Mark your calendar: Important dates in the 2024–25 Czech school year

Going to a Czech state school offers expat children (and their families) a swift way to immerse themselves in the Czech community. However, for those whose first language is not Czech, navigating school days can present additional linguistic and cultural challenges.

We've compiled a list of key dates to assist parents in planning for the upcoming school year. Spring break schedules vary by district, so be sure to confirm the specific dates for your local area.

In the week before school officially starts, teachers and administrators are on-site and often available to speak with parents by appointment. Lunches can be prepaid, and lunch cards or chips can be acquired at school cafeterias. This period is also used to reexamine students who failed one or more compulsory subjects to determine their advancement in the upcoming school year.

School will start on Monday, Sept. 2, across almost all state schools – private schools may differ.

On the first morning of school, first-grade students and their parents are officially welcomed in a meet-the-teacher ceremony. Students in other grades have a 45-minute opening hour with their teacher, during which they are usually given registration forms for školní družina (before/after-school care for the youngest students) and payment information for school lunches. Both lunch service and školní družina typically start on the second day of school.

Many schools hold a třídní schůzka (a meeting for parents with the classroom teacher) during the first or second week of school. During this meeting, the organization of the school year is explained, and any upcoming out-of-school trips are discussed. From September through early October, schools hold sign-ups for after-school activities and clubs.

Activities include musical instrument lessons, foreign language instruction, sports activities, and craft classes like woodworking and ceramics. Many schools also offer clubs sponsored by organizations outside the school. Ask your child’s classroom teacher and/or check your school’s website for specific club registration and payment details since each school’s offerings are different.

This state holiday falls on a Saturday – therefore children will not have a day off school in this week. Holidays are not given in lieu in Czechia.

Czechoslovak Independence Day (also known as Independent Czechoslovak State Day) is on Monday, Oct. 28. Schools will be closed.

The autumn holidays fall directly after Czechoslovak Independence Day; on Tuesday, Oct. 29, and Wednesday, Oct. 30. This means an epic five-day “weekend” for schoolchildren.

Open-door visit days and virtual tours are available for eight-year, six-year, and four-year gymnasiums, as well as specialized high schools and vocational school programs. Check individual school websites for registration and dates.

This public holiday commemorates student political activism, first against the Nazi regime in 1939 and later against Communist rule in 1989. However, this falls on a Sunday – no extra day off for schoolchildren in November 2024.

Students applying to upper schools, gymnasiums, or conservatories that specialize in drama, dance, music, art, and/or sports must submit their application by this date.

The Christmas holidays begin Monday, Dec. 23, and end on Friday, Jan. 4. The last day pupils will come into school will therefore be Friday, Dec. 20. Students will return to class on Jan. 6, getting 14 days off in total.

Criteria for application to eight-year, six-year, and four-year gymnasium programs as well as specialized high schools and vocational programs should be available on individual school websites by Jan. 1.

Students receive report cards with grades from their first semester. Some schools have a shortened school day, although this differs from institution to institution.

The half-term holiday – a one-day break – is scheduled for Friday, Jan. 31.

Schools nationwide will have a one-week break in February or March. Exact dates vary depending on the school and the Czech region in which it is located. Here is an overview of the spring-break dates.

The final due date for submission of student applications for eight-year, six-year, and four-year gymnasium, specialized high school, and vocational school programs. Applications are accepted between Feb. 1 and March 1.

A novel online application system for Czech secondary schools launched in early 2024, giving over 100,000 children in Czechia the chance to apply for three secondary schools, rather than two, as was the case in the past. Unlike previous years, pupils (or their parents/guarantors) can do all this electronically.

School attendance is mandatory from the age of 6 until a student has completed nine years of basic education. Schools are required to post all necessary information regarding school registration on their school websites. Parents and their prospective first graders attend an in-person registration during April where parents submit school applications and students perform school-readiness tasks. A child can register at any public school; however, children whose permanent residence falls in the school’s catchment receive priority.

Preschool registration occurs in April or May depending on the particular school. Although children are eligible to attend a public Czech preschool from the age of 3, preschool attendance is only mandatory for children from the age of 5. During this final předškolní year (the last year before first grade) monthly tuition is free for students. Preschool registration is also based on a parent’s permanent residence with priority given to children in the catchment.

During this registration period, parents may request a delayed school entry for children who have not yet demonstrated physical and/or mental readiness for school. Requests should be submitted to the school principal and are usually accompanied by a recommendation from a pedagogical/psychological center.

Children have their Easter holidays on Thursday, April 17. April 18 is Good Friday, April 21 is Easter Monday, and children don't return to school until Tuesday, April 22.

A public holiday, also known as Labor Day, celebrating workers and the working class. This falls on a Thursday in 2025, meaning schoolchildren in Czechia will get the day off.

A public holiday to commemorate the end of World War II, also occuring on a Thursday next year.

This is not an official school holiday; however many schools take field trips or plan special cultural activities to celebrate the day. In 2025 it falls on a Sunday, so some schools may celebrate on another day instead.

Students receive their end-of-the-year report cards, and school officially finishes on Friday, June 27.

Schools are closed amid the end of the academic year. Pupils may have exam retakes over the summer.