Safeguarding international schools in Prague and the Czech Republic

Schools in the Czech Republic work under the Education Act. The Ministry of Education keeps the school register. The Czech School Inspectorate inspects schools on that register.

Some international schools in Prague sit on the register. Others run outside it under a foreign or private model. Ask your Head of School which status your school holds, since it shapes who inspects you.

Many schools also hold CIS, IB, COBIS or NEASC approval. Read how ITFCP international child protection standards fit with national law.

International schools should check whether their accreditation standards conflict with local guidance. Where standards differ, national child protection rules always take priority over school policies.

Yes. The Act on the Social and Legal Protection of Children asks schools to tell the local child protection office when a child may need protection. That office is called OSPOD, and it sits in each town or district office.

In Prague, each city district runs its own OSPOD. You contact the office for the district where the child lives.

The Criminal Code also makes it a crime to fail to report or prevent some serious crimes. Child abuse is among them. Compare this rule with other countries in mandatory reporting laws for international schools.

If a child is in danger now, call 158 or 112. Then follow your school plan and tell your DSL and Head the same day.

For other concerns, contact the OSPOD for the child's home district. Keep a written note of who you spoke to and when.

• 112 and 158: emergency and police lines, open all day and night.
• 155: ambulance and medical rescue.
• 116 111: Linka bezpečí, the free helpline for children and teens, open 24 hours.
• OSPOD: the child protection office at the local town or district office.

International schools in Prague teach students from dozens of countries. Some students speak Czech at home, while others speak English or a third language.

When a child speaks up about harm, listen calmly and do not promise secrecy. Write down their exact words as soon as they finish speaking.

Pass the record to the DSL within one hour. If the child feels more comfortable in Czech, involve a trusted Czech-speaking staff member to help without leading the conversation.

• Stay calm: Reassure the pupil that they were right to speak up.
• No leading questions: Ask open questions like who, what and where.
• Do not investigate: The role of the school is to record and report, not gather evidence.
• Inform the DSL: Hand the written notes to the lead on the same day.

The Education Act says teachers must have a clean record. Schools ask new hires for an extract from the Czech Criminal Register. Citizens can request it online or at a Czech POINT office.

The extract from the Criminal Register is called Výpis z rejstříku trestů. Candidates can obtain it in person at any Czech POINT branch, which operates in most post offices and municipal offices.

Schools must also verify proof of identity and right to work in the Czech Republic. For roles with higher risk, conduct reference calls with past employers rather than accepting written letters alone.

International staff come from many places, so collect police checks from every country they lived in. Call each referee and log each check on your Single Central Record. See safer recruitment for international schools.

The Czech Republic applies the EU GDPR and Act No 110/2019 Coll. The regulator is the Office for Personal Data Protection.

When a school reports to OSPOD, it meets a legal duty. That is a lawful basis under GDPR. Limit access to the DSL, deputy and Head, and check where your software stores files.

Safeguarding records must be kept separate from ordinary academic files. Only staff with a direct safeguarding responsibility should have access to child protection records.

Train Czech-speaking support, office and security staff in Czech, using your own steps. Read why localised staff training matters.

This guide gives general information checked on 11 November 2026. It is not legal advice. Work through these steps in your first term with your Head and a Czech lawyer.

• Find the OSPOD contact for each Prague district your pupils live in.
• Check that your policy names who reports to OSPOD and how fast.
• Name a deputy DSL who speaks fluent Czech.
• Add the Czech register extract to your hiring checklist.
• Post 116 111, 158 and 112 in Czech and English around the school.