VPLb1151 Educational Policy and HRD

Faculty of Social Studies
Spring 2025
Extent and Intensity
1/1/0. 5 credit(s). Type of Completion: zk (examination).
Teacher(s)
PhDr. Markéta Horáková, Ph.D. (lecturer)
Guaranteed by
PhDr. Markéta Horáková, Ph.D.
Department of Social Policy and Social Work – Faculty of Social Studies
Supplier department: Department of Social Policy and Social Work – Faculty of Social Studies
Course Enrolment Limitations
The course is only offered to the students of the study fields the course is directly associated with.
fields of study / plans the course is directly associated with
Course objectives
The aim of the course is to introduce students to the basic principles, goals, functions and tools of educational policy in the Czech Republic and abroad, with special emphasis on the role of education, training and qualifications in the current knowledge society. Students are guided to understand the key links within education policy, to understand the nature of the economics of education, to be able to evaluate the effects of education and training programs for different actors, and to propose appropriate and effective solutions to problems in education. Unlike other courses with a similar focus, this one clearly draws attention to the main risks and inefficiencies, which are contributed to by insufficient reflection of the needs of the labor market by education policy (inadequate focus of the education system, unused human resources, consequences for public budgets).
Learning outcomes
Students are conduced to: understand the key relationships between education and other social policies (especially labour market policy and its bonds to human capital, employability, life-long learning and education-to-employment transition regimes); perceive educational and training programs design and implementation; evaluate their effects for various actors; and suggest appropriate and effective solutions of educational problems.
Syllabus
  • 1. Introduction. The importance of connecting social and economic accents in education.
  • 2. The role of education in contemporary society. Concept of knowledge society, employability. Education policy as a key discipline of social policy (link to health policy, family policy, labor market policy, economic policy). Principles of education policy, early tracking.
  • 3. Czech educational policy in the context of contemporary development. Goals of educational policy in general and in the Czech Republic. Tools and actors of education policy in general and in the Czech Republic. Education policy strategy in the Czech Republic. Equal opportunities in education, inclusion in education.
  • 4. Education and the labor market. Transitions from education to employment (transitive regimes in general, goals, and tools in the Czech Republic). Qualification inflation and experience trap. The role of career counseling (counseling for career choice).
  • 5. Structure of the educational system of the Czech Republic. Providers of education. Public administration in education, legal subjectivity of schools. Management of education. Regional education, administration, actors. Private and parochial schools.
  • 6. Problems in school management and their influence on quality of education.
  • 7. Human capital. Theoretical concepts in the economics of education. The status and importance of education in the public sector. Education as a publicly provided good.
  • 8. Book club
  • 9. Higher education as a subject of public policy. Management models of universities. Tertiary education in the Czech Republic. Public and private universities. Management and funding of universities.
  • 10. Institutional accreditation of universities. Approving study programs as part of institutional accreditation, setting up internal processes at the university. Practical experience from the point of view of the faculty.
  • 11. Education policy actors and their attitudes.
Literature
    required literature
  • Dlouhodobý záměr vzdělávání a rozvoje vzdělávací soustavy České Republiky na období 2015-2020. MŠMT. Dostupné on-line na http://www.vzdelavani2020.cz/images_obsah/dokumenty/strategie/dz-rgs-2015-2020.pdf
  • Benčo, J. 2002. Ekonómia vzdelávania. Bratislava: IRIS, 2002. 185 s. ISBN 80-89018-41-6.
  • OECD. 2022. Education at a Glance 2022 – OECD indicators.
  • Strategie vzdělávací politiky České Republiky do roku 2020. MŠMT. Dostupné on-line na http://www.vzdelavani2020.cz/images_obsah/dokumenty/strategie-2020_web.pdf
  • Ladd, H. F., & Fiske, E. B. (Eds.). 2012. Handbook of research in education finance and policy. New York: Routledge, 2012. ISBN 0-8058-6145-9.
  • Veselý, A. 2004. Společnost vědění jako teoretický koncept. In: Sociologický časopis, ročník 40, číslo 4, s. 433-446
  • Carnoy, M. 1995. International encyclopedia of economics of education. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1995. 495 s. ISBN 0-08-042303-5.
  • Economics of education. Edited by Dominic J. Brewer - Patrick J. McEwan. Amsterdam: Elsevier, 2010, xii, 369. ISBN 9780080965307. info
  • HÁJKOVÁ, Vanda and Iva STRNADOVÁ. Inkluzivní vzdělávání : teorie a praxe. Vydání 1. Praha: Grada, 2010, 217 stran. ISBN 9788024730707. URL info
  • Teorie a nástroje vzdělávací politiky. Edited by Jaroslav Kalous - Arnošt Veselý. 1. vyd. Praha: Karolinum, 2006, 172 s. ISBN 8024612593. info
  • Vybrané problémy vzdělávací politiky. Edited by Jaroslav Kalous - Arnošt Veselý. 1. vyd. Praha: Karolinum, 2006, 159 s. ISBN 8024612593. info
  • Vzdělávací politika České republiky v globálním kontextu. Edited by Jaroslav Kalous - Arnošt Veselý. 1. vyd. Praha: Karolinum, 2006, 181 s. ISBN 8024612593. info
  • BECKER, Gary S. Human capital : a theoretical and empirical analysis, with special reference to education. 3rd ed. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1993, xxii, 390. ISBN 0226041204. info
    recommended literature
  • Matějů, P.; Straková, J. (eds.). 2006. (Ne)rovné šance na vzdělání: vzdělanostní nerovnosti v České republice. Praha: Academia.
  • West, A., Nikolai, R. (2013). Welfare Regimes and Education Regimes: Equality of Opportunity and Expenditure in the Eu (and US). Journal of Social Policy, 42(3): 469-493
  • Santiago, P., Gilmore, A., Nusche, D., Sammons, P. 2012. Zpráva OECD o hodnocení vzdělávání. Česká republika 2012. OECD Publishing. Dostupné on-line na: http://www.csicr.cz/getattachment/a6311b50-169c-4e5e-9d92-a6f70aafe0f1
  • Descy, P. 2002. Having a Low Level of Education in Europe: An At-Risk Situation. European Journal of Vocational Training No 26, pp. 58-69
  • Sirovátka, T. 1997. Marginalizace na pracovním trhu: příčiny diskvalifikace a selhávání pracovní síly. 1. vyd. Brno: Masarykova univerzita, 1997. 138 s. ISBN 80-210-1716-3.
  • Akční plán inkluzivního vzdělávání na období 2016-2018. MŠMT. Dostupné on-line na http://www.vzdelavani2020.cz/images_obsah/dokumenty/apiv_2016_2018.pdf
  • Vychová, H. 2008. Vzdělávání dospělých ve vybraných zemích EU. Praha: VÚPSV. ISBN 978-80-7416-017-2. Dostupné online na: http://praha.vupsv.cz/Fulltext/vz_281.pdf
  • Matějů, P.; Straková, J. et al. 2005. The role of the family and the schooll in the reproduction of educational inequalities in the post-Communist Czech Republic. British Journal of Sociology of Education, 2005, Vol. 26, No. 1, s. 17-40.
  • Education, training and employment dynamics :transitional labour markets in the European union. Edited by Klaus Schömann - Philip J. O'Connell. Cheltenham: Edward Elgar, 2002. 388 s. ISBN 1-84064-278-5.
  • Kalous, J. 2002. Česká republika na cestě ke společnosti vědění? In: Lidský kapitál a investice do vzdělání. Sborník z 5. ročníku mezinárodní konference
  • LIESSMANN, Konrad Paul. Hodina duchů : praxe nevzdělanosti : polemický spis. Translated by Milan Váňa. Vydání první. Praha: Academia, 2015, 133 stran. ISBN 9788020025302. info
  • LIESSMANN, Konrad Paul. Teorie nevzdělanosti : omyly společnosti vědění. Translated by Jana Zoubková. Vyd. 1. Praha: Academia, 2008, 125 s. ISBN 9788020016775. info
  • KELLER, Jan and Lubor HRUŠKA TVRDÝ. Vzdělanostní společnost? : chrám, výtah a pojišťovna. Vyd. 1. Praha: Sociologické nakladatelství, 2008, 183 s. ISBN 9788086429786. info
  • HORÁKOVÁ, Markéta. Problematika osob s nízkou kvalifikací na trhu práce. (Low-qualified on the labour market). In Účelové programy na lokálních trzích práce. Jejich význam, potřebnost a realizace. Brno: Masarykova univerzita, 2005, p. 122-140. FSS MU. ISBN 80-210-3867-5. info
  • BRDEK, Miroslav and Helena VYCHOVÁ. Evropská vzdělávací politika :programy, principy a cíle. Praha: ASPI, 2004, 167 s. ISBN 80-86395-96-0. info
  • International handbook of lifelong learning. Edited by David Aspin. Dordrecht: Kluwer Academic Publishers, 2001, x, s. 405-. ISBN 0-7923-6815-0. info
  • KALOUS, Jaroslav. Teorie vzdělávací politiky. Praha: Ústav pro informace ve vzdělávání, 1997, 96 s. ISBN 8021102470. info
Teaching methods
Reading texts, homework and group work in class.
Assessment methods
In order to be admitted to the exam, it is necessary (1) to actively participate in discussions and presentations at joint meetings, (2) to attend meetings with invited experts (if external experts assign tasks, they must be prepared), (3) to complete tasks that teachers will assign during individual meetings (it will be brief tasks in the form of application or reflection of the topics and knowledge currently discussed), (4) prepare a term paper that will fulfill the assignment - it has the character of an "Education Policy Book Club", its evaluation will make up 30% final grades. The final exam takes the form of a written test, which includes 10 questions from the subject matter covered. The result of the written test constitutes 70% of the total evaluation.
Language of instruction
Czech
The course is also listed under the following terms Spring 2020, Spring 2021, Spring 2022, Spring 2023, Spring 2024.
  • Enrolment Statistics (Spring 2025, recent)
  • Permalink: https://is.muni.cz/course/fss/spring2025/VPLb1151