The MEYS has systematically dealt with the problems of educating foreigners within the Conception of Integrating Aliens on the Territory of the CR in an ongoing way since 2000. The main prerequisites for successful integration are the preparedness of the school system and its ability to react to changing conditions. The education of aliens proceeds in compliance with Act No. 561/2004 Coll., on Preschool, Elementary, Secondary, Higher Vocational and Other Education (Education Act), as subsequently amended.
The MEYS ensures courses free of charge for refugees, for the implementation of which financial means are appropriated through relevant resolutions of the Government of the CR from the General Treasury Administration budget chapter.
The MEYS guarantees the compulsory school attendance of the children of refugees and asylum-seekers, as a component of the fulfilment of commitments arising from the international conventions by which the CR is bound.
On the basis of cooperation with the Institute for Information in Education and Czech Statistical Office, the statistical data in connection with the education of aliens are monitored.
Important information contributing to knowledgeability with respect to the requirements and problems connected with the education of the children of aliens is continuously provided by the monitoring of the situation in the education of aliens in elementary and secondary schools by means of the Czech School Inspectorate.
Every year, the MEYS charges the DM of Group 6 with the appointment of a working group consisting of the deputies of all the groups of the ministry, the Czech School Inspectorate, the Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs and the Ministry of Interior. This commission selects projects from the announced projects for the support of the activities in the area of the integration of aliens on the territory of the CR, for the implementation of which financial means are appropriated through relevant resolutions of the Government of the CR from the General Treasury Administration budget chapter.
The implementation of the projects contributes to the removal of the language barrier and facilitates the integration
of children-aliens into normal life while respecting the differences of individual ethnic groups, their cultures,
religions, customs, etc. Another objective of the projects is to assist teachers in acquiring skills in work with
children-aliens during the instruction, namely of the Czech language, in integrating these children into
extracurricular activities, in resolving possible conflicts arising from mutual misunderstandings.
The Financing of Teacher Assistants for Socially Disadvantaged Children, Pupils and Students
Since 1998, the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports has provided financial means for the activity of teacher assistants (previously called ‘instructor assistant teachers’ and ‘Roma assistants’). Until 2004, the finances for the wages and salaries of these assistants were provided to the regions within the current budgets and were specifically intended for teacher assistants.
Since 2005, the financial means for teacher assistants have been included in the overall amount of financial resources sent to the regions for all pedagogical staff, without further specification of their allocation for specific activities. In connection with the shift of responsibility from the ministry to the regions, the ministry first announced a developmental programme in education for the financing of these teacher assistants already in 2006.
It was set as a condition that the subsidy can only be used for financing the posts of teacher assistants filled by persons with the relevant professional qualification as prescribed in Section 20 of Act No. 563/2004 Coll., on Pedagogical Staff and on Amendments to Some Acts, as subsequently amended. The subsidy can be used for a teacher assistant who only has elementary education and is covered by Section 32 of Act No. 563/2004 Coll. only under the assumption that no later than three months after starting work he/she will begin study in an accredited educational programme for teacher assistants provided by an institution for the further education of pedagogical staff.
