Czech news in brief for November 27: Thursday's top afternoon headlines

The City of Prague has said that all public schools must provide free menstrual products starting January 2026, following a Health Ministry decree change. The city says the move reduces period poverty and boosts attendance. The policy follows successful pilots in cities including Ostrava and Brno. The Prague program will be funded by the schools' own budgets, with estimated costs averaging a modest CZK 2,000 per month per school. Read more in our story.

A 27-year-old Czech man, Jirka (Jiri) Kotrla, was killed fighting in Ukraine, his former school reported today. The Secondary School of Arts and Crafts in Uherské Hradiště (Zlín) said Kotrla, who studied stonemasonry, left after his third year. Foreign Ministry spokesman Daniel Drake confirmed authorities are aware of the case and in contact with the family. The school urged the community to honor his memory.

At a Prague conference on multilingualism on Thursday, embassies of Austria, France, Germany, Spain, and Switzerland said early foreign-language learning improves cultural understanding. Under Czechia’s new curriculum, English becomes compulsory from first grade and a second foreign language from seventh grade by 2027. Experts add that learning a second foreign language has a positive effect on the development of students' cognitive abilities.

A new Safer Internet Center and Palacký University survey, released in Olomouc, shows increasing online aggression among Czech children. Over half faced verbal abuse, one-third humiliating photos, and 18 percent humiliating videos. Attacks usually come from classmates; for girls, often former friends or partners. Experts warn the threats are frequent and recurring, damaging mental health and leading to serious depression or even suicidal thoughts.

From Jan. 1, 2026, the Czech toll network will add 49.55 km across D1, D35, and D55. Toll rates for trucks rise 1.5 percent, generating an extra CZK 210 million, with another CZK 280 million from higher CO2 fees on first-class roads. Passenger vehicle tolls on motorways remain unchanged, CzechToll spokesman Miroslav Beneš said today. "Rates for passenger vehicles, like buses and coaches, remain unchanged on motorways," said Beneš.

Prague has finally announced that public educational institutions in the capital will need to provide free menstrual supplies for both students and staff.