Education Policy Outlook 2018

Czech Republic

Context

The Czech Republic scored close to the OECD average in science in PISA 2015, with a mean score of 492 points, compared to the OECD average of 493 points. Performance in science in Czech Republic has declined across PISA cycles, with an average score change of -5.2 score points, while reading performance has stayed the same and mathematics performance has decreased. Socio-economic status had one of the largest impacts in the OECD on science performance in PISA 2015, explaining 18.8% of the variance in performance (OECD average: 12.9%). The impact of ESCS on performance in science has not changed since 2006. Gender differences in science performance were higher than the OECD average in the Czech Republic, with a difference between boys and girls of 9 points compared to the average difference across the OECD of 4 points. Immigrant students make up 3.4% of the student population of 15-year-olds in the Czech Republic, a lower proportion than the OECD average of 12.5%. Performance differences between immigrant and non-immigrant students are lower than the OECD average. Immigrants scored on average 24 score points lower than non-immigrants in science in PISA 2015, compared to the OECD average of 31 score points.

Enrolment of 3-year-olds in ECEC was close to the OECD average in 2015, at 77.3% (OECD average: 77.8%). At age 3, children typically begin pre-primary education (kindergarten). This programme lasts three years. Starting at age 6, children can either attend a one-year preparatory class for socially disadvantaged children or a preparatory stage of special basic school. The latter is a three-year programme. A national curriculum framework (Framework Educational Programme for Preschool Education) is in place to monitor the education of children from age 3 to age 5. As of 2017, children must attend preschool for at least one year before attending primary school. By 2020, children as early as age 2 will be able to attend preschool. Education-only programmes exist nationally, and qualified teachers deliver the formal curriculum in place for them. Integrated programmes, which include education and childcare services, do not exist nationally. Compulsory education in the Czech Republic begins at age 5, as of the school year 2017/18, and ends at age 15, which is shorter than the typical duration across the OECD. Students are first tracked into different educational pathways at age 11, earlier than the OECD average of age 14. In upper secondary education, students can choose between general programmes, professional education in a lyceum, technical and vocational education, apprenticeships and art education. The length of these programmes ranges from two to four years. All students must complete a school leaving exam to advance to university or tertiary professional school.

About three-quarters of upper secondary students enrol in VET, one of the highest proportions in OECD countries. These programmes include apprenticeships and also a technical pathway that leads to a school leaving examination. Once finished, students can access tertiary vocational education, a 3.5-year programme that offers graduates a professional diploma and helps ease them into the labour market. The government has expressed concern that occupational fields previously covered by the apprenticeship track will have difficulty finding skilled workers in the future. In the OECD Survey of Adult Skills in 2012 and 2015, adult literacy scores in the Czech Republic were higher than the OECD average, at 274 points, compared to the OECD average of 268 points. The proportion of the population aged 25-64 with lower secondary education as the highest level of attainment is among the lowest in the OECD, with an attainment rate in 2016 of 6.4%, compared to the OECD average of 14.3%. The percentage of the population aged 25-34 with a tertiary-level qualification is lower than the OECD average, at 32.6% in 2016, compared to the OECD average of 43.1%. Employment rates for 25-34 year-olds with tertiary education are lower than the OECD average. In 2016, 77.6% were employed, while the OECD average rate was 82.9%.

Figure 7.6. Selected indicators compared with the average: Czech Republic

Note: For each indicator, the absolute performance is standardised (normalised) using a normative score ranging from 0 to 220, where 100 was set at the average, taking into account all OECD countries with available data in each case.

Sources: OECD (2016), PISA 2015 Results (Volume I): Excellence and Equity in Education, PISA, OECD Publishing, Paris, http://dx.doi.org/10.1787/9789264266490-en; OECD (2016), Skills Matter: Further Results from the Survey of Adult Skills, OECD Publishing, Paris, http://dx.doi.org/10.1787/9789264258051-en; OECD (2017), Education at a Glance 2017: OECD Indicators, OECD Publishing, Paris, http://dx.doi.org/10.1787/eag-2017-en.

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Evolution of key policy priorities

Table 7.6. Evolution of key education policy priorities, Czech Republic (2008-17)

Identified by	Equity and quality	Preparing students for the future
Selected OECD country-based work, 2008-171	The OECD found that the socio-economic background of students has a great impact on later education outcomes. Practical special schools, early streaming, difficulties in transferring between education tracks and elitism in secondary education were among factors identified. Roma students are particularly affected by this, as they disproportionally go to special schools. In addition, there is a shortage of affordable ECEC places. The curriculum should be aligned and updated regularly to ensure continuous child development, which has to be better embedded in a curriculum alignment. [2012; 2016]	On the labour market, a skills mismatch seems to persist, as only 16% of the workforce is over-skilled, while the percentage of under-skilled workers is much higher. Identified challenges remain to attract more students into VET, strengthen the link between employers and education institutions, improve the curriculum of VET programmes and increase student performance, which is significantly lower than in education programmes that are completed with the Maturita exam. [2010; 2012; 2016]
Evolution of responses to EPO Surveys, 2013 and 2016‑17	The Czech Republic reported that it continues to face difficulties in accelerating overall student performance while simultaneously tackling and lowering the rate of underperforming students. Steps have been taken to support students with special educational needs by amending the Education Act, but challenges were reported to remain in the co‑operation of schools and counselling centres. [2013; 2016-17]	As reported by the Czech Republic, skills mismatch seems to be persisting, which reflects the need to improve the quality of tertiary education. [2013; 2016-17]

Note 1: See Annex A, Table A A.3 for the list of OECD publications consulted for this snapshot.

Additional education policies of potential interest to other countries

• An amendment to the Education Act will make preschool education compulsory as of 2017. Children must attend preschool for at least one year before attending elementary school. The amendment will allow families to choose between attending a preschool facility and receiving individual education. Acceptance to preschools has been modified and will be introduced in three phases, prioritising the acceptance of a different age group each year (2017: age 4 and older; 2018: age 3 and older; 2020: age 2 and older).

• A Revision of the Framework Educational Programme (FEP) took place according to the amendment of School Act no. 61/2004 (Article 16. Support of education of children, pupils and students with special education needs). Common education (inclusion) is supported to a higher extent, and supportive measures are listed more specifically. Based on the FEP, every school develops its own School Educational Programme that must be in compliance with the FEP.

More information available at: www.oecd.org/education/policyoutlook.htm.