Education in Czech Republic
EDUCATION IN CZECH REPUBLIC - COSMONAUTICS (STUDY)
Motto:
The Cosmonautics has its place in school education of all age groups...
1. EDUCATIONAL SYSTEM OF CZECH REPUBLIC
Education system in Czech republic consists of three consequential stages
Primary education - primary school
Secondary education - secondary school
University education - advanced vocational training + university
1.1. PRIMARY SCHOOLS
Compulsory school attendance takes nine years in the Czech Republic.
In the school year 2005/06 there were 3,741 elementary schools including 337 church and private schools that is 1.5% from total 881,676 pupils in the Czech Republic
1.2. SECONDARY SCHOOLS
In the school year 2005/06 there were 1,690 secondary schools including 23 church and 30 private schools.
From that were:
350 grammar schools (four-, six- and nine-year) including 21% church and private schools
798 secondary vocational schools including 27,8% church and private schools
542 secondary apprentice training centers including 19,4% church and private schools
1.3. HIGHER VOCATIONAL SCHOOLS
In the school year 2005/06 there were 176 schools for extending general and professional knowledge. This study takes three years.
1.4. UNIVERSITY EDUCATION
In the academic year 2005/06 there were 62 colleges including 26 universities (divided into faculties)
1.5. SCHOOL ESTABLISHERS (without resolution)
Corporations: 58%
Districts: 32%
Private subjects: 6%
Church subjects: 2%
Ministries/state: 2%
1.6. PUBLIC EXPENDITURES ON EDUCATIONAL SYSTEM
Publical expenditure for educational system was 4,4% GDP in 2005
1.7. EU EDUCATION PROGRAMS
The Czech republic utilizes educational programs "Socrates II", "Leonardo da Vinci II", "Mládež (Youth)" and new programs "Erasmus Mundus", "eLearning", "Tempus III" and educational programs cooperating with choosen other countries since the year 2000.
1.8. STATISTICAL DATA(year 2005)
1.8.1. Secondary education:
Successful graduation from secondary schools in the Czech republic 90.9%
EU average (25) 76.4%
Reference value EU for 2001 (Benchmark 2010) 85%
1.8.2. Tertiary education:
The number of tertiary graduates in MST per 1000 inhabitants CZ 5.6
EU average (25) 10.9
Graduate male/female: 2-4/1
Sources: Annual report MSMT (http://www.msmt.cz) for 2005
Statistics data CSU, chapter 33.- school (http://csu.statnisprava.cz)
2. SPACE EDUCATION IN CZECH EDUCATION SYSTEM
The cosmonautics has direct binding and is in logical connection with branches of science - Astronomy and Astrophysics. It is in relation to next branches - technical and humanitarian in the field of space applications research.
No one of these subjects is taught as a separate branch of science in Czech elementary and secondary educational system. Some principles are partly explained in mathematics, physics, biology, chemistry, geography and natural science.
Pupils are lectured more compact blocks of cosmonautics in sixth class of elementary school within the frame geography lessons and in ninth class in physics lessons.
Grammar schools shortly presents cosmonautics in their lessons of mathematics, physics and natural science. From time to time there are efforts to extend education of cosmonautics (but primarily astronomy) in taught curriculums for fourth forms of grammar schools.
Secondary vocational schools present cosmonautics only marginally - mostly in connection with space technology applications in main study subjects.
Apprentice training centers don't present these subjects at all.
In a frame of academic education - cosmonautics is presented in connection with further subjects specialized in aviation, transport and electrotechnic in the first place. University and college students obtain other informations about cosmonautics and space applications when they study branches potentially connected with cosmonautics - for example telecommunication, navigation, meteorology, geography, medicine, biology, material science, thermodynamic, engineering, optics, computer techniques and information technology and etc.
* Brno University of Technology (http://www.vutbr.cz), Faculty of Mechanical Engineering (http://www.fme.vutbr.cz) prepares one-semester optional subject "Principles of Space Flight" (http://is.fme.vutbr.cz/common/rozvrh/prdetail.html?pid=55049).
* Aerospace Research Centre works at Brno University of Technology (http://lu.fme.vutbr.cz/clkv) and solves research projects aeronautic and cosmonautics branches
* Czech Technical University in Prague (http://www.cvut.cz), Faculty of Mechanical Engineering (http://aerospace.fsik.cvut.cz) is going to prepare one-semester optional subject "Principles of Space Flight" since winter term 2007/08.
* Separate Aerospace Research Centre works at Department of Aerospace Engineering, Faculty of mechanical, CTU FME in Prague (http://clkv.fs.cvut.cz).
* Czech Technical University in Prague (http://www.cvut.cz), Faculty of Electrical Engineering, Department of Control Engineering (http://dce.felk.cvut.cz/) organizes fourterms of magister program as the part of the whole SpaceMaster program(http://www.spacemaster.cz)
Smaller thematic complexes of cosmonautics are professed mostly as a part of physics or astronomy branches even on other colleges and universities. For example- the Charles University (astronomy and astrophysics), the Masaryk University Brno (theoretic physics and astrophysics), the Palacký University Olomouc (applied physics), the Silesian University in Opava (theoretic physics and astrophysics).
3. EDUCATION IN SPACE WITHIN THE OUT-OF-SCHOOL ACTIVITIES
3.1. OBSERVATORIES AND PLANETARIUMS
The Czech Republic has a very wide network of observatories. At the present time there are almost 90 operative observatories and planetariums in the Czech republic, three tens of them with professional astronomers.
That is why most promotion and educational actions about cosmonautics are realized within programs of professional and non-professional observatories and planetariums. As cosmonautics is in a close relationship to their major section of interest (astronomy), it is mentioned in series of programs or lectures, intented for the widest public. Except that some of observatories prepare separate cycles of lectures about cosmonautics.
Particularly observatories in big towns - Planetarium Prague (http://www.planetarium.cz), The Nicholas Copernicus Observatory and Planetarium in Brno (http://www.hvezdarna.cz), Observatory and Planetarium Hradec Kralove (http://www.astrohk.cz), The Observatory and Planetarium of Johann Palisa in Ostrava (http://planetarium.vsb.cz) have whole series of lectures about cosmonautics in their programmes prepared by leading experts.
3.2. CLUBS, ASSOCIATIONS
There are even nonprofessional associations and interest groups playing an active role with cosmonautics and its propagation in the Czech republic.
At the present time three professional associations are dealing with promotion of cosmonautics here:
* Civil association - Kosmo Klub (Space Club) (http://klub.kosmo.cz)
* Astronautics section of Czech Astronomic Company (http://kosmonautika.astro.cz)
* Civil association - Kosmos News (http://kosmos-news.kosmo.cz).
Furthermore even Association of Young Debrouillards of Czech republic (http://www.debrujar.cz) educates informally technically talented school children in cosmonautics.
All of these associations generally participate on preparation of educational and promotional actions together with professionals.
3.3. ACTIONS AND PROGRAMME IN SUPPORT OF COSMONAUTICS
Major actions organized in Czech republic, introduction cosmonautics for the widest public include:
* World Space Week (http://www.spaceweek.org)
* European Researcher's night (http://ec.europa.eu/research/researchersineurope/events/rn06_cz01_en.htm)
* Project "Science in Streets"
Members of above-mentioned association and organizations also participate further actions where cosmonautics is promotioned and introduced with its contribution for science, industry and people.
Lecture cycles about cosmonautics are regularly held for professionals and amateur public - for example:
* Cosmonautics chronicle - Planetarium Prague (http://www.planetarium.cz)
* Meeting of Kosmo club (http://klub.kosmo.cz)
* Cosmonautics - Observatory and planetarium M.Kopernika in Brno (http://www.hvezdarna.cz)
* Astronomic-cosmonautics meeting - CTU in Prague (http://astro.siliconhill.cz)
Further two great seminar about cosmonautics for general public are held in Czech republic
* seminar "Cosmonautics and Rocket Technology" - Observatory Valasske Mezirici (http://www.astrovm.cz)
* seminar "KOSMOS-NEWS PARTY" - KOSMOS-NEWS (http://knp.kosmo.cz)
Proceesed:
Milan Halousek
3/2007
Czech Space Office - Education Centre
Katerinska 10, 128 00 Praha 2, Czech Republic
Milan Halousek, e-mail: halousek
czechspace.cz
tel.: +420 602 153 564
