1. The Parties undertake to recognize that every person belonging to a national minority has the right to learn his or her minority language.
2. In areas inhabited by persons belonging to national minorities traditionally or in substantial numbers, if there is sufficient demand, the Parties shall endeavor to ensure, as far as possible and within the framework of their education systems, that persons belonging to those minorities have adequate opportunities for being taught the minority language or for receiving instruction in this language.
3. Paragraph 2 of this article shall be implemented without prejudice to the learning of the official language or the teaching in this language.

Re: Paragraph 1
Education of persons belonging to national minorities in the Czech Republic in their mother tongue is guaranteed by the Charter of Fundamental Rights and Freedoms (Article 25, paragraph 2, letter a) and laws pertaining to the educational system³². In accordance with educational system laws and the applicable decree of the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports³³ students are registered for the obligatory school attendance in Polish or Slovak minority schools upon request of the parents. The issuing of school certificates is based on the Information No. 24 021/98-20 of the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports on obligatory documentation of schools and academic establishments³⁴. Students of minority schools receive bilingual certificates.
In the reality of the existing educational system the right to receive education in one's mother tongue is exercised in three ways: 1) schools where subjects are taught in the language of a national minority, 2) Czech schools where the language of a national minority is taught as an optional subject, 3) dislocated classes where subjects are taught in the language of a national minority.
The demographic structure of students in the Czech Republic in respect of their national identity according to the parents' statement made at the time of registration students for the obligatory school attendance:

		National identity
School type	Total	Czech37	Slovak	Hungarian	Polish	German	Romany	Other
Kindergartens	317 153	313 361	667	30	905	158	689	1 343
Elementary schools	1 100 096	1 084 933	6 878	412	3 041	774	573	3 485
High schools38	125 576	123 917	612	29	497	97	1	423
Specialized secondary schools	163 895	162 347	709	36	454	112	4	233
Integrated secondary schools	87 088	86 218	365	28	333	89	2	53
Secondary trade schools	138 252	137 099	667	43	158	59	60	166
Specialized high schools	13 294	13 162	79	2	26	8	0	17
Special schools	72 077	68 371	2 392	141	69	38	1 008	583
Universities39	136 763	124 600	1 213	165	439	90	4	252

The above statistic needs to be understood as an orientational overview. It is based on a voluntary decision of students' parents to state their children's national identity at the time of registration for school attendance. This information does not have to be provided (at the time of registration, a parent demands inclusion of a child in a minority school, however, the student's national identity is not registered). Nevertheless, two values in the statistic clearly distort the real situation. This concerns the underrated number of children belonging to the German minority and especially to the number of Romany students.
The degree of assimilation (linguistic, cultural) of the young generation of persons belonging to the German minority is high. Only the older generations identify themselves as having German national identity. Younger parents do not state that their children have German national identity. Romanies were for a long time deprived of being able to declare Romany national identity. Hence, they have become used to declaring appurtenance to the Czech, Slovak or Hungarian national identity. Many of them consider queries pertaining to their national identity as referring to the national identity which was registered in their records in the past. Some Romanies are afraid of being disadvantaged if they declare Romany national identity.
Among special schools there are schools for children with light mental retardation and schools with children with various forms of handicaps (paralyzed, blind, deaf, etc.).
For issues concerning special schools see commentary to Article 12, paragraph 3.

Re: Paragraphs 2 and 3
In the Czech Republic, only the Polish national minority concentrated in the districts Karvina and Frydek-Mistek has a fully developed school system with subjects taught in the minority language. Methodology and the publishing of textbooks and methodical aids for Polish schools is provided by the Polish Pedagogical Center in Cesky Tesin which was founded by the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports. The following types of Polish schools exist in these districts:
Polish minority schools in the academic year 1998/1999:
- Kindergartens, 38 classes - a total of 590 children,
- Elementary schools, 29 schools, 152 classes - a total of 2 642 students,
- Secondary schools. High School in Cesky Tesin, 11 classes - a total of 271 students,
- Detached schools in Karvina - 82 students,
- Academy of Commerce in Cesky Tesin, three classes - a total of 91 students.
- Secondary Schools of Mechanical Engineering in Karvina, three classes - a total of 73 students.
- Secondary Medical School in Karvina three classes - a total of 51 students,
- Secondary School of Agriculture in Cesky Tesin, one group in a class - a total of 16 students.
Due to being dispersed throughout the country, the Slovak national minority does not have a clearly defined education program. There is one elementary school in Karvina which was established in the past (attended by only about 50 students) and there are efforts in Prague to open the Milan Rastislav Stefanik High School. The Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports was prepared to open this high school in the academic year 1997/1998, however, the program failed due to insufficient interest from students.
Demands of the German national minority for education in German within the state educational system are difficult to satisfy due to the fact that persons belonging to the German national minority are dispersed throughout the Czech Republic as a result of state policy after the Second World War. Besides the Thomas Mann High School in Prague 8 (the school is attended by students of other nationalities as well), there are insufficient numbers of students in individual cities or municipalities for opening German schools. This is the reason why a German educational system has not developed, despite the fact that the public administration is prepared to fulfil its duty toward the German national minority in the educational system, as defined by the applicable laws. Representatives of the German national minority are aware of this fact and propose the establishing of bilingual Czech-German schools. However, the Government does not consider bilingual schools to be an element of a German educational system, but a part of language education in general, and the establishing of such schools is not specially promoted. In many schools the German language is taught to children of persons of the German national identity (and to Czech students as well) as an optional subject in addition to the regular curriculum of elementary schools.
The situation concerning education of Romany children and youth in general is a specific issue of the educational process. Although Romany representatives oppose a segregated Romany minority school system, educational programs need to be adjusted in respect of the specifics of Romany children and youth. Efforts of the public administration are therefore focused on gradual creation of conditions which reflect the social and cultural specifics of the Romany community. For this reason the Government is opening so-called zero or preparatory grades for socially handicapped children. In reality this means that Romany children are offered the possibility of undergoing systematic preschool education before commencing the obligatory school attendance. Preparatory grades are open in accordance with a decree of the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports (No. 12 748/97-22); for example, based on this measure a total of 69 preparatory classes which are attended by 658 Romany children were opened for the academic year 1998/1999.
As regards the Romany community, the situation in secondary education is also specific. In accordance with the effective laws, the Doctor Rajko Djuri Foundation has opened the first private Romany secondary school, the Romany Secondary Social School in Kolin, which has been included in the educational system of the Czech Republic. The school, which was opened in the academic year 1998/1999, receives financial funding from the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports.
Autonomous Jewish schools also gradually develop. During the academic year 1997/1998, based on Jewish kindergarten classes the "Gur Arje" Lauder Elementary School was opened in Prague. Subjects taught in this school are based on the curriculum of the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports. Another school of the Czech Jewish community, the Or Khadash High School, will open in the academic year 1999/2000. These schools are certified by the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports and are included in the educational system of the Czech Republic. It means that the state, through the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports, financially participate in their activities. Operating costs of these schools are paid by the Prague Jewish community and the Ronald S. Lauder Foundation.

(32) Law No. 29/1984 Coll., on the system of elementafy schools, secondary schools and specialized secondary schools (.school law), as amended, Article 3, paragraph 2:
"Students belonging to national minorities are guaranteed, in the extent adequate to interests of their national development, the right to education in their mother tongue."
Law No. 564/1990 Coll., on state administration and self-government in the educational system, as amended, especially amendment No. 139/1995 Coll.

(33) No. 29/1984 Coll., on the system of elementary, secondary and specialized secondary schools and related regulations; Decree of the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports No. 291/1991 Coll., on elementary schools.

(34) Law No. 29/1984 Coll., on the system of elementary, secondary and specialized secondary schools and related regulations; Decree of the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports No. 291/1991 Coll., on elementary schools.

(36) Bulletin of the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports No. 10/1998.

(37) Statistical Yearbook of the Czech Republic 1997, Prague 1997, p. 554.

(38) Including the Moravian and Silesian national identity.

(39) The information applies to full-time study only, the same applies to integrated schools, secondary trade schools, specialized high schools and universities.