Prague in Depth: Education - Primary School

This is compulsory for Czech children and has been since 1774.

Today, any citizen is legally obliged to complete the 9th grade before he or she can enter the workforce. Usually students enter primary school from the age of six and continue there in two stages.

The first is from age six to 10 and the second stage takes them from 11 to 15.

One teacher is responsible for students for the length of their schooling and acts as a kind of disciplinarian and counselor as well as "homeroom" instructor.

P.S.
Some students -- about 10% -- are allowed the opportunity to enter a gymnázium early (after the 5th grade) after passing a special entrance exam. Most kids who are ready to move into a more mature learning environment try this because they have nothing to lose. The only real advantage, however, is that they enter high school early and avoid taking entrance exams later on. These students graduate no earlier than their peers.