Which subject and where? Choosing high schools in Prague just got simpler

For children and their parents, knowing which high school to pick and invest several years in can be a daunting task. Schola Pragensis, an education-focused company, has developed an app that aims to make the often muddling process a little easier.

On its app as well as online, Schola Pragnesis puts hundreds of Prague’s secondary schools – or střední školy – in one place. Children and their parents can filter schools by location, subjects or vocations offered, study prerequisites, extracurricular activities, and more. The app also offers videos of selected schools.

"The habits of students are changing rapidly, and along with them, the way in which they choose a secondary school. We therefore developed the Schola Pragensis application, which...offers a catalog of all Prague secondary schools, a profiling test, and a video guide with advice from graduates," Jakub Jarolímek from Media House Preslova, a collaborator in the project, said in a press release.

A special, three-day fair will also take place between Nov. 24 and Nov. 26 at Prague Congress Center. This is not a new concept: the tradition spans back to the mid-1990s, when children and their families in the capital would attend annual events to learn more about future schools. 

"[Pupils] can try practical things that will be useful to them in real working life: from creating and managing a project, through communication skills to the ability to work in a team,” Prague City Councilor for Education Vít Šimral said earlier this week when speaking about the fair.

About 30,000 visitors are expected to attend the fair this year, which will feature information stands with representatives from schools, talks, and brochures.

Current and past students of the secondary schools will also be on hand to help out prospective pupils. Over 130 schools will be represented at the Congress Centre, according to Prahatv.eu.

Much anticipation surrounds the event; it will be the first one since 2019, owing to pandemic-related measures.

News of a shortage of school spaces in Prague makes pupils’ selection process this year even more salient. Children and their families will hope that the Schola Pragensis app and fair will save them some stress.

Currently, the app is only available in Czech.