School and studying

Education in Czech Republic

The Czech education system operates on three levels: primary, secondary and tertiary. At the age of 6 or 7, Czech children have to enter a nine-year elementary school. Most schools are financed by the state. The school-leaving age is 15. For those willing to continue, there are many secondary schools. Grammar school prepares students for universities and lasts for four years. The students may focus more on humanities or technical studies. Apart from grammar schools, students may attend secondary business schools of agriculture schools. For the talented, there are conservatories where you can study music or acting. Or you can also study secondary vocational schools, after which people work for example as: bakers, waiters, and mechanics. All of the secondary studies finish with a final school-leaving exam in the fourth year consisting of four subjects, two of which are compulsory: Czech and a foreign language, and two electives. If you want to study at a university, you have to pass entrance exams. Education at universities is free of charge here. The universities offer three-year-bachelor programs and five-year-master programs finishing with a final state exam and a thesis defense.

Education in Great Britain

The British education system operates on three levels as it does in the Czech Republic: primary school, secondary school and sixth form or college. Primary schools have two levels. Most children go to state schools, but there are independent schools, public schools, or private schools in Great Britain. Often children will enter a nursery class at the age of 3. All children must go to school when they are 5. The first level is for children 5-7 years old. Every day British children have literacy and numeracy. The second level is for children 7-11 years old. Children sit in groups of 4-6. At the age of 11 they do a test and this helps to decide for a future Secondary School. Children aged 11-16 go to Secondary School. Pupils are sent to the nearest secondary school to their home. The pupils are tested at 14 years of age. This result helps to decide which subject to choose for their G.C.S.E. Exams. These exams are completed at the age of 16, after which, pupils can find a job or study for their A level. Those hoping to go to a university stay at school and go to a sixth-form college. The pupils, who are 16-18 years old, go here. In the first year, they study 5 or 6 subjects and again they do exams at the end of the first year. In the second year, they study the best 3 or 4 subjects and again they pass exams at the end of this year.

Public schools were previously only for boys and boarding schools were divided into houses. Some of the senior boys were prefects and they had their own servants from amongst the youngest boys. In the public schools, there used to be physical punishment. However, now it is not allowed. Most of these things are rumors.