The debate over abolishing the ninth grade is largely based on the mistaken assumption that removing the final year of primary school would automatically make education shorter and less expensive. If nine years of compulsory schooling are retained, the reform would primarily mean shifting one year from primary to secondary schools. The history of the Czech education system also shows that the number of years spent in primary school and the length of compulsory schooling are not the same thing. International comparisons further indicate that Czechia is among the countries with a relatively short period of compulsory schooling. The debate should therefore focus not only on abolishing the ninth grade, but on a more comprehensive reform. One possible option is an 8+4 model, consisting of eight years of primary education followed by four years of compulsory secondary education.

Key takeaways:

• Abolishing the ninth grade does not mean shorter compulsory schooling: If nine years remain compulsory, the ninth year would simply move to secondary school. The reform itself would therefore not deliver the suggested billions in savings.
• Czechia does not have unusually long compulsory schooling: With nine compulsory years, Czechia is among the countries with a relatively short period of compulsory education.
• The 8+4 model as an alternative: Eight years of primary education could be followed by four years of compulsory secondary education, giving students more opportunities to specialise without leaving compulsory education prematurely.

Policy Paper – Jan Rovenský

The analysis is in PDF under the link below.