In May, Liska (Greens, SZ) wants to submit a draft reform modernising the country's university system, for which experts have been calling for more than a decade. Liska believes the government could discuss his proposal early next year. He also want to initiate an amendment to the school law in order to redress its shortcomings that schools have complained of. Liska wants to propose the abolition of the limit for the lowest possible number of pupils in a school and the abolition of the free-of-charge attendance of kindergartens by children one year before they start attending elementary school. The amendment is to enable exceptionally talented children to start school attendance at the age of 5, i.e.
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New Czech education minister presents his team ... one year before the school newcomers' usual age. If passed, the amendment would also facilitate the paperwork for school headmasters. Liska has newly established a new team of ministerial officials whose task is to focus on reforming the institutional and protective education system and on children whose living conditions put them in disadvantage. The team will be left by deputy education minister Dusan Luzny (SZ). Changes in the system of high school leaving exams are to influence students in 2010 for the first time. There will be two types of the exam, a more and a less difficult ones, for students to choose from. Mathematics will play a more important role. Steps are to be taken to reverse the unfavourable trend of the declining number pupils in apprentice schools, which affects the labour market. The ministry officials told journalists that around the year 2015 the number of apprentice school leavers could be lower than 10,000, one-third of their current number. Liska said he considers the changes in the university system crucial. The ongoing discussion on the introduction of tuition fees at public universities is only a part of the problem. It is also university management, the assessment of universities' work and their financial management that should change as well. The relevant bills' final shape will arise from the discussion Liska wants to launch with university rectors soon, he said. At all levels of schools, the introduction of changes is to be co-financed from EU funds. The EC has not yet approved the Czech operational programme Research and Development for Innovation, of which Liska's ministry is in charge. Liska said he wants to complete its preparation this spring. As early as April Czech self-rule regions that operate schools will be able to spend money from the EU operational programme Education for Competitiveness. The Czech Republic can draw an equivalent of 45 billion crowns in 2007-2013. The former, still unapproved programme, is to offer another 52 billion crowns.
(Ceske Noviny)
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