N OTES ON EDUCATIONAL AREAS

Language and Communication through Language

- the educational content of the educational field Czech Language and Literature is implemented at all grade levels of basic education

- writing is included in Communication and Composition and as a rule is implemented in smaller time units than the teaching hour

- education in a mother tongue other than Czech is implemented on the basis of special regulations

- the educational content of the educational field of Foreign Language has a weekly time allotment of 3 hours and is mandatory for grades 3 to 9; if there is pupil interest and parental consent, Foreign Language instruction may be commenced at lower grade levels; pupils must be offered English before other languages; if pupils (their statutory representatives) choose a language other than English, the school must provably inform the pupil’s statutory representative of the fact that the educational system cannot guarantee continuity in the education of the chosen foreign language in case of the pupil’s transfer to another basic school or to secondary school

- until the 2011/2012 school year the educational content of the educational field of Second Foreign Language is elective; the school is obligated to offer it to all pupils no later than by grade 8; the available time allotment for Second Foreign Language is at least 6 hours; pupils who do not select Second Foreign Language shall select from other subjects which better reflect their interest

- Second Foreign Language may be German, French, Spanish, Italian, Russian, Slovak, Polish or another language; schools must offer English as Second Foreign Language for pupils who did not select English as their Foreign Language

Mathematics and Its Applications

- the educational content of the educational field Mathematics and Its Applications is implemented at all grade levels of basic education

Information and Communication Technologies

- the educational content of the educational field Information and Communication Technologies is implemented at Stages 1 and 2 of basic education

Humans and Their World

- the educational content of the educational field Humans and Their World is implemented at all grade levels of Stage 1 of basic education

Humans and Society

- the educational content of the educational area is implemented at all grade levels of Stage 2 of basic education

Humans and Nature

- the educational content of the educational area is implemented at all grade levels of Stage 2 of basic education

Arts and Culture

- the educational content of the educational area is implemented at all grade levels of basic education

Humans and Health

- the educational content of the educational field Health Education is realized only at Stage 2 of basic education; at Stage 1, the educational content of Health Education is included in the educational area of Humans and Their World

- the educational content of the educational field Physical Education is realized at all grade levels of basic education; for health reasons, the time allotment for Physical Education must not drop below 2 hours per week

- the educational content of the educational field Physical Education includes the thematic area of Remedial Physical Education, elements of which are applied preventively during Physical Education for all pupils or are assigned to pupils with physical impairment in place of activities which are counterindicative of their weakness; at the same time, schools are recommended to offset the physical deficits of pupils in health category III and to provide corrective exercises by assigning a mandatory or elective subject whose activities are taken from the thematic area Remedial Physical Education.

Humans and the World of Work

- the educational content of the educational field Humans and the World of Work is implemented at Stages 1 and 2 of basic education

- at Stage 1, the educational content is realized at all grade levels; all 4 thematic areas are mandatory for the school; at Stage 2, the only mandatory thematic area is The World of Work and the school selects at least one thematic area from the remaining seven which must be implemented to its full extent

- the thematic area The World of Work is mandatory to its full extent for all pupils; with a view towards helping pupils select their future career, it is appropriately offered at the highest grade levels of Stage 2

Cross-curricular subjects

- cross-curricular subjects form a mandatory part of basic education

- all cross-curricular subjects must be included at Stages 1 and 2, but need not be present at all grade levels (for inclusion of cross-curricular subjects in six-year and eight-year grammar schools, see note 10 on page 92)

- cross-curricular subjects may be included into the SEP as an integrated part of other subjects;

the school may decide on the manner in which cross-curricular subjects are realized and may determine the time allotment for the individual grade levels

Available time allotment

- use of the available time allotment is fully within the authority and responsibility of the school director

- the use of the total available time allotment in the SEP’s curriculum timetable is binding The available time allotment is intended for:

 implementing elective subjects, which must meet the objectives of basic education and develop pupils’ key competencies

 implementing the educational content of the field of Second Foreign Language at an extent of at least 6 hours (no later than by grade 8) or realizing another elective with the same time allotment

 increasing the time allotment of individual educational areas and educational fields beyond the minimum time allotment

 creating time allotment for realizing other mandatory subjects which help to complete the school’s focus

 offering additional electives

 implementing cross-curricular subjects

 implementing complementary educational fields

 increasing the time allotment for PE at two consecutive grade levels at Stage 1, with mandatory swimming instruction

 implementing educational content which supports the education of pupils with special educational needs

Part D

8 Teaching Pupils with Special Educational Needs

Pupils with special educational needs include students with health disabilities (physical disabilities, visual and auditory impairments, mental disabilities, autism, speech defects, multiple disabilities and developmental disorders affecting learning or behaviour), pupils with health disadvantages (physical weakness, long-term illness and mild health disorders leading to learning and behavioural problems) and socially-disadvantaged pupils (family background with low socio-cultural standing, at risk of pathological social phenomena, in court-mandated institutional educational care or in a protective facility, refugees and asylum seekers).