- Parents are required by the law to enroll their children in primary school once they reach the compulsory school age. Children make new friends and learning Czech is much easier for them when they go to school. They can also join extracurricular clubs and pursue their hobbies.
- Find out which primary school is assigned to your child by default based on your place of residence. You can find up-to-date information at the Education Department of the relevant office (the Municipal Office or the Municipal District Office — if you live in Prague). If you need help, try asking your neighbors or consulting the Integration Center.
- Do not rely on oral agreements, make sure to file a filled-out application in the primary school that was assigned to you. This is the easiest way of making sure the authorities have to provide for you. File an application even if you were unofficially told that your child would not be admitted in the given school because the school’s capacity was reached.
- Is the school unable to accommodate your child due to the fact that their capacity had been reached? The school establisher (local authorities) is required to find a school placement for your child in a primary school located in the vicinity of your place of residence. In this regard you have the same rights as Czech citizens. We recommend you to file and appeal in case of a rejection letter (see the electronic version to be filled-out below). By doing so, you make sure that the school establisher learns about the school’s insufficient capacity.
- Even though the school establisher or the regional authorities are obliged to find a place for your child in some other school, in reality the system does not always work. That is why you should reach out to the Education Department of the relevant Municipal Office if they do not contact you first. The Municipal Office should recommend some other school close to your home whose capacity has not been reached or arrange for a place in a school within driving distance.
- If you still have not succeeded, we recommend you to try filing another application after some time. You do not have to apply at the school that was assigned to you or a school located in your municipality or municipal district. By doing this you will confirm that you are still here and are still interested in enrolling your child in school on one hand, and on the other it is recommended to keep the rejection letter to be able to prove that you have done everything in your power to assure your child’s compulsary school attendance — because not doing so is against the law and parents may be required to pay a fine.
Downloadable documents:
Model primary school application form
Model appeal against rejection letter from your assigned primary school