Abstract:

The Czech Republic was established in January 1993 when the Czech and Slovak Federal Republic was divided into two states. The Czech Republic is a small developed country having a long industrial tradition and the exceptionally long tradition of level of education of the widest orders of population. The political and economical changes which occurred in November 1989 represent the decisive factor for the present school system.
The school system of the Czech Republic is relatively traditional – of the classic type, similarly like school systems in Germany, Austria, Hungary and in some other countries of the Middle Europe.
Kindergarten offers the preschool education for children between 3 and 5 years. The education is not compulsory, the attendance is, however, high, in the preschool year almost 93% children of the relevant age.
There is a nine year compulsory school attendance (children between 6 and 15 years of education level ISCDED 1+2). Pupils (almost 80% of the relevant population) attend together primary schools which are organized in two stages (5+4). Beginning from the second stage there are possibilities to continue in the compulsory education in “elite” long-term grammar schools (after the fifth year at the eight-year grammar school and after the seventh year at the six-year grammar school).
After implementing the compulsory school attendance, 96 % of the population continues in the optional higher secondary education – either in the general education at grammar schools which are besides the mentioned eight and six-year grammar schools also the four –year ones (over 20% of the population) or at vocational schools and other secondary schools (48.5 % in four-year fields of study finished by the school leaving examination, 23 % in two to three-year lines provided with the certificate of apprenticeship and in some other fields). At least a higher secondary education is gained (ISCED 3) by 94 % of population in the age between 25 and 34 years (2008).
In his paper, the author will present a brief characteristic of the preschool, primary and secondary education together with the selected trends and changes on those levels of the school system of the Czech Republic in the recent 10 years:
· Preschool education – the paper focuses its attention on the number of children in kindergartens, the number of teachers and the readiness of preschool pupils for the beginning of the school attendance.
· Basic education – the paper also focuses its attention on the number of children at primary schools, the total number of lessons in particular years of primary schools, the integration of handicapped pupils in ordinary schools. The author will also mention here the interesting project aiming at the comparison of results of education at the end of the secondary stage of primary schools and at the parallel corresponding lower stage of the elite long-term grammar schools.
· Secondary schools education – this chapter deals with the indices which characterize the changes on the level of the secondary education. This especially refers to the change of the extent of the participation in the secondary education and to the changes of numbers of pupils and teachers and also to other indices and trends.

Keywords:

Czech Republic, school system, traditional, changes, trends.