> ## Content Index > Fetch the complete content index at: https://www.czechish.cz/llms.txt > Use this file to discover other available public pages before exploring further. # What Czechia's inclusive education overhaul could mean for kids struggling with Czech - URL: https://www.czechish.cz/will-czechias-inclusion-reforms-change-the-help-your-child-gets-in-class/ - Published: 2026-11-14T15:30:00.000Z - Updated: 2026-11-14T17:48:29.000Z - Description: New rules could change how children learning Czech receive classroom assistance, but questions remain over funding and the future of bilingual assistants. - Author: Elizabeth Zahradnicek Haas - Tags: News Children who struggle to follow lessons in Czech could find it easier to get classroom support under a proposed overhaul of inclusive education, approved by the government on October 19 and awaiting Parliament's approval. The changes, planned for September 2027, would allow schools to provide teaching assistants to pupils who need help without always requiring an assessment from an educational-psychological counselling centre (*pedagogicko-psychologická poradna*, or PPP). For children learning Czech, that could mean getting assistance sooner, without parents first having to arrange a formal assessment. The Education Ministry says the new funding system would account for pupils needing language support, including children whose first language isn't Czech. But three education organizations — [EDUin, SOFA and Spoluškola](https://www.eduin.cz/clanky/stanovisko-navrhy-revize-inkluze-sofa-spoluskola-eduin/?ref=czechish.cz) — have warned that schools need clearer funding guarantees to ensure children receive adequate support. ### What would change for children learning Czech? Currently, eligible children can receive free Czech-language preparation (*jazyková příprava*) through designated schools without a PPP assessment. But language lessons aren't always enough to help a child understand classroom instructions, participate in discussions or keep up with subjects taught in Czech. A PPP can recommend additional classroom assistance based on insufficient Czech alone. A child doesn't need to have ADHD, dyslexia or another diagnosed condition to qualify for this support. Under the [proposed system](https://msmt.gov.cz/aktuality/faq-k-navrhu-zmeny-systemu-podpory-asistentu-pedagoga?ref=czechish.cz), schools would receive funding for teaching assistants based on their size and pupils' needs, including the number of children requiring language support. Headteachers would have greater flexibility to decide how assistants divide their time between pupils, groups and classrooms. For parents, that could mean their child receives classroom help without first going through a PPP assessment. But assistance would be organized across the school rather than tied primarily to individual pupils, meaning a child who currently receives regular help might not retain the same amount of individual support. The Education Ministry says the changes would make assistants a more stable part of school teams. Education organizations, however, want schools to know exactly what resources they can expect before the changes take effect. “School principals cannot remain uncertain about what funds for teaching assistants they can count on for the next school year,” said SOFA chair Lenka Felcmanová in the [organizations' October statement](https://www.eduin.cz/clanky/stanovisko-navrhy-revize-inkluze-sofa-spoluskola-eduin/?ref=czechish.cz). ### What about bilingual assistants? Some schools employ bilingual teaching assistants (*dvojjazyční asistenti pedagoga*), who help children understand lessons and communicate with teachers using Czech and another language. According to [META's guidance on bilingual assistants](https://inkluzivniskola.cz/dvojjazycny-ap/?ref=czechish.cz), these staff members can also support teachers working with multilingual pupils. Their positions are funded in different ways. [META's overview of assistant financing](https://inkluzivniskola.cz/financovani-asistenta/?ref=czechish.cz) describes several sources, including European education projects, some of which continue until the end of 2027. Other bilingual assistants work in ordinary teaching-assistant positions, which could be affected by the proposed funding changes. Existing European-funded projects would not automatically end under the reform, but it remains unclear what the changes will mean for bilingual assistants employed through ordinary school funding, or what happens when current projects expire. Nor does the new system guarantee that a school will have an assistant who speaks a particular child's language. ### What about children who have been in Czech schools for years? The proposed reforms could also benefit pupils who have spent years in Czech schools but still struggle with the language of learning. META, an organization supporting multilingual children and their teachers, warns that children who speak Czech confidently with friends may still struggle with textbooks, written assignments and exams. Developing the academic Czech needed for schoolwork can take five to seven years, the organization says. Yet children generally lose their automatic entitlement to dedicated Czech-language preparation (*jazyková příprava*) after two years in the Czech school system, even if they never received those lessons. Children who have passed that limit may still be able to join an existing language-preparation group if space is available, although they are no longer automatically entitled to a place. Under the proposed reforms, schools could assign teaching assistants to children who need classroom help without first obtaining an individual PPP recommendation. That could offer another route to assistance for pupils who no longer qualify for dedicated language preparation. In the meantime, parents whose children are approaching the two-year limit can request an assessment from an educational-psychological counselling centre (PPP) before their language preparation eligibility expires. A PPP can recommend additional language support, helping avoid a gap in assistance. ### What happens next? The reforms still need Parliament's approval. The proposed teaching-assistant funding changes are intended to begin on September 1, 2027. The Education Ministry says it plans to give schools more detailed information about funding by spring 2027. For parents whose children already receive support, the immediate step is to ask their school how that assistance is organized and whether any changes are expected. Parents concerned about their child's Czech-language progress can also ask what support is available now, including whether a PPP assessment would be appropriate. The [Education Ministry's November 2026 update](https://edu.gov.cz/infoservis-listopad-2026/?ref=czechish.cz) explains the proposed changes, while [META's Inclusive School website](https://inkluzivniskola.cz/?ref=czechish.cz) provides guidance on language preparation and classroom support for multilingual children.