Parents can get to know schools in Prague and the Czech Republic at open days

Expat parents who want to ensure they find the right school for their children should take advantage of open days (Den otevřených dveří) taking place at private and state schools as well as universities and higher education institutions throughout January and February. These events allow prospective students and their families to understand what options learning institutions in Prague and the Czech Republic have to offer.

People can take tours of a school, sometimes given by students themselves, or sit in on a lesson. Parents can meet and talk to teaching staff as they explore options for educating their children in the Czech Republic.

Several open days are scheduled during the first part of the year but many continue through into March or even year-round. Many private schools in particular are taking a more flexible year-round approach to open-door days.

Due to Covid, many events happened online in the past couple of years. Now that restrictions have been lifted and life has mostly returned to normal, most open house days are once again in person.

Open days for Czech state schools are typically listed on individual schools' websites, or you can search via a particular municipal district's site, such as Prague 6 or 7, for instance.

Schola Pragensis is a good resource for those looking for a gymnasium (high school) or technical high school for older kids. It also hosts a large annual fair geared toward helping families choose a high school.

Meridian International School offers kindergarten through secondary school in two buildings of a quiet residential area of Prague 8. The accredited school is based on the British education model.

“We organize open days at certain points during the year so that students and parents, those who are interested in our school, can visit our buildings, observe our physical facilities, as well as meet directly with teachers and students, to ask questions and receive information from them,” Meridian International School’s Emre Kahraman said.

He added that based on experience, these visits to the school are highly beneficial for parents. “It gives them the opportunity to directly talk to the teachers and students or even with the school management committee on any subject they want to talk about,” he said.

The most important benefit is that school representatives can allocate time to each visiting parent. “We make sure they meet the people they want, and we do our best not to leave any question marks behind in their minds,” Kahraman added.

Meridian International School is also launching a new policy that will allow parents to see the school in action and meet with teachers even outside of the normally scheduled open days.

“According to a new decision we have taken, all parents will now be able to come and visit our school whenever they want. They just need to reach us via phone or website. Afterward, we will arrange a day for them and host them at our school in the best way possible,” he said.