Prague, April 14 (CTK) – The Czech Republic is a one of 41 EU and Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) member countries in which the differences in the well-being of the poorest children and their average peers are rather small, Miroslav Ledvinka said late on Wednesday.
Ledvinka, from the Czech branch of UNICEF, presented an Innocenti Report Card.
The Czech Republic placed in the first third of countries in terms of material security, education and health, but it ended last but one in terms of satisfaction with the quality of one’s own life, Ledvinka said, adding that the difference between the average child population and children from the poorest strata was second highest.
The Czech Republic placed fifth in the rating of material well-being and incomes among 41 countries, trailing Norway, Finland, Denmark and Iceland.
In education, the Czech Republic placed 13th among 37 countries. The report authors used a comparison worked out by the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) in 2006 and 2012, which was focused on reading, mathematics and natural sciences.
In health ratings the Czech Republic placed ninth out of 35 countries ahead of all other post-communist nations as well as Britain and the United States.
According to the report, a survey by the World Health Organisation (WHO) showed that a quarter of Czech children complained of at least one health problem per day – headache, stomach or back pain, dizziness or sleep disorders.
In terms of satisfaction with the quality of life, the Czech Republic was surpassed by all EU countries and it placed last but one among 35 countries, followed by Turkey.
