Introduction The school attendance in the Czech Republic is compulsory for children from 6 to 15 years.

Students may then continue their secondary and higher studies. Most of the schools are state owned, but there are also private and church schools. Education at state schools is free of charge, the school systm is state funded. Grades Pre-school education is provided by creches for children up to 3 years. The education in cretches is optional. Children visit kindergartens from 3 to 6. At the age of 6 children start to go to primary schools and they stay there until Theky are 15. Primary school education is dividend into two deegres. The first deegre is from the first to the fifth class. Some pupils transfer to grammar school at the age of 11 after they have passed an entrance examination. The second deegre is from the sixth to the ninth class. After children have succesfuly passed primary school education, they can choose between (among ) various types of secondary school. They can EIther continue to grammar schools, special schools or vocational schools. GRAMMAR SCHOOLS PREPARE FOR STUDY AT HIGHER
EDUCATION INSTITUTIONS .

STUDENTS FROM SPECIAL SCHOOLS CAN EITHER ENTER LABOUR MARKET OR

Education at grammar schools and special schools lasts for 4 years and is finished by a school leasing examination. The students obtain a Secondary School Leaving Certificate , which is required by all universities and collages. The 2CONTINUE ON HIGHER EDUCATION INSTITUTIONS

year and 3-year courses at the vocational schools prepare students for professional activities. The pupils at the vocationals school culminate their studies with a final
examination. , and the are awarded VOCATIONAL C ERTIFICATE . Higher education is typically structuated into undergraduate and postgraduante courses. The undergraduate course typically lasts for 3 years.The programme cant be finished without undergoing a final state exam. This holds also for the Master and Doctoral programme. The students are awarded a BACHELOR'S DEGREE for this course. Postgraduate studies culminate by obtaining the deegre Master of Science( Czech equivalent : inenr( abbreviation Ing.) or magister(Mgr.). Postgraduate courses last for two years. Doctoral programmes are focused on work in science and they last at least three years.

History

. T HE SCHOOL YEAR RUNS FROM 1 ST SEMTEMBER TO 30 TH JUNE.IT is divided into two terms separand by a one day brake. The children can enjoy a lot of holidays during the year, including the winter and spring holidays. Of course, pupils are restlessy looking for the summer holidays, the longest holidays of all. Academic year
The academic year usually begins at the end of Semptember and is dividend into two semesters , ( winter, summer) with a 5- week exam period after each semester. During the semester, students try to receive theinr zapocet in each subject, which is a permission to attend a examination.