1) Freedom / possibility to start schools / to run schools

1. ECNAIS THE EUROPEAN COUNCIL OF NATIONAL ASSOCIATIONS OF INDEPENDENT SCHOOLS CONSEIL EUROPEEN D’ASSOCIATIONS NATIONALES D’ECOLES INDEPENDANTES Berlin, GERMANY | 19th November 2010 The independent School in Europe today – and the role the national organizations are playing Michal Musil Sdruzeni soukromych skol Cech, Moravy a Slezska - Association of Private Schools of the Czech Republic, V Olsinach 75, Prague, tel.:+420 281 002 623 1) Freedom / possibility to start schools / to run schools The Constitution of the Czech Republic, adopted on 16 December 1992, provides a general legal framework andfreedomfor startingandrunningtheprivateschools. The rights of citizens and the obligations of the State with regard to education were laid down in the Charter of Fundamental Rights and Freedoms (the constitutional law). First and foremost it guarantees the right to education, i.e. 'free education at basic and secondary schools and according to a citizen’s abilities and society’s possibilities also at higher education institutions'. 2) Funding, governance and inspection, professional and democratic leadership, Transparency, Accountability, State Control / Auditing The Act (No. 563/2004) on Educational Staff and on the Amendments of Several Acts (in force from 1 January 2005) regulates requirements for the performance of educational staff's duties, their in-service training and career progression. The Act (No. 306/1999) on Providing Subsidies to Private Schools and Pre-school and School Establishments replaced the previous government regulation of subsidies. Private schools have been established since 1990 (at university level since 1999). The schools are mostly non-confessional; the usual legal form is a for-profit or non-profit grant-aided organisation. Both private and denominational schools represent 2.4 % of the total number of basic schools and 1.3 % of their pupils; for upper secondary schools it is 25.7 % of schools and 15.8 % of pupils; for tertiary professional schools it is 32.6 % of institutions and 32.0 % of students in 2009/10; for universities it is 63.4 % of institutions and 14.5 % of students in 2009/10. The funding of private schools is based on the same per capita principle, as for public schools. Basic subsidies (50-80 % of the amount granted to similar public institutions, according to the type) can be raised to 80-100 % if the school meets a set of criteria. Denominational schools receive the same funding as public schools directly from the state budget. Private Higher Education Institutions must be non-profit-making to be eligible for a state grant. 3) Pedagogical freedom for the single schoolsand the discussion of how and to which extend the independent schools are socially responsibility in the society. The gradual implementation of the Education Act has beenfocused on the curricular reform and evaluation. Curricular reform is based on the Framework educational programmes (FEPs) that represent a central level of the curricular system and define educational goals and key competencies as well as educational contents necessary for their achievement. On the basis of the FEP, schools prepare their own school educational programmes in determined terms. Since 2006/07 all schools havebeen obliged to self-evaluate. All final exams were revised: until now only schools have been responsible for their content and organisation. New secondaryfinalexam(maturitnízkouška) will consist of common and profile parts of two levels of difficulty. Common part will consist of three centrally organised examinations, profile part of the maturitnízkouška will consist of examinations organised by school in compliance with the Framework Educational Programme. The new maturitnízkouškastarts in 2011. 4) Other topics you think are of greatest relevance and importance for the next 5 years….. Demographicdecline makes it difficult to start new schools and also to maintain small independent schools Freedom of education is permanentlyattacked by variuos law proposalsandactivitiesofregionalgovernments led mostly by socialdemocratic party. | www.ecnais.org | Ny Kongensgade 10, DK 1472 Copenhagen K, DENMARK | secretariat@ecnais.org | ECNAIS is na international association for collaboration between national associations of independent schools in European countries. It was founded in 1988 and is registered as a company limited by guarantee not having a share capital under the English Companies Act. ECNAIS