1.2 DEFERRED COMPULSORY SCHOOL ATTENDANCE

MŠ, ZŠ

In justified cases, the school attendance of a child can be deferred for a year. Instead of starting primary school, these children will continue visiting their kindergarten or continue their preparatory classes at primary school. The only reason for deferring school attendance is the child’s health condition, which prevents them from attending school for a long period of time.

! For children with a different first language, their ignorance or insufficient knowledge of the Czech language should not be the sole factor when considering deferred school attendance.

WHEN IS IT POSSIB LE TO REQUEST A DEFERRAL?

On regular primary school enrolment days (from January 15th to February 15th ).
If you arrived in the Czech Republic after these dates, immediately after you arrival, as soon as you get in touch with your primary school (ZŠ).

WHERE TO REQUEST DEFERRAL: submit a request to the school director (ZŠ)

Necessary documents to provide with the request:

Filled in deferral request form.
Recommendation from an educational counselling centre (ECC) – (pedagogical-psychological centre or special education centre).
Recommendation from a specialist (clinical psychologist, child psychiatrist, neurologist, etc.). A recommendation from a pediatrician is not sufficient!

If the ECC recommends that the child remain in kindergarten, it will issue a recommendation for an individual education plan along with the confirmation.

SCHOOL DEFERRAL DECISION: th is is issued b y the school director

If the deferral is approved – the school director will also recommend attending preparatory classes or the preschool year of kindergarten (MŠ).
If the deferral is not approved – you can appeal this decision in writing within 15 days.

The parents (or legal guardians) must always approve any deferral decision concerning a child.

TIPS:

★ The parents are required to bring their child to the compulsory school attendance enrolment day for the following year.

PLEASE NOTE:
When enrolling in 2026, children born on or after April 1, 2020, will be assessed according to the original rules set out in Act No. 561/2004 Coll., as amended until August 31, 2025.
When enrolling in the spring of 2027, the same exception will apply to children born on or after July 1, 2021.

This means that, in addition to health reasons, the reason for deferral may also be school readiness (= physical and mental readiness for the child to enter school, e.g., the ability to take care of oneself, concentrate, adapt to changes in the environment and people around them, cope with different types of activities – systematic and organized work instead of games, etc.), and a pediatrician’s recommendation is sufficient as confirmation.