Survey finds widespread experience of teacher-student relationships in Czechia
A new survey commissioned by the organisation Konsent suggests that relationships between teachers and students may be more common than many people realise. The research also found broad agreement that such behaviour has no place in schools, although younger and older Czechs often describe it differently. I discussed the findings with Konsent’s director Johanna Nejedlová and began by asking her what surprised her most about the results.
“I think the most alarming number is that 1.5 percent of Czechs reported having experienced a sexual or romantic relationship with a teacher, which translates to approximately 120,000 people in the Czech Republic.
“That was really surprising to me. If you look at it another way, it means that, on average, there is one student per year group in a school who has a relationship with a teacher. That's quite a large number.
“What surprised me in a positive way was that Czechs generally believe that sexual harassment does not belong in schools and that relationships between students and teachers are inappropriate.
“I was also surprised that more than 80 percent of people said they would even dismiss a school director who knew about relationships or sexual harassment involving teachers and failed to act. It suggests that Czechs are moving forward in how they perceive sexual harassment and how they think about it."
How does the situation in Czechia compare with what we know from other countries in this respect?
“Generally speaking, if you look further west, relationships between teachers and students are considered completely unacceptable. It is something that is not tolerated, and schools usually address it in their codes of conduct. In some countries, it is even explicitly regulated by law and such relationships are strictly forbidden.
“That said, progress has been slow even in some Western countries. In France, for example, even ten years ago this issue was not viewed as harshly and was not as strongly prohibited.”
Your research found clear generational differences. How do younger and older Czechs differ in the way they perceive this kind of behaviour?
“It was interesting to see that members of Generation Z were more likely to classify various forms of behaviour as sexual harassment. For example, if a teacher invited a student on a date or sent romantic messages, they clearly identified that as sexual harassment. Older generations tended to view the same behaviour as problematic, but they were less likely to describe it as sexual harassment.
“I'm not sure that this is necessarily something we should be concerned about. It may simply be that older generations do not use the same vocabulary as younger people. What is important is that they clearly recognise that this kind of behaviour does not belong in schools, and I'm very grateful for that.”
What rules or legislation currently regulate relationships between teachers and students in Czech schools?
“It's quite complicated because we do not currently have any specific guidelines dealing with this issue. That's one of the things we are asking the Ministry of Education to prepare. From the analysis we conducted, there are indications in education legislation that teachers should treat students with respect, ensure their safety, and meet certain moral standards.
“If you look at it that way, having a serious relationship with a 15-year-old student most likely does not fit within those standards. What we really need is for the ministry to examine the issue, compile all the relevant regulations and provisions that already relate to it, and then provide schools with clear guidance on how to respond.”
The survey suggests strong public support for stricter measures. What did it reveal?
“What is absolutely clear is that Czechs want schools to have mandatory codes of conduct regulating teachers' ethics. They want these codes to state clearly that romantic or sexual relationships between teachers and students are completely forbidden.
“We also clearly see that people believe those who cross these boundaries or abuse children should be removed from their positions.”
Is there anything else you would like to add?
“I think it's important to say that there are already schools that want to address this issue. They are reaching out to us and asking for guidance. The only thing they need now is for the ministry to provide support and assistance, and we hope that will happen soon.”
