Photo: top09.cz
Seventy experts from all regions of the Czech Republic discussed the current state of Czech education and where it should be heading in light of current trends at the TOP 09 programme conference entitled "Current Challenges in Education".
The conference was organized by TOPAZ on Saturday 6 April 2024 under the auspices of Senator Jan Grulich of TOP 09 with the financial support of the Konrad Adenauer Foundation. The debate was not only about all levels of the education system, but there was also room for discussion on the topics of children and youth health, inclusion and adult education.
"The revision of the curriculum framework is not a change of paper, but a change of mindset. Unless headteachers, boardrooms, governors and, most importantly, parents understand this, there is little hope of moving our education system to where it needs to be and where we should have been a long time ago." appealed Senator Jan Grulich, who gave the opening speech at the conference.
This was followed by the Minister for Science, Research and Innovation, Helena Langšádlová, who presented the forthcoming amendment concerning changes in the support of PhD students. Read more about the amendment HERE.
"We, a nation of Comenius, who claim that at six a child is ripe for education, keep children in kindergartens until they are seven." These were the words used by MEP Pavel Klíma to introduce his contribution on deferments of compulsory school attendance. "Excessive postponements are a problem, but they can become an opportunity for change if they are addressed in a systemic way," added the TOP 09 MP.
TOP 09 Vice-Chair Martina Ochodnická emphasized in her contribution that schools should be safe and healthy environments and places where difference is seen as rare. She also mentioned the role of prevention and control of addictive substances and the importance of a healthy and dietary diet. "TOP 09, headed by Health Minister Vlastimil Válek, has been working since the beginning of the election period on topics that emphasize healthy school meals and the issue of addictive substances. We agree that regulation, not prohibition, is the way forward, as well as a fundamental strengthening of prevention. As a right-wing party, we also emphasise the need to concentrate our efforts on those most at risk, which in education are children with combined disabilities." says Martina Ochodnicka.
Jaromír Beran, Deputy Director-in-Chief of the Education and Youth Section at the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports, also spoke during the first part of the session, providing up-to-date information on education and the management of the education system.
An interesting addition to the programme was a presentation by Alena Reslová from the Konrad Adenauer Stiftung called DigiHavel. Participants tried out conversations with artificial intelligence on their mobile phones on topics related to democracy, human rights or totalitarianism. This platform integrating artificial intelligence into the classroom is aimed primarily at the second cycle of primary schools. More information on the project HERE.
In the afternoon session, space was devoted to universities and adult education. Associate professor Anna Putnová, as a university teacher, presented the challenges of universities related, among others, to the use of artificial intelligence or teacher education.
In today's rapidly changing world, education should not be limited to the younger grades. It should also include retraining and the lifelong development of important skills for the 21st century. Lucie Komorousová, a member of the TOPAZ Academic Council, spoke in this context, and in particular about adult education.
At the end of the conference, the outputs and conclusions of the thematic groups were presented, which were developed during the group work of the conference participants.
Czech education has a lot of work to do, and especially challenges, and this will not change in a moment. It will require the efforts not only of politicians, but of all of us. This process requires intensive communication between teachers, principals, founders and parents, which today's conference has contributed to.
top09.cz/gnews.cz-RoZ_07
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