Education in CR

) Czech Republic

Education in the Czech Republic is compulsory from the age of 6 until the age of 15. Most children attend state schools, but there are also newly established private and church schools. At the state schools education is free of charge up to the age of 18, but pupils must pay for their textbooks. Children do not wear uniforms. Handicapped children are educated separately. The school year starts on the 1st September and finishes on the 30th June and is divided into two terms. At the end of every term the students get a school report (end of January and end of June).

The education includes these stages: pre-school
primary
secondary
tertiary

Pre-school education is provided by crèches[1] for children up to 3 and by nursery schools for children from 3 to 6 years of age. Not many children attend crèches, but a lot of them go to kindergartens.

Primary education starts at the age of 6 and finishes at the age of 15. The pupils can then go to a secondary school. If parents decide so, their children can go to a grammar school[2] at 11 after passing an entrance examination.

Secondary education
There are different types of secondary schools. The first are the grammar schools. They prepare the students for university courses. Then there are the special schools, which are very specialised. The third type are the vocational schools. They provide training for practical jobs.
Secondary education usually takes 4 years and it is finished by a school leaving examination, which is required by all universities and colleges. At grammar schools the examination is taken in the following subjects: Czech, a foreign language, and 2 other subjects. At the specialised school the examination includes five or more subjects. The oral part of the examination takes place in May, and the written part from Czech one month before that. Each subject has about 25 to 30 questions. After passing the examination the students receive a School-Leaving Certificate.

The Tertiary education includes Universities and Colleges. It takes from 4 to 6 years. Before students are accepted to the school they must pass an entrance examination. This examination consists of a written test and an interview.
The best-known universities in the Czech Republic are the Charles University (established in 1348 in Prague), the Masaryk University in Brno, the Palacký University in Olomouc, and the Purkyně University in Ústí nad Labem.
Undergraduates can study a variety of subjects (law, medicine, arts, etc.). Students can enrol[3] at three-year courses for a Bachelor’s degree or four and five year courses for a Master’s degree. The studies are finished with a state examination. Every undergraduate[4] has to write a thesis[5] in order to receive a diploma in a certain[6] field of study. The thesis is handed over[7] at the graduation ceremony. Doctoral degrees are awarded after another few years of studies. Full time university students must bear the expense of their tuition[8] and they must also pay for their accommodation and board. Some students may get grants[9] or scholarships. For those who don’t want to visit university courses there are two-year training courses for managers, businessman, etc.
[1] jesle
[2] gymnázium
[3] zaregistrovat se
[4] vysokoškolák
[5] diplomová práce
[6] určitý, jistý
[7] odevzdat
[8] školné
[9] finanční podpora