- New
national legislation for independent schools:
Please
describe new laws which are in force or are being prepared. |
The three acts were approved 24th September
2004. They came into effect 1st January 2005 with exception of some articles.
The Education Act has
replaced all current laws on pre-primary, basic, upper secondary, tertiary technical
and extracurricular education and on the administrations of education system.
The
Act on Educational Staff and their Career Development is intended to
encourage educational staff to and create the base for further education.
The implementation of the proposed procedures will have an impact on
the salaries of teachers in relation to their qualifications and specific
tasks.
The third approved act resumes
changes in related 15 acts and new implementary regulations have been
prepared.
In the sphere of higher education
the main issues discussed are related with Bologna and Lisbon processes
and with the economic situation of higher education.
The curricular reform is in progress
: framework educational programmes ( FEP) that represent a central level
of the curricular system and define educational goals and key competencies
as well as educational contents necessary for their achievement, have
been in different phases of development. On the basis of the FEP schools
will prepare their own school educational programmes.
|
- National discussions:
Discussions
about the situation of the independent schools. Do
the discussions take place in the media, if yes, which questions are raised. |
On the basis of the reform of public
administration substantial changes has appeared in education, especially in the
division of competencies and responsibilities between the regions and central
institutions and funding. Regions
require for more and more autonomy, which is conditioned financially. That is
why regions ask for larger share in taxes and their responsibility for funding
of schools instead of Ministry of Education. Unfortunately it is linked directly
to private sector in education, mostly on its secondary level. Private
schools receive a state contribution towards their running costs through the regions
but with very limited power of the regional governments to influence ( low) granted
subsidies. There is
a question what could happen to private schools at the moment when local or regional
executive bodies will have the right to decide about subsidies to "our" schools
in consequence of problems they have with "their" public schools. Discussions
to new school laws and problems connected to them take place in media ( TV, radio,
local newspapers). Czech
association of private schools has been very active and initiative. |
- Situation
of the Association:
Progress,
stagnation, decline. Problems,
challenges for the Association. |
As recently said, in a slight progress
in number of schools |
- Independent schools
in general.
Growth
or decline? The schools’
financial situation? |
Stagnation in general ( a demographic decline ). School
situation still quite stable, but private schools will have to work hard to protect
gained rules and given right to be subsidised in near future owing to the facts
written above. |
- Special initiatives:
Has
the Association during the past year made any particular initiatives in order
to promote the work in the independent schools? |
The Association of Private Schools of Bohemia, Moravia
and Silesia is preparing the Seminar in Senate ( The Chamber of The Parliament)
with participation of all the important people and experts in education incl.
Minister of Education in May 2005. In September
2005 The 6th International Congress of Private Schools in The Czech Republic will
be held in Ceske Budejovice, the in the South of Bohemia. |
