Education

Education in Czech Republic is divided into:

Preschool Education

The preschool education for children aged 3 to 6 is usually provided by kindergarten.

  
Basic education 


Basic education is composed of nine grades and it is broken down into 2 levels. The first level (grades 1–5) takes place at basic schools and the second level (grades 6–9) takes place at the senior level of a basic school or in the junior grades of a grammar school  or at an eight-year conservatory.

Compulsory School Attendance


Children are required to attend school from ages 6–15. The required schooling takes place at a basic school, the junior grades of a grammar school or at a conservatory. Regional authorities are obliged to arrange for the free preparation for entering basic education system for children of EU citizens, including teaching of the Czech language.

                                                                                 Secondary education

 Secondary educational programs are divided as follows:
Secondary education with school-leaving exam (4 years) prepares students for work demanding higher qualifications or study at the tertiary level, and is completed with a school-leaving examination.

Secondary education with a vocational certificate (2–3 years) prepares students for qualified activities, primarily of a manual labour nature. The programme ends with a final exam and the receipt of a vocational certificate. Students
who complete this type of programme can enter follow-up courses and receive a  certificate.
Secondary education (1 or 2 years) – this programme is designed for students with special educational needs. The programme ends with a final examination.
Types of secondary schools: grammar school, secondary technical school and secondary vocational school. All courses are taught in the Czech language but there are schools that offer bi-lingual courses.

University education

The higher education system is provided at three levels:

The bachelor’s degree program (3–4 years) focuses on preparing for a profession or studying in a related master’s degree program and terminates with the state exam.

Master’s Programme (1– 3 years, as a follow-up to a Bachelor’s Programme or 4 – 6 years, when completed as a standalone Master’s Programme). This programme focuses on theoretical knowledge and it is completed with a final state examination (or a rigorous examination), part of which is the defense of a thesis.

The doctoral program (3 – 4 years) is designed for graduates of masters degree programs and terminates with the state doctoral exam and defence of the dissertation.

Some colleges and universities offer courses taught in foreign languages, mainly in English or German.