Czech Republic - Country Background Information
- Describing the forms of education in the country
- Identifying an ‘inclusive setting’ in the country
- What an ‘official decision of SEN’ means in the country
- What ‘out-of-education’ means in the country
The EASIE data collection covers all recognised forms of education at ISCED levels 02, 1, 2 and 3.
This means any type of education organised by or approved by any recognised educational provider in the public or private sector: municipality, local or regional educational provider from the public or private sector, working with/for ministries responsible for education and areas such as health, social, welfare, labour, justice, etc.
The last year of pre-primary education is compulsory, typically for 5-year-olds. After that, nine years of basic education is compulsory, with typical age range 6–14. Primary education (6–10) is provided at the 1st stage of basic schools, lower-secondary education (11–14) can be completed at the 2nd stage of basic schools or at the lower stage of the 8-year grammar schools and conservatories.
What are the typical age ranges for the ISCED levels?
| ISCED LEVEL 02 | ISCED LEVEL 1 | ISCED LEVEL 2 | ISCED LEVEL 3 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3-5 | 6-10 | 11-14 | 15-18 |
Institutions which provide education and are founded by entities other than public (public founder – Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports (MoEYS), other ministries, regional government, local government). These institutions have to be registered in the Register of Schools and School Facilities (under the responsibility of the MoEYS).
Ministry of Agriculture: ISCED 0 (kindergarten for children of employees in institutions under the responsibility of the Ministry of Agriculture)
Ministry of Defence: ISCED 3 (1 school with 2 places of instruction, mainly focused on preparing for a career as a professional soldier in the Army of the Czech Republic)
Ministry of Justice: ISCED 3 (1 school with several places of instruction, study programmes at ISCED 353 level for prisoners)
Ministry of the Interior: ISCED 3 (3 schools, study programmes mainly focused on the training of police officers and firefighters)
All of these schools must have recognised study programmes and must be registered in the Register of Schools and School Facilities.
Individual education of children and pupils as referred to in Sections 34b and 41 of Act No. 561/2004 Coll., on Pre-school, Basic, Secondary, Tertiary Professional and Other Education (the Education Act), as amended by acts No. 178/2016 Coll., No. 101/2017 Coll., No. 167/2018 Coll. and No. 46/2019 Coll.
In the EASIE data collection, an inclusive setting is operationally defined as:
A recognised form of education where the child/learner follows education in mainstream classes alongside their peers for the largest part – 80% or more – of the school week.
The 80% time placement benchmark clearly indicates that a child/learner is educated in a mainstream class for the majority of their school week. At the same time, it acknowledges possibilities for small group or one-to-one withdrawal for limited periods of time (i.e. 20% or one day a week).
Very few participating countries can provide exact data on children/learners spending 80% of their time in a mainstream group/class. However, all countries can apply one of three agreed proxies that provide an approximation to this benchmark:
- Placement in a mainstream class implies over 80% or more
- Data is available on the number of hours of support allocated to a child/learner
- Placement in a mainstream class implies over 50% or more.
In the EASIE data collection, the agreed operational definition is:
An official decision leads to a child/learner being recognised as eligible for additional educational support to meet their learning needs.
Countries may have different types of official decision, but for all official decisions:
- There has been some form of educational assessment procedure involving different people. This procedure may involve the child/learner, parents, school-based team members, as well as professionals from multi-disciplinary teams from outside the child’s/learner’s (pre-)school.
- There is some form of legal document (plan/programme, etc.) that describes the support the child/learner is eligible to receive, which is used as the basis for decision-making.
- There is some form of regular review process of the child/learner’s needs, progress and support.
An official decision of SEN for children, pupils or students meets the criteria set out in Act No. 561/2004 Coll., on Pre-school, Basic, Secondary, Tertiary Professional and Other Education (the Education Act), as amended by acts No. 178/2016 Coll., No. 101/2017 Coll., No. 167/2018 Coll. and No. 46/2019 Coll., in section 16, paragraph 1:
'A child, pupil and student with special educational needs is a person who requires the provision of support measures to fulfil his or her educational potential or to exercise or enjoy his or her rights on an equal basis with others. Supportive measures means necessary adjustments in education and school services appropriate to the health, cultural background or other living conditions of the child, pupil or student. Children, pupils and students with special educational needs have the right to the provision of support measures free of charge by the school and the educational establishment.'
Based on Decree No. 72/2005 Coll. on Providing Advisory Services in Schools and School Advisory Centres, as amended by Decree No. 197/2016 Coll., there is a complex psychological, educational and social assessment of children/learners in the pedagogical-psychological counselling centre (PPCC) or in the special pedagogical centre (SPC).
The PPCC or SPC team consists of a psychologist, a special education teacher and a social worker. Teams may request a consultation with a medical doctor.
Decree No. 27/2016 Coll. on Education of Children, Pupils and Students with Special Educational Needs and the Gifted Children, Pupils and Students, as amended by Decree No. 244/2018 Coll.
Government Regulation No. 75/2005 Coll. on Specification of the Scope of Direct Pedagogical, Educational, Special Pedagogical and Pedagogical-Psychological Activities Carried out by Pedagogical Staff, as amended by Government Regulation No. 239/2015 Coll.
The school counselling institution (PPCC or SPC) in the recommendation sets out the period during which the provision of the support measure is necessary; this period will normally not exceed 2 years. The date of the re-assessment of special educational needs will be introduced by the school counselling institution in the report and recommendations.
Within the EASIE data collection, specific questions examine children/learners who are out of education. This means children/learners who should, by law, be in some form of recognised education, but who are out of any form of recognised education. A recognised form of education is any type of education organised by or approved by any recognised educational provider in the public or private sector.
Out of education – pupils who are educated in institutions not registered in the Register of schools and school facilities managed by the MoEYS.
Data on pupils who are out-of-education is not available in the Czech Republic.