Changes in the Czech Elementary School Curriculum
Vlaďka Skopcová answers questions about the changes in the Czech elementary school curriculum.
How is the Czech elementary school curriculum evolving?
Our education system is currently undergoing a major development. The completely new Framework Educational Programme for Primary Education, which was introduced in December 2024, is the greatest change in the past 20 years. Since January 2025, we have received more detailed information about the entire pre-primary and primary concept. The main idea is to develop key competences such as critical thinking, cooperation, problem solving, creativity etc. as well as the growth of basic literacy skills, i.e. reading, writing and numeracy.
The educational content will be focused on the ability to apply knowledge in real-life situations, the usage of digital skills as well as social and emotional learning.
Schools can start teaching on the basis of their new school curriculum based on the Framework Educational Programme in September 2025. The Ministry of Education plans to use their outputs to support other schools, which will have to apply the new school curriculum in their first and sixth grades in September 2027. Schools will adapt step by step and all classes should be under the new Framework Educational Programme by September 2031.
What impact do these changes have on English lessons in these schools?
There is a significant change in the English language teaching system, as according to the new Framework Educational Programme pupils start learning English in the first grade, while currently English is compulsory from the third grade.
Another noticeable transformation is that the level that pupils have to reach by the end of the ninth grade is B1. At the moment it is A2.
How can teachers effectively adapt to these new challenges?
Teachers at each school are facing a strenuous task of changing their school’s curriculum. However, they are not alone, as the Ministry of Education will provide schools with some kind of model curriculum.
As I work for Macmillan Education, I know my colleagues always prepare a sample English curriculum for each new course that Macmillan introduces in the Czech Republic. I am positive this will also be done for the new curriculum.
Secondly, there will be a great emphasis on training teachers who will work with pupils in the first and second grades. The way these pupils learn is different and thus the lessons are as well. At this age, children tend to use their innate language-learning strategies to acquire English, their world still needs to be full of games, stories, songs and lots of movement, and the teacher cannot rely on their abilities to read and write, so they have to choose activities that are less common for older learners.
Macmillan Education is trying to support teachers who will work with the youngest ones and has prepared a series of webinars. You can learn more about the webinars here.
Vlaďka Skopcová has over 20 years’ experience of teaching both young learners and adults in a range of situations. Having completed her CELTA and DELTA, she started working as a DOS and a TEFL trainer. Vlaďka currently divides her time between teaching and teacher training. She
has been working for Macmillan Education since 2014.
