Foreign Exchange Stays

In the European Schools programme, teachers educate the children of staff from EU institutions and staff from permanent representations and other agencies.

General conditions

European Schools provide five years of primary education, which is the equivalent of the first stage of Czech elementary schools, and seven years of secondary education, which is the equivalent of the second stage of Czech elementary schools plus complete secondary education under the Czech system. At the end, students take the school-leaving examination known as the European Baccalaureate. Children who have not yet reached the age required to start school, i.e. six years, may attend nursery from the age of four.

Specific conditions

Teachers at nursery/primary/secondary schools, and, where appropriate, universities.

Under what conditions can I participate?

Teachers from both public and private schools are posted and paid by the Member States. Their salary is set according to the salary rules in place in the sending country, and a “European allowance” is paid to them from the European Schools’ budget (see below).

The employment contract is concluded for two years and may be renewed (see below).

Where can I go?

How to apply

Current selection procedures and their conditions are published on the websites of the Ministry of Education and the Centre for International Cooperation in Education. Detailed information about European Schools can also be found on the website of the Ministry of Education at http://www.msmt.cz/mezinarodni-vztahy/zakladni-informace-o-evropskych-skolach.

For how long?

Teachers, head teachers and their deputies may work at European Schools for a maximum of nine years. The employment contract is negotiated for two years with the possibility of a three-year extension further to a recommendation from the head teacher and the national inspector. If, at the end of this period, the appraisal of their work is positive, the contract can be renewed for a further four years. In exceptional cases, employment contracts may then be extended for a final three years (taking the total to 12 years).

What is the salary

The salary is set according to the salary regulations of the sending country. On top of this, there is a “European allowance” paid from the European Schools’ budget to bring the national salary level with that of the country in which the European School is located.