Czech Republic - case study Planning and Organizing Debate on National Education Strategy: Partnership with the third sector Zagreb, Croatia February 27 - March Prepared by: Petr Vrzáček, Poryv

Reform and its meaning Reform n. 1: a change for the better as a result of correcting abuses; 2: a campaign aimed to correct abuses or malpractices; "the reforms he proposed were too radical for the politicians" 3: self-improvement in behavior or morals by abandoning some vice; v 1: make reforms in; change for the better; 2: subject to spiritual regeneration 3: produce by cracking, of oil or gas 4: break up the molecules (of oil or gas) 5: change for the better; Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary, © 1996, 1998 MICRA, Inc.

Czech Republic3 General Elections Results in 1996 and 1998

Czech Republic4 Educational policy in the 90s Before the general elections in June 1998: Czech education system reviewed by OECD experts a PHARE study “Czech Education and Europe” developed, this study was later recognized as a Green Paper (research of the situation in education). After the general elections: Education identified as one of the major issues of concern in the government policy statement. The Concept Paper on Education and Development of Education System of the Czech Republic elaborated in April The Concept contained 17 priority goals that were approved by the Government. The Minister of Education was assigned the task of putting together a basic strategic document - the White Paper. The Minister initiated a public discussion. The public discussion started in October 1999 as “A Challenge for 10 million” and it was supported by the Open Society Fund Prague(OSF).

Czech Republic5 White Paper According to the American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition Copyright © 2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company. - A government report. - An authoritative report on a major issue, as by a team of journalists. Introduction of the Czech White paper (Professor Kotasek): - a systemic project formulating intellectual basis, general goals and development programs of the education system. In my understanding it is: - potential summary of reforms.

Czech Republic6 Phases of the Public Discussion I. Discussion must have its content (10/99 - 1/00). - 6 working studies elaborated - four of them described problems of particular sectors of educational system and two tackled cross sector themes - teacher and school as a place of change. II. Information must reach its receiver. (10/99 - 9/02) - a web-site (10/99 - 9/02). - 7 volumes of a bulletin with a circulation 45,000 copies each distributed by two professional publications (10/99 - 1/00). - hundreds of meetings (10/ /00 * ), OSF in cooperation with a public relations agency organized 7 regional public debates (12/99 - 6/00). III. Receiver’s voice must be heard and recorded (10/ /00 * ) IV. The communication process must be monitored (10/ /00) and evaluated (1/00 - 3/00) - collected data was interpreted and reported by a public opinion research agency V. Outputs of the process must be both internally and externally transparently reviewed (9/ /00 * ).

Czech Republic7 Institutions involved in communication Ministry of Education, Youth and Sport (MOE) - main organizer Institute for Information in Education, directed by MOE - publisher of the bulletins, round tables organizer, web-site administrator Research Institutes, directed by MOE - working studies developers, meetings organizers OSF, Poryv - partner, evaluator, regional discussions and review process organizer (national and international conferences) Professional media editors - work studies disseminators 2 PR agencies - first as a regional discussions organizer and the second as a parliament seminar organizer Public opinion research agency - evaluator Professional associations - discussion meetings organizers Individuals - PR consultant, members of the core team, working studies co- authors etc.

Czech Republic8 Lessons learned

Czech Republic9 Process problems

Czech Republic10 We could hear during the discussion: “The discussion will bring new arguments”. Minister in his kickoff speech ( ) “Unfortunately the discussion is not going well. There are not enough articles in newspapers, little TV and radio broadcasts…. The purpose of the national discussion has not been clarified.” From an article written by a director of a foundation published in a big newspaper ( ) “One half of the population has noticed, that there is a discussion about educational reforms.” One of the public survey results presented in the Parliament ( ) “Preparation of the White Paper has a two-month delay. The discussion ended in time, but sorting and analyzing of received comments have not started yet. ” A big newspaper journalist ( ) “During the discussion, social partners, representatives of civic society and various interest groups, officials and above all schools and teachers expressed their views on problems concerning the development of all levels of the education system. (The White Paper Introduction, 2001)

Czech Republic11 References Reviews on National Policies In Education: Czech Republic. Paris, OECD Koucký, Jan and Kovařovic, Jan (Editors) The Czech Education and Europe. Pre-Accession Strategy for Human Resource Development. Education Policy Association. Prague, Institute for Information on Education - Tauris On the Treshhold of Changes. Annual Report on the State and Development of the Education System in Prague, Institute for Information on Education - Tauris Kovařovic, Jan Transformation of the Czech Education System, Proceedings of the Educational Policy Workshop. Kyiv, Context Publishing House Zeman, Eduard The Challenge for Ten Millions. An introduction to the discussion. A bulletin for preparation of the National programme for the development of education. Prague, National Programme for the Development in Education in the Czech Republic. White Paper. Prague, Institute for Information on Education - Tauris 2001.