From Banat to Brisbane: Czech schools abroad keep language and heritage alive
The Ministry of Education cooperates with dozens of Czech schools abroad that help expats maintain their language and stay connected to Czech culture. What role do these schools play, what kind of support do they receive, and what challenges do they face?
Czech expat communities are scattered the world over and their desire to stay connected to their roots is strong. Traditions are handed down from generation to generation as families share recipes for the typical Czech and Moravian kolaches, dumplings or Christmas cookies.
Many have prized regional folk costumes from their “old country” that they bring out on special occasions and many also remember the folk songs that their grandparents or great-grandparents used to sing.
But keeping alive the Czech language and culture is not always easy in a foreign environment and one of the institutions that helps to preserve this heritage are Czech schools abroad. There are believed to be 120 to 150 of these schools the world over. Some serve only a handful of children, others have a long tradition and packed classes.
These schools are usually established within independent expatriate associations. The reason why their number is hard to ascertain is that only some of them have requested financial and methodological support from the Czech Ministry of Education and are in contact with the Czech authorities.
Monika Slabá, is head of the ministry’s Department for Expatriate Affairs.
“We see Czech schools abroad as important bearers of cultural heritage. They don’t just teach the Czech language and Czech studies — they also serve as a unifying element within expatriate communities. At present, the ministry works with 45 schools that use its services and methodological support. Interest is growing and over the past 14 years, the number of schools applying for financial support has quadrupled. This year, 48 schools received grants. The amount of support ranges from tens to hundreds of thousands of crowns and helps cover both teaching and extracurricular activities.
The ministry provides methodological support through webinars, consultations, and recommended textbooks. Some schools develop their own materials to better respond to the needs of multilingual pupils. The ministry also provides personal and online consultations.
Currently, 15 schools have signed five-year contracts with the Ministry of Education. They follow the Czech national education framework, can issue certificates, and are entitled to financial support.
Unlike traditional expatriate associations, however, these schools do not receive teachers directly sent by the ministry. Teachers from the Czech Republic typically work in long-established communities such as Banat in Romani, Lusatia in Germany, Daruvar in Croatia, or among Czech expatriates in the United States and Australia.
According to Monika Slaba the biggest challenge for many Czech schools in the present day is the generational renewal among teaching staff and the need to respond to the digital era.
“Based on my own experience, I’d say the biggest challenge right now is keeping the schools running amid a generational shift and meet the changing needs of expatriate communities. Their founders are often energetic and inspiring women with whom we’ve had excellent cooperation. They’ve achieved a great deal, and now they’re thinking about how to continue — developing new projects and sharing their experiences within their host countries. I’d like to mention, for example, Czech schools in Italy, which created a music-and-art project — a CD with Czech songs in both Czech and Italian — and are now working on a project called Czech Footprints in Italy.”
The ministry says contracted schools are preparing for new curricula and piloting hybrid-teaching models. Many already use digital tools such as interactive whiteboards.
The Ministry of Education regularly visits these schools, monitors teaching and the use of funds, and organizes discussions with parents. It is preparing an exhibition in 2026 that will showcase their work to both professionals and the general public.
