Summer holiday officially begins in Czechia today: How long does school break last?

The school year comes to a close in the Czech Republic today with approximately 1.47 million primary and secondary school pupils eagerly awaiting their final report cards. This year marks a significant milestone as the number of elementary school children has exceeded one million for the first time in the country's history.

On the last day of school, Minister of Education Mikuláš Bek will participate in the ceremonial close to the academic year, visiting schools in Brno and handing out report cards to students.

Traditions on this special day involve students celebrating their achievements and showing appreciation to their teachers. It is common for students to give flowers to their teachers as a gesture of gratitude. Czech children typically dress up to receive their report cards and bring a decorative envelope for storing their marks.

Additionally, some retailers and venues offer discounts and special activities for students with excellent report card grades. In Prague, kids can head to the zoo and pay a single crown for entry with a good report card (a program is also planned for the first holiday weekend).

Enrollment data from last September shows that 1,007,778 schoolchildren attended elementary schools in the Czech Republic this school year. The number of children in elementary school exceeded one million for the first time in the history of the Czech Republic. 

According to statistics from the Ministry of Education, there are a total of 4,261 elementary schools in the Czech Republic. There are 1,294 secondary schools and 463,200 students and apprentices attend them.

In addition to Czech pupils, children of Ukrainian refugees, many of whom have been in the Czech Republic since the spring of 2022, when Russia invaded Ukraine, will also pick up their report cards today. 

In April, the Ministry of Education reported that almost 40,000 Ukrainian schoolchildren and 3,457 refugees from the war-torn country study in secondary schools in the Czech Republic. 

As the academic year concludes, attention turns to summer camps. The prices for youth association camps are expected to increase by more than 17 percent compared to last year due to the rising cost of food, energy, and rent. Last year the average price of the camp per day was CZK 264 in 2022.

However, despite the price hike, there is still great interest in these camps. Scout groups, such as Junák and Pionýr, are among the largest organizers, offering a wide range of camps for children. The Czech Council of Children and Youth reports that summer camps are in high demand, with various associations preparing hundreds of camps across the country.

From Saturday, July 1, the children's summer vacation will officially begin. Schoolchildren will return to classrooms again on Monday, September 4. For more important dates in the Czech school year see here.