Education in the Czech Republic

Enrollment in public schools is fairly high,[1] though these figures do not document active student engagement.

Elementary school (Czech: základní škola) consists of nine grades grouped into two stages.

Continuing at an elementary school is the most popular option today, and six-year academies are quite rare.

Vocational certificates are given after a two- or three-year course and a final exam, though there are different types of qualifications depending on the profession.

Types of lyceum include technical, pedagogical, medical, scientific, and military (operated in cooperation with the Ministry of Defense).

Four-year grammar schools are either generally oriented or focus on physical or music education.

Special schools for developmentally disabled children unable to participate in mainstream elementary education were once common in the Czech Republic.

The subjects taught were very limited, meaning that leavers were logistically unable to continue on to all types of secondary education.

A student required a reference from an educational psychologist and the agreement of parents to enroll in a special school.

These teach the equivalent of the first and second stages and one- to two-year secondary courses after the age of fifteen.

Meanwhile, "integrated education" of under-performing or mentally handicapped children in ordinary schools with the support of a special teacher is becoming more common.

Higher education in the Czech Republic consists of public and private universities, as well as state-run police and military training academies.

[citation needed] University education takes from 2 to 6 years, depending on the degree of studies: These titles are granted after a special exam (rigorózní zkouška), which contains a thesis presentation.

Usually, the first semester runs from 1 September to 30 January, and the second from 1 February to 30 June, separated by a one-day break and the summer holidays.