Secondary schools
Secondary schools provide secondary education (upper secondary – ISCED 3), which is either general or technical. A fact characteristic of the Czech education system is that practically all of the pupils leaving primary schools (95%) go on to attend post-obligatory schooling. A bulk of these pupils will receive vocational qualification that is recognised in the labour market at higher secondary level. The development of the secondary general and secondary technical education structure is one of the major changes which happened in respect of the Czech education system after 1989. The ratio of students admitted to fields of study with the Maturita exam and those without this exam, which was approximately 40:60 before 1989, reversed as early as 1997 and has settled at an approximate ratio of 60:40 in favour of the Maturita exam fields of study. The share of technical education in secondary education continues to be rather high: about 81% of secondary school students graduate in technical fields. The establishment of private and denominational schools after 1989 is also a major change at this level. Admission to secondary school requires prior completion of the compulsory education and the passing of admission procedure. Successful completion of a secondary educational programme leads to attaining one of the following levels of education: secondary education with apprenticeship certificate, secondary education with the Maturita exam, and ordinary secondary education (with no apprenticeship certificate and the Maturita exam). The Maturita exam passed at any type of school allows students to apply for admission to tertiary education studies.
Secondary schools are subdivided into these groups:
a) General Secondary Schools (gymnáziums) are schools providing general education; the Czech term gymnázium is in line with the traditional terms used in Central Europe to refer to this type of school. These schools provide secondary education completed by the Maturita exam (ISCED 3A) and their primary purpose is to prepare students for higher education studies.
b) Secondary Technical Schools provide four-year secondary technical education completed by the Maturita exam (ISCED 3a) and allowing graduates to apply for higher education programmes, and qualify graduates for middle technical, economic, and similar positions;
c) Secondary Vocational Schools provide two-year or three-year programmes qualifying for blue-collar and similar occupations (ISCED 3C). In a low number of four-year programmes completed by the Maturita exam (ISCED 3A), these schools provide qualification for demanding blue-collar occupations and operational positions, and open up a path to higher education. Secondary vocational schools may also provide one-year and two-year programmes (ISCED 2C) for pupils who finished their compulsory education without completing all the nine grades of compulsory education, young people with special educational needs, and school leavers from special schools or schools for mentally handicapped children (pomocné školy).
Conservatoires
Conservatoires provide education that develops the knowledge, skills and other competencies acquired at basic schools and basic art schools, provide general education, and prepare students for the performance of demanding artistic activities in the fields of music, dancing, singing, and musical and dramatic arts. Successful graduates from conservatoires attain secondary education completed by the Maturita exam (ISCED 3A) or post-secondary technical education (ISCED 5B) completed by absolutorium.
Tertiary technical schools
Since 1995 tertiary technical schools have prepared their students for qualified performance of demanding technical activities. These schools provide secondary school graduates with the Maturita exam with post-secondary technical education (ISCED 5B) completed by absolutorium.
Higher education institutions
Higher education institutions provide three types of educational programme: Bachelor’s programmes (ISCED 5B), Master’s programmes (ISCED 5A), and Doctoral programmes (as a follow-up to Master’s programmes – ISCED 6). Until the end of 1998, all higher education institutions had the status of a university, and the possibility of setting up non-university higher education institutions has existed since 1999.