The Czech Education System
Education in our country includes these stages: pre-school, primary, secondary and higher education.
Pre-school education is provided by nursery schools and kindergartens for children aged three to six.
In the Czech Republic all children go to primary school (elementary school, basic school) from the 1) ...... of 6 to 15, because school attendance is 3) ...... Most children attend 4) ...... schools where education is free of charge but there are also some 5) ...... schools, too. Physically or mentally 6) ...... children are educated in special schools.
Primary schools have 2 stages. Children in the first five grades are taught
by one class teacher. Older children (6 − 9 grades) have more teachers who specialize in various 7) ...... − Czech, math, physics, chemistry, history, geography, biology, languages, IT and physical education.
The school year is divided into two terms, the first term starts on the 1st of September and finishes on the 31st of January, the second term starts on the 1st of February and ends on the 30th of June, when pupils get their 8) ...... with 9) ...... from 1 to 5.Pupils in the CR do not wear 10) ...... to school. Most children finish compulsory school attendance (povinná školní docházka) at the age of 15.
After primary school children can choose what type of secondary school they would like to go to. There are many types of schools, for example grammar schools (Gymnazium) preparing students for university studies, technical schools, specialised in building, chemistry, business or pedagogical schools or music and art schools. Secondary education usually lasts four years and finishes with 11) ...... examination, which we call maturita. The exam is held in May.
Secondary vocational schools train apprentices − future bakers, cooks, hairdressers, auto mechanics etc. for practical 12) ...... The training usually lasts three years and at the end of training the apprentices get the certificate of apprenticeship (výuční list).
Higher education takes place at universities.
To be admitted to university students have to pass an entrance exam. University studies last from 3 to 5 years.
After 3 years students reach their bachelor’s 13) ...... and then they can continue studying to reach master’s degree or doctorate. The university studies are finishedwith a 14) ...... exam and graduation 15) ......
The most famous universities are:
The CR: CharlesUniversity (founded 1348), MasarykUniversity (Brno), PalackýUniversity (Olomouc)
Great Britain: Oxford and CambridgeUniversities – the oldest universities in the English-speaking world
USA: Harvard university (Massachusetts), Yale university (Connecticut), Princeton (New Jersey)
Problems at schools: bullying, cheating, playing truant (truancy) (záškoláctví), drug abuse, lack of motivation