**Foreign Student Enrollment Rises Across Czech Schools, With Prague Leading the Trend**
*Prague, Czech Republic –* According to data released by the Czech Statistical Office (ČSÚ), the share of foreign‑national pupils in Czech primary schools has been increasing steadily. In the 2022‑2023 academic year, almost 8 % of the roughly one million students enrolled in primary education were foreign nationals, the highest proportion recorded in recent years.
**Prague’s proportion stands out**
The capital city recorded the highest share of foreign pupils among all regions, with 18 % of primary‑school children classified as foreign nationals. This figure is nearly one in five students in Prague’s primary schools.
**Impact of the Ukraine conflict**
The surge in foreign enrolments began after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. The number of foreign pupils in Czech primary schools almost doubled that year, driven largely by an influx of Ukrainian children. As of the latest count, pupils from Ukraine represent 5 % of the total primary‑school population nationwide.
**Secondary education follows the same pattern**
A similar upward trend is evident in secondary schools. Foreign pupils now comprise almost 5 % of all secondary‑school students, the highest share recorded in the past decade.
**Legal framework and rights**
Compulsory education in the Czech Republic applies not only to Czech citizens but also to citizens of other European Union member states who reside in the country for more than 90 days, as well as to foreign nationals holding long‑term residence permits. Children of these residents are entitled to the same rights as Czech pupils, including free education, school meals and participation in extracurricular activities.
**Future outlook**
While the overall number of children in primary schools has remained relatively stable at just over one million in recent years, the ČSÚ anticipates a sharp decline in enrolments moving forward, though specific projections were not detailed in the released data.
The rise in foreign‑national pupils reflects broader demographic shifts and the ongoing humanitarian response to the conflict in Ukraine, underscoring the importance of inclusive educational policies across the Czech Republic.
Article source: praguemorning.cz | Image credit: Prague Morning
