Archive: Society | Education Education
Zeman’s refusal to appoint professor sparks outrage
The Czech president, Miloš Zeman, has caused an outcry by saying he will
not confer the title of professor on a Charles University academic. Czech
heads of state normally just rubberstamp such decisions, and Mr. Zeman’s
position on the appointment of Martin C. Putna is wholly unprecedented. The
president has not been entirely clear on the reasons – but says he
objected to a placard the academic carried in a gay pride march. More
Planned university reform seeks to improve cooperation with industry
Czech universities are set for the biggest change in years. After several
failed attempts in the past, the Education Ministry is finalizing reform
legislation that should help universities adapt to the changing
environment; the reform seeks, among other things, to diversify the
universities and change their financing. It should also improve cooperation
between universities and industry. But how does the business sector see the
ministry’s efforts? In this edition of Marketplace, I discuss these
issues with Jan Louda, a university relations coordinator at IBM for Czech
Republic. More
Native speakers in school system way down on ‘90s numbers
Young teachers from the West whose main qualification was often the ability to speak English were common at Czech schools in the 1990s. But those days are gone. A new report by the national inspection agency says that, relative to the ‘90s, the percentage of native speakers in the state education system is now extremely low. More
Slovak students look for better education and familiar culture at Czech universities
You can meet them at a managers’ meeting and behind the counter at a
store, they are vital part of the Czech automotive industry but are also
among the leaders in most other sectors of Czech society. Twenty years
after the velvet divorce, Slovaks are a major presence in the Czech
Republic, especially in its cities. Beside job opportunities, one of the
things that bring young Slovaks to this country are the universities. What
attracts them to a Czech education? And how do they perceive their lives in
a country that is so much like their own? More
Study shows schools need to think creatively about resources to fund inclusive education
The non-profit organization Rytmus, which focuses its work on education for
children with mental and learning disabilities, has completed a year-long
project which illustrated in practical terms what would need to be done for
all students, no matter their mental, physical or social abilities, to be
able to attend regular schools. Currently in the Czech Republic, many Roma
children and most students with disabilities are relegated to so-called
special schools. More
Rap video exhorts Roma parents not to send children to special school
A new rap video exhorting Roma parents not to allow their kids to be sent
to special schools for the mentally handicapped is currently doing the
rounds on YouTube. So far it’s been seen over 25,000 times, a respectable
number for the Czech Republic, and has several hundred ‘likes’. It’s
the work of a Czech NGO involved in the decade-long struggle to get Roma
kids into regular primary schools. More
Czech parents discover nature kindergartens
Nature kindergartens are a relatively new phenomenon in Czech society,
although elsewhere in the world they have been around for more than half a
century. At present they are not part of the Czech school system and are
functioning as private hobby classes, but with growing interest on the part
of parents that may be about to change. More
Education ministry planning effective action against discrimination of Romanies in the education system
The Czech Education Ministry has unveiled a new series of comprehensive
measures aimed at removing widespread discrimination of Romany children in
the Czech education system. Although the European Commission has long urged
the Czech Republic to address the problem little corrective action has been
taken since the matter was first raised in 1998. More
Therapist: parental failure behind increasingly aggressive kids
Aggressive behavior in young children and adolescents is on the rise and
there are indications that parents are increasingly unable to deal with it.
Schoolteachers are ringing alarm bells and therapists are warning of the
dire consequences of failing to deal with the problem in time. More
Students highlight segregation in education during Roma Week
This week, a group of university students is organizing a series of events
in Prague focused on the segregation of Roma children in Czech schools and
the media image of the country’s Romani minority. Held in cooperation
with the human rights group AI, the Roma week reiterates concerns about the
continued education inequality that the international community has been
voicing for some time, and which is a growing issue for young Czechs as
well. More
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