After 9 years* of compulsory school attendance, Czech education continues at a secondary school (SŠ). SŠ are divided into schools with a vocational certificate or matriculation exam (“maturita”).
A vocational certificate is a certificate issued at the end of a three-year course of study after successfully passing the final exams – these have a theoretical and practical part.
Courses of study with a vocational certificate prepare graduates for specific trades (e.g. carpenter, hairdresser, cook–waiter). This usually takes three years and entitles graduates to practice the studied profession. In some cases also authorisation to establish a trade or start a business in the field. Education includes vocational training (work experience), typically alternating between one week of direct on-the-job experience and one week of theoretical lessons at school. Courses in these fields are offered by vocational trade schools (SOU).
The matriculation exam or “maturita” is actually a series of state exams. Passing these completes one’s secondary education, enabling further study at any university (VŠ) or higher vocational school (VOŠ). This always includes a Czech language and literature exam, one foreign language and at least two other subjects.
Secondary education with matriculation usually takes 4 years. It is divided into general secondary education -– offered by grammar schools – and secondary vocational education – offered by vocational secondary schools (SOŠ). While grammar schools are more of a general preparation for university study, secondary schools are specialise from the start and prepare students to enter the job market or university / higher educational institution in a specific field (but if you have a “maturita” diploma from a grammar or other secondary school, you can apply for entry at any university). There are many types of secondary school: medical schools, business academies, industrial and technical schools, etc.
It is also possible to obtain a secondary school matriculation diploma or “maturita” even after completing a course that regularly only ends with a vocational certificate. For this purpose there are further educational courses – typically two years of follow-up study (e.g. in the field of business) at the trade school.
- * multi-year grammar schools and conservatories – some secondary school courses start earlier during the course of 9 years of compulsory school attendance (see primary school sheet 2_1_EN). For example, an 8-year grammar school course (after the 5th grade of primary school) or a 6-year grammar school course (after the 7th grade of primary school). Conservatories – art schools primarily focussed on music and dance also function similarly.
The admissions procedure for matriculation subjects includes a uniform entrance exam (3_1_EN) in the first round.
Information on available fields of study can be found on specialized web portals and the websites of individual schools (see links below). All fields of education have their unique code (for example Business Academy 63-41-M/02). This code is important when choosing a field and filling in the entrance application. You can easily tell by the letter in the code what type of education it is.
- H – secondary education with a vocational certificate (vocational trade schools – SOU).
- L – complete secondary education with matriculation exam or “maturita” – similarly to the H-code fields, students here will complete theoretical lessons alongside vocational training. However, in this case their studies culminate in a matriculation exam.
- K – general secondary education with a matriculation exam or “maturita” (grammar schools).
- M – vocational secondary schools (SOŠ) – vocational education with “maturita”.
- Fields of type E also provide a vocational certificate, but are considered lower secondary education = with lower qualifications and after completion they do not allow follow-up study with a matriculation diploma (maturita). They usually take 2 or 3 years and are intended primarily for applicants with, for example, intellectual or severe learning disabilities. As a result young people whose only handicap is not yet speaking fluent Czech are strongly discouraged from choosing these courses of study.
- One school can offer multiple types of education (e.g. both courses with matriculation as well as vocational certificates), even with a similar specialisation.
USEFUL LINKS:
List of topics
- Practical Guide
- 1_1 PRESCHOOL EDUCATION
- 1_2 DELAYED SCHOOL ENTRY
- 2_1 ELEMENTARY SCHOOL (ES)
- 2_2 EDUCATION COUNCELING FACILITIES (ECF)
- 2_3 SUPPORT MEASURES
- 2_4 PREPARATORY CLASS
- 2_5 SCHOOL MEALS AND AFTERSCHOOL CLUB
- 2_6 REEXAMINATION, REPEATING A GRADE
- 2_7 STUDENT EVALUATION
- 2_8 COMMUNICATION WITH SCHOOL
- 2_9 COMMUNICATING WITH THE SCHOOL WHEN YOU SUSPECT YOUR CHILD IS BEING BULLIED
- 3_1 HIGH SCHOOL ADMISSION
- 3_1a HOW TO FILL IN THE ANSWER SHEET AT THE UNIFIED ENTRANCE EXAMINATION (JPZ)
- 3_2 TYPES OF HIGH SCHOOLS
- 3_3 ADMISSIONS TO HIGH SCHOOLS WITH A TALENT EXAM
- 5_1 EXTRACURRICULAR ACITIVITIES AND FREE TIME
- 5_2 SUPPORT FOR MULTILINGUALISM
- 5_3 FREE LANGUAGE PREPARATION AND CZECH AS A SECOND LANGUAGE
- 5_4 OSPOD AND SOCIAL AND LEGAL PROTECTION OF CHILDREN IN THE CZECH REPUBLIC
- 5_6 RECOGNITION OF FOREIGN EDUCATION (ELEMENTARY, HIGH, POST-SECONDARY VOCATIONAL SCHOOLS)