Educational Support and Guidance - CZECH REPUBLIC
Pre-primary to tertiary professional level
The Education Act that regulates education from pre-primary to tertiary professional level defines three categories of children, pupils and students (hereinafter referred to as pupils) with special educational needs: disabled pupils, or pupils disadvantaged in terms of health condition or social position.
The pupils have the right to an education the content, form and methods of which correspond to their educational needs and possibilities, they are entitled to have adequate conditions created that would enable them to receive such an education together with counselling services from the school.
Education and training of pupils with special educational needs is provided either by mainstream schools or schools especially founded for disabled pupils (special schools). Separate education of children with special educational needs had a long tradition in Czech Republic and the system was very elaborate. It covered the levels from pre-primary education to upper secondary one with the aim to provide school leavers with appropriate qualifications. There are still schools for pupils with special educational needs educating which operate separately, usually specialised by the type of disability.
An inclusive education system started to be introduced from the early 1990s. It takes a priority nowadays. Its aim is to separate pupils with special educational needs from their peers as little as possible, to prevent disabilities or disadvantages from becoming limiting factors in participation in education and to educate all children in the spirit of mutual help and solidarity.
As a result of historical development, 3.4 % of the total population aged 3-18 is individually integrated in mainstream schools, 3.0 % are enrolled in special classes. 0.4 % of the age cohort 3-18 is in institutionalised care, of which almost half (47.8 %) are disabled children. (Data for 203/14 school year.)
https://webgate.ec.europa.eu/fpfis/mwikis/eurydice/index.php/Czech-Repu…