Types of institutions

According to the Education Act, a conservatoire is an independent type of school. Until 2004, it was defined as a sub type of the secondary technical school. A number of conditions of education in conservatoires are still similar to those in upper secondary schools.

Conservatoires provide art education through two types of programmes (particular fields are set by the Government Regulation on the System of Fields of Studies):

• six-year programmes focused on music, singing, music and drama for pupils who have completed compulsory schooling; these programmes include upper secondary and tertiary level of education (ISCED 354+554)

• eight-year programme specialising in dance for pupils who have completed the 5th year of the basic school; the programme includes lower secondary, upper secondary and tertiary level of education (ISCED 244+354+554)

Graduates of this school acquire tertiary professional education (vyšší odborné vzdělání) at the conservatoire (ISCED 5B) and/or secondary education with the Maturita examination (střední vzdělání s maturitní zkouškou) (ISCED 3A).

After successful completion of 4 years on-site education in the six-year educational programme or after 8 years on-site education in the eight-year programme, a pupil may pass the Maturita examination (maturitní zkouška). After such successful completion of the relevant part of the educational programme at a conservatoire, pupil receives secondary education with the Maturita examination.

It is possible to achieve the tertiary professional education in conservatoires by passing the graduate examination (absolutorium) after completing the whole educational programme.

Geographical accessibility

The network of conservatoires in the Czech Republic is not very dense (in the school year 2021/22, there were 18 conservatoires), in some regions there are not any. The highest number is in Prague (8). For most conservatoires, the region is the founder (12), while private or church founders run 5 conservatories. The Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports is the founder of only one conservatoire for pupils with special educational needs which is located in Prague. The average number of pupils per school was 204. (Source: Ministry of Education, Youth and Sport.)

For pupils who attend the eight-year educational programme in the field of dance, the school also provides full day care, meals and accommodation. Generally, educational and accommodation facilities – boarding homes for youth (domovy mládeže) and boarding houses for children and pupils with disabilities (internáty) are established for pupils of upper secondary and tertiary professional schools. The amount of fees in public and state boarding homes for youth and boarding houses for children and pupils with disabilities is limited by the Decree on School Educational and Boarding Facilities, and School Purpose Facilities, in public school canteens by the Decree on School Catering.

Admission requirements and choice of school

The school head decides on the admission of applicants for education at a conservatoire. He/she follows the Education Act and the Decree on Admission Procedure to Secondary Education.

To the six-year programme of a conservatoire, schools may admit the applicants who have completed compulsory school attendance – ISCED 244 (see Chapter 5 on Single Structure Education) or successfully completed basic education (základní vzdělání) prior to finishing their compulsory school attendance.

Schools may admit to the eight-year programme of a conservatoire applicants, who have successfully completed the grade 5 of basic school (základní škola) – ISCED 1.

All applicants must meet all conditions for admission by proving adequate abilities, knowledge, interests and health.

The admission procedure starts with submitting an application and ends with a decision regarding the admission/non-admission of an applicant. It always includes an aptitude test. Adult applicants or legal guardians of minor applicants (hereafter the applicants) submit the application to the head of conservatoire by 30 November. The head of the conservatoire invites applicants to an examination at least 14 days in advance (for substitute terms and for other rounds 7 days before the date at the latest). The invitation includes information on requirements for the aptitude test, on the expected number of applicants to be admitted and the criteria of the admission procedure. Aptitude tests are held from 15 to 31 January on dates set by the head of the conservatoire. A school head makes the list of admitted applicants available and delivers the decision of non-admittance no later than 15 February. In this way an applicant who has not been admitted may still submit an application for an upper secondary school.

The same rules apply for the appeal in case of non-admission to conservatoire as for non-admission to upper secondary schools.

Some other conditions are same as for admission procedure in upper secondary education.

Age levels and grouping of pupils/students

Within the education system the six-year programmes at conservatoires corresponds to education attained by pupils aged 15–20, and eight-year programmes by pupils aged 11–18. However, as a matter of fact almost half of all pupils are older than twenty and nearly a third of those admitted to six-year programmes are adults (source: Statistical Yearbook – Education. Performance Statistic Indicators). The first four years of an eight-year programme correspond to lower secondary education – the second stage of basic school (základní škola).

Conservatoires are divided into departments, i.e. workplaces where general education, specialised theoretical instruction, or special professional training of pupils takes place with the prospect of preparing them for performance of demanding artistic and artistic-educational activities. According to the Decree on Secondary Education and Education in Conservatoires, departments comprise pedagogical staff and pupils of all grades studying the relevant art field. Subjects are taught by different teachers. Education is carried out individually or in groups and general subjects can be taught to larger groups. The number of pupils for each subject is set by the curricular documents. The competence of a department covers the development of a certain aspect of an artistic field, preparation and implementation of parts of the school education programmes, educational, artistic, and further creative activities. The minimum number of pupils in a department is 5 and the maximum is 500. The minimum number of students in a school is 80.

Organisation of the school year

The school year at conservatoires starts on September 1 of the current year and finishes on August 31 of the following year. It is divided into teaching periods and holiday periods, the latter set by the Decree on Organisation of School Year. The main school holiday is in July and August.

For the conservatoires, the organisation of the school year in compulsory education applies. If, in accordance with the timetable, work or art practice is planned in July and August, the teaching period in the second term is shortened by the number of teaching days corresponding to the length of the practice. 

The course of the school year in the final grade is influenced by the dates of examinations.

Organisation of the school day and week

The framework for the school year, holidays and weekly and daily regimes are fixed by the Education Act, the Decree on Organisation of School Year and the Decree on Secondary Education and Education in Conservatoires. The number of teaching hours in a week is set by the Framework Education Programmes for Vocational Upper Secondary Education. The weekly and daily timetables depends on the form of education.

In the on-site form of education, the school week is similar to the working week, i.e. five days from Monday to Friday. The weekly number of lessons is given by the curriculum, up to a maximum of 40 lessons for the conservatoire. The organisation of the other forms of study (evening, distance, e-learning or their combination) differs.

One lesson lasts 45 minutes, except for lessons of work practice which last 60 minutes. In justified cases lessons may be split or merged. The educational programme for pupils with special educational needs may specify a different length of school lesson.

Five-day week system in the form of day attendance

The daily timetable is derived from the total number of lessons at a particular educational level and from regulations dealing with the beginning and the end of the education during a day. The minimum number of lessons per week in a grade is set by the curricular documents; for the maximum number of lessons per week see above.

The beginning and end of theoretical classes in day education is decided by the school head – classes usually start at 8 a.m., at 7 a.m. at the earliest, and finish at the latest by 8 p.m. The maximum number of compulsory lessons in one day, including a lunch break, is 8, exceptionally 9, with a maximum of 7 lessons without a lunch break. There is a 15-20-minute break usually after the first two lessons and a break, usually of 10 minutes, between other lessons.

Art practice is carried out as a part of education in the form of compact time blocs, i.e. is usually counted in whole weeks.

Conservatoires can provide pupils with opportunities for extra-curricular activities during their leisure time, focusing primarily on active relaxation, development of their skills and interests, preparation for lessons, and participation in contests and shows. In out of school hours, pupils can also use guidance services, services of leisure time centres (střediska volného času), school libraries and other school facilities. Some special extra-curricular activities for pupils at lower secondary level may be organised. The fees in public facilities are regulated.