommodation at the university (additionally paid 110-300 euros per month), transfer from the airport or railway station, legal translation of documents and comprehensive medical insurance for foreigners.

Evening Czech language courses for foreigners (60 academic hours) they cost about 8000 CZK.

The Czech Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports has organized a Summer School of Slavic Studies, in which Czech language courses are held at several state universities. As the name suggests, the courses are held in the summer and last from 2 to 4 weeks. Here foreigners can choose a training program aimed at studying a specific field of activity (literature, culture, history, etc.), and in addition to language courses with training materials, the price will include accommodation, breakfast, a public transport ticket, excursions and various options for spending free time. For example, at the University of Western Bohemia (Pilsen), a three-week course costs €850-1000 depending on the type of accommodation. A similar course at Charles University will cost about 1300 euros.

There are also many private language schools offering Czech language courses for foreigners. For example, at the MAVO language school, you can take a two-week intensive language learning course (20 lessons per week) for 9900 CZK.

Portal HomesOverseas.ru thanks Anna Shalygina for her help in preparing the article (VK Real s.r.o.) and Ekaterina Andreeva (GARTAL Corporate Group/MIEL).

_{photocredits: svut.cz / flickr / cuni.cz / blog.foreigners.cz}

Olga Shoshina