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Education to the Czech Republic
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Trends and opportunities
The Market
The degree of education completion at elementary, secondary and university levels is very high in the Czech Republic by world standards. All children in the Czech Republic must attend elementary school up to the age of 15. After elementary school, 52 per cent of children continue their education in vocational schools and 48 per cent move on to secondary schools.
Overall, 7.2 per cent of Czechs complete a university education and there are currently 412,000 secondary and university students in the Czech Republic. Secondary education is finalised by ‘maturita’ (certificate leaving examination). There are three types of state and private upper secondary schools:
- Gymnasia (grammar schools), providing general education and preparation for university studies
- Specialised secondary schools and conservatories, providing technical and commercial education
- Secondary vocational schools providing apprentice courses
Further education colleges are focused on technical courses such as computer technology, business or specialised language courses such as business English. These types of colleges, both state and private, offer re-qualification courses or higher specialisation that are not limited by age.
At the upper secondary school level students prefer the commercial academies to prepare for both further higher education and entrepreneurial activities. The eight-year gymnasia are also popular, with the focus on further higher education or on complete secondary education.
There are 24 state and 12 private universities spread throughout the country. The preferred areas of study at university are:
- Economics
- Marketing
- Law
- Biology, physics and biochemical sciences
- Information technologies
- Philosophy
The Ministry of Education, Youth and Sport has a comprehensive education strategy which includes major projects such as:
- Exchange student programs
- Cooperation with foreign education entities
- Programs for foreign language study
Opportunities
Studying of foreign languages is compulsory at all schools (with English the most widely taught) and a high percentage of university students want to study abroad. Czech students follow the country’s economic needs when choosing their fields of study, so currently the most popular courses are in:
- Information technology
- Computing
- Marketing
- Business management
- Hospitality
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Tariffs, regulations and customs
There are no regulations, tariffs or quotas related to education in the Czech Republic.
Industry standards
Central and east European countries have historically set a high knowledge level, particularly mathematics, applied science, history and philosophy. Achieving a good standard of foreign languages, especially English, is seen as important. |
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Marketing your products and services
Market entry
Australian education institutions can promote themselves by visiting the Czech Republic and meeting with local education agents and education institutions. There are 26 student agencies in the Czech Republic who focus on managing study stays in Australia. There is a growing trend for Australian institutions to be represented by one or more local education agents.
Exhibiting at any of the international education trade fairs is highly recommended, and Australian institutions can exhibit by themselves or co-exhibit with an education agent. The optimum curriculum should cover different levels of English language and vocational training. Australian education providers should be registered at the Australian Embassy in Vienna, Austria where Czech students interested in study stays in Australia, must apply for a student visa.
Australia enjoys a good reputation among Czech students thanks to alumni and education agents specialising in Australia. Strong selling points for attracting Czech students to Australia include the attractive curriculum and the opportunity for visiting students to get part-time work. Australia is also seen as appealing because of the natural scenery of the country and because it is cheaper than the UK or USA for long-stays.
E-commerce is established in the Czech Republic, but is still used mostly by private consumers. The situation in the Czech telecommunications sector is expected to further improve with affordable ISDN lines and better rates for Internet users. This means the volume of use will grow and entity-to-entity communication will help to establish export contacts.
Distribution channels
Recommended distribution channels in the Czech Republic education sector are either local education agencies which can represent several education providers, or local education institutions which prefer to work on a one-on-one basis. |
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Contact details
The Australian Trade Commission (Austrade) is the Federal Government agency that helps Australian companies win overseas business for their products and services by reducing the time, cost and risk involved in selecting, entering and developing international markets.
Austrade offers practical advice, market intelligence and ongoing support (including financial) to Australian businesses looking to develop international markets. Austrade also provides advice and guidance on overseas investment and joint venture opportunities, and helps put Australian businesses in contact with potential overseas investors.
A list of Austrade offices (in alphabetical order of country) is available.
More information
For further information please contact Austrade on 13 28 78 or email info@austrade.gov.au
(Last updated 12 Jul 2007)
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