School system in the Czech Republic

In the Czech Republic you have to start attending primary (or 'basic') school at the age of 6. Younger children between the ages of 3 and 6 usually attend a kindergarten. School attendance is compulsory for 9 years. Pupils can attend primary school all 9 years and after finishing go to a secondary school or they have a possibility to step over to a secondary school called 'Gymnázium':

• after five years at primary school and study for 8 years at Gymnázium.
• after 7 years at primary school and study for 6 years at Gymnázium. This kind of study is less common than other kinds. Usually one of the foreign languages is studied intensively here.
• after finishing primary school and study at Gymnázium for 4 years.

Gymnázium is finished by a school-leaving exam (called 'maturita'), which is necessary for entering universities and colleges. Last four years at Gymnázium can be compared to a secondary school, where students get general education.

After finishing successfully primary school you can choose one of the secondary schools. They are specialised in different branches (such as engineering, economics, chemistry etc.). These schools last 4 or 5 years and are also finished with the school-leaving exam 'maturita'.

At a university you can specialise in different branches of your choice. Study takes from 4 to 7 years and is finished with a state exam. There are several universities in the Czech Republic, usually one in every large town (Prague, Brno, Olomouc, Ostrava, Ústí nad Labem, České Budějovice etc.). In Brno there are Masaryk University, Agricultural College, Technical College and Janáček Academy of Music and Drama.

Gymnázium Matyáše Lercha
 E-mail: sekretariat@gml.cz