Firstly I’d like to speak briefly about our educational system and about its differences with other English speaking countries. Our school attendance is compulsory from the age of 6 or 7 till 14 or 15. But before this school attendance children usually go to the kindergarten, which is voluntary, same as the crèches for the smallest children. Children visit the kindergarten usually from the age of 3 to the age of 5 or 6 and the main purpose is to teach children how to behave in the society.
Then they go to the primary school. In this school they learn writing, reading, counting, drawing; singing they learn the basic knowledge about geography, biology, physics, history Czech language and English or German language.
When they are 10 or 11 years old, they can go from the primary school to the eight-year gymnasium in which more talented children are situated, but they have to pass the entrance exam. In the year of 14 or 15 their compulsory education comes to an end.
But most of the children don’t go to work immediately after the school. They can choose which higher – officially called middle or secondary – education they will take. There are many possibilities – they can study e.g. at :
General gymnasium – This should prepare us for higher education at the Universities.
Middle economic and business school – This should prepare us for a job of the officer.
Technical and industrial school – which should prepare us for a life of e.g. the computer technician.
Art school – which is for talented children in the dancing, singing, painting etc.
Training center – for children who want to do some craft (řemeslo).
Whole these middle schools are finished with passing the Maturita exam in 18 or 19 years. This exam consists of written work from the Czech language and of 4 oral exams from the laid (daný) subjects – two are compulsory/obligatory – Czech and foreign language, and two are voluntary/elective.
After passing Maturita exam children usually go to work or they try to get to the University. This University is the highest type of a school. It lasts 5 years if you want to take a Master title. After 3 years you are honored with the Bachelor title and you can continue to the Master level.
Our most famous universities are:
Charles University – the biggest Czech university which was built by Charles IV in Prague in the year 1348 and it became one of the oldest universities in Europe. It was also proclaimed in Shanghai as the 305th best University of the World, 100th best European University, and the best East-European University! Today you can study at 17 various faculties, e.g. the Faculty of Social Sciences, which is going to be my future Faculty, I hope!
Masaryk University – our second Czech university founded in 1919 by our first Czechoslovak president T.G. Masaryk in Brno. Today you can study here at 10 faculties.