How Czech public schools work: nine years, one big choice at 11 or 15

A Czech child can move from one school to a quite different one at the age of 11, and that fact alone shapes how many parents think about education here. The system is public, centrally framed and locally run, and it has more branching points than the schools most newcomers grew up in.

This explainer gives the map: the stages, the calendar, what is free and who decides. It does not recommend schools, because the right one depends on the child and the address. Enrolment is covered in how to enrol a child in Czech school.

The stages

Kindergarten (mateřská škola). Usually from age three to six. Attendance is voluntary, except for the last year before compulsory schooling, which is compulsory and free of fees in public kindergartens. That obligation applies also to foreign children who stay in Czechia for more than 90 days (School Act No. 561/2004 Coll.; as of 2026; check the official source). See Czech nurseries and kindergartens explained.

Primary school (základní škola, ZŠ). Nine years, from six to fifteen. It is split into a first stage, grades one to five, and a second stage, grades six to nine. Most children stay in the same school for all nine years.

Secondary school. After grade nine, pupils move on to one of several routes. A four-year grammar school (gymnázium) gives a general education that leads to the school-leaving exam, maturita, and then university. A secondary vocational school (střední odborná škola) combines general subjects with a field such as engineering, health or business, and usually ends with the maturita too. A secondary vocational school offering apprenticeship programmes (střední odborné učiliště) runs shorter courses, typically three years, that end with an apprenticeship certificate rather than the maturita. Some graduates continue later for a maturita through a follow-up course.

The early exit. Some gymnasiums run multi-year programmes (víceleté gymnázium), taking pupils at around 11 after grade five of primary school, or at 13. They sit the selection process earlier and then stay for six or eight years. This is the branching point that surprises people who come from systems with a single school until 16.

Compulsory attendance

Compulsory school attendance is nine years. It starts on 1 September after the child turns six. Parents can ask for a deferral (odklad) if the child is not ready, which requires a recommendation from a counselling centre and a doctor's opinion. Children who are not in a school in the usual sense, such as those educated at home, are subject to separate rules and a school registration. Check before choosing that route. International schools are covered in international schools in Czechia: how to choose.

The calendar

The school year begins on 1 September and ends on 31 August, with lessons running to the end of June. The year is split into two terms, with report cards (vysvědčení) at the end of January and the end of June. Autumn, Christmas, mid-year, Easter and summer holidays are fixed by the Ministry of Education for the whole country, while the spring break is staggered by district. Summer holidays last July and August.

Grades run from 1, the best, to 5, the worst, and many schools also use verbal assessment, especially in the early years. Parents often meet this when comparing a child's results with expectations at home.

Teaching and what is free

Public school tuition is free. The school also lends textbooks to pupils without charge. Parents pay for school lunches, which are provided by a school canteen and usually need to be ordered and paid in advance, for after-school care (družina), and for trips, courses and some materials. Some schools collect a voluntary contribution through a parents' association. Look at the school's website for fees and ask what is optional.

Children in Czech schools are taught in Czech. Foreign pupils who do not yet speak Czech are entitled to support: schools can organise additional Czech language lessons, and children with significant needs can receive support measures set out after an assessment. The support varies from school to school, so ask the headteacher directly what they provide for a newly arrived child.

Who runs the schools

Most public primary schools belong to the municipality or to a city district. In Prague, schools belong to the district or the city, so the same city can have very different school cultures. Secondary schools belong to the region, which in Prague's case means the city itself. The Ministry of Education sets the curriculum framework, each school writes its own education programme within it, and the Czech School Inspectorate inspects quality. National exams and the common part of the maturita are organised by CERMAT.

A catchment system exists for primary schools. Municipalities define a catchment school (spádová škola) for each address, and the school must admit children from that district first. See Prague school catchments for how it works in the capital.

Getting to the secondary stage

Entry to a four-year secondary school is usually by a national common entrance examination in Czech and mathematics for most programmes, organised centrally, together with the school's own criteria. Applicants can apply to a small number of schools, and the results are matched to places. For some arts or sports programmes, there are separate talent tests. Timing is fixed by the Ministry each spring, so parents of children in grade nine should check the calendar early in the school year.

The maturita has a common part, taken at the same time across the country, and a profile part set by the school. A pass gives the right to apply to university. Foreign pupils who join in the later years should ask whether their earlier education counts, and whether certificates from abroad need recognition; see recognition of foreign diplomas in Czechia.

After school hours and the rest

Most primary schools run an after-school club or a "družina" for younger children until late afternoon. Municipal art schools (základní umělecká škola) offer music, dance and art classes for a fee. Sports clubs and hobby centres are separate again.

Health cover for a child depends on the family's status, and health checks and vaccinations follow the Czech schedule. For the general picture on children arriving in Czechia, see bringing children to Czechia: permits, insurance and school places.

Frequently asked questions

Is school free for foreign children?

Tuition in public schools is free for legally resident children on the same terms as for Czech children. Meals, after-school care and trips are paid for.

At what age does school start?

Compulsory attendance begins in September after the child turns six. A deferral is possible with the right recommendations.

Do pupils choose a secondary school at 15?

At 15 for most programmes. Some children leave primary school earlier for a multi-year gymnasium.

What language are classes taught in?

Czech in public schools. Schools can provide extra Czech lessons for newcomers.

If your child is within three years of a major transition, ask the current school about the process now, not in the spring of the year it happens.