Overview
Evaluation in the area of early childhood care
In the external evaluation (checking) of the children’s groups (dětské skupiny), Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs (standards for quality of care and funding from the State budget), State Labour Inspection Office and by the regional labour inspectorate (compliance with legal requirements) and regional public health offices (space and operation sanitary standards). Children’s groups are not obliged to carry out internal evaluation but it is recommended in a methodological material.
Evaluation of the education system (early childhood, school, and tertiary education)
The education system at central level is evaluated by the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports in its Annual Report on State and the Development of the Education in the Czech Republic, including both the lower stages of education as well as tertiary education. Overall evaluation of schools and school facilities (excluding the higher education institutions) is also included in the Annual Report of the Czech School Inspectorate. Once every four years, the Ministry of Education draws up Long-term Plan for Education and the Development of the Education System of the Czech Republic, approved by the Government (in addition to other strategic documents, such as, e.g., Strategy for Education Policy of the Czech Republic 2030+). Usually, every five years the Ministry then prepares and publishes Strategic Plan of the Ministry for Higher Education and once a year a plan of implementation of this strategy.
Evaluation of the education system at regional level is carried out by regional authorities in an annual report on the state and development of the education system in their respective regions; once every four years, they also draw up long-term plans for education and the development of the education system in their respective regions.
Evaluation in the area of early childhood and school education
External evaluation of schools (with the exception of higher education institutions) and school facilities is carried out pursuant to the Education Act by the Czech School Inspectorate through fourteen regional school inspectorates. Evaluation concerns the conditions, progress and results of education and the implementation of education programmes. Evaluation of schools and school facilities can also be carried out by their organising body according to previously published criteria. In addition, in the area of public administration the control activities make take place.
Currently self-evaluation of schools (up to the level of tertiary professional schools – vyšší odborné školy) is not bound by any fixed form. Nevertheless, it provides background for annual report on school activities by the school head. The content of annual report on school activities is set by a decree. Schools also draw up conceptual plans of their own further development.
School management is responsible for the evaluation of individual educational staff. The organising bodies of schools are responsible for the evaluation of school heads.
Evaluation in the area of tertiary education
The evaluation of tertiary professional schools is similar to that of lower level schools. The main difference is the need for accreditation of educational programmes of tertiary professional schools.
Evaluation of higher education institution (vysoké školy) is different.
External evaluation of higher education institutions and the quality of their accredited programmes is carried out by the National Accreditation Bureau for Higher Education (further on “NAB”). A higher education institution can also ensure at its own expenses an evaluation by a generally accepted evaluation agency. Such agency is either listed in the EQAR register or is a member of the ENQA association. The NAB can use this evaluation when checking the compliance of performed accredited activities with legislation or for assessing the applications for institutional accreditation.
The quality assurance and internal evaluation of quality of higher education institutions is according to the Higher Education Act an important autonomous activity of every higher education institution. The Higher Education Act imposes a duty on a higher education institution to introduce and maintain a system of quality assurance and internal evaluation of quality of educational, creative, and relating activities and stipulates its framework.
A proper system of quality assurance and internal evaluation of quality is one of the conditions for granting institutional accreditation. If a higher education institution seeks an institutional accreditation for a field or more fields of education, it has to establish a new autonomous body of the HEI – the Board for Internal Evaluation. If the school receives an institutional accreditation, it is authorised within the accreditation to approve its study programmes.
Higher education institutions draw up annual activity reports and annual reports on management. Every five years they also prepare their strategic plans.
Evaluation of adult education and training
Evaluation of adult education and training is carried out within the evaluation of the institutions, which provide this type of education. Evaluation of in-service courses for education staff is carried out by the National Pedagogical Institute.
Legislative framework
The competence of particular authorities in the provision of childcare in a children's group (dětská skupina) is defined by the Act on Providing of Childcare in a Children's Group. The establishment and status of labour inspection bodies as control bodies are regulated by the Labour Inspection Act, establishment and competencies of the regional public health offices the Act on Protection of Public Health.
The evaluation of schools (except for higher education institutions) and school facilities is governed by the Education Act https://www.zakonyprolidi.cz/cs/1998-111and related decrees. The Education Act also refers to internal (self) evaluation but regulates in more details external evaluation of schools, school facilities and the education system. A Decree which Sets the Requisites of Long-term Plans and Annual Reports applies both to central and regional documents.
The performance of inspection profession is governed by the Education Act and by the Act on Inspection (Inspection Code). The Decree on Detailed Conditions of Organisation of the Czech School Inspectorate also applies.
The evaluation of the education staff itself follows from the Labour Code and the Education Act, and the Labour Code also regulates the evaluation of school heads. The evaluation of education staff is also dealt with in the Criteria for Evaluation of the Conditions, Course and Results of Education and School Services. However, it is not about the evaluation of an individual teaching staff member, but primarily about the quality of the teaching staff, e.g. the qualifications of the teaching staff, their approach to students and to each other.
Evaluation of higher education institutions (vysoké školy) is governed by the Higher Education Act, which regulates both external and internal evaluation of HEIs. The Standards and the procedures for internal evaluation of quality are set by a higher education institution in its internal regulations, the framework is stipulated by the Government Degree on Standards for Accreditation in Higher Education. The Higher Education Act also sets the duty to draw up annual reports on school activities and on management. Under the same Act, the Ministry of Education draws up an Annual Report on the State of Higher Education, which is since 2012 the part of the Annual Report on State and the Development of the Education in the Czech Republic, and the Strategic Plan of the Ministry. According to an amendment to the Higher Education Act, the National Accreditation Bureau for Higher Education was established.