On Schools, Education, and Advancement in Czech Lands

Abstract

We cannot imagine a society without schools. Education is the image of a society. A school system is a specialized institution whose task is to prepare young people for a happy and successful life. It reflects the current state of the society as well as its expectations. Schools are the reflection of where a society is heading and what resources and efforts it devotes to it. During times of change, through which our society is going, during times of the collapse of many values and the loss of basic concepts, it is necessary to shape at least an elementary idea about the future of our school system. We need to keep an idealistic picture of schools for the following reasons: Without being idealistic, we would fall prey to various economic necessities, and under more short-term societal pressure (grunderian capitalism) we could make a decision that would move our education in the wrong direction. On the other hand, if we aim for the best education, we will be able to make compromises that will satisfy the current and short-term demands of the economy and the public.