Faculty of Education
The Faculty of Education at ZČU offers a total of 45 study programmes and 192 different combinations of double-disciplinary studies.
How do we influence the city and the region?
- We have been educating teachers for 3/4 of a century.
- Our alumni number more than 27,000.
- Through our graduates we co-create (not only) our region.
Where are we heading?
- We educate future teachers in close contact with practice.
- Our students work with the latest technologies and methods during their studies.
- We prepare students for future developments in education.
Václav Chaloupek
The Faculty of Education in Pilsen was founded on 14 September 1948 as a branch of the already existing Faculty of Education of Charles University in Prague.
The promising development of the new faculty was halted by the intervention of the communist government, which gained unlimited power over universities by a law of May 1950.
Since 1964, the Faculty of Education in Pilsen has existed essentially continuously
In the 1970s and 1980s, approximately 1400-1500 students were educated at the faculty each year.The building on today’s Klatovská třída underwent a number of building modifications, especially to the gymnasium, art studios and sanitary facilities.
The fall of the communist regime in 1989 marked a major turning point in the development of the Pilsen Faculty of Education. Here, too, a student strike committee was formed and various meetings and discussions took place.
Meeting of the Dean doc. Pysek with representatives of the University of Mechanical and Electrical Engineering led to an agreement on the creation of a joint university in Pilsen. It was established under the name of the University of West Bohemia in Pilsen by merging the two schools on 28 September 1991.
Did you know that…
The Faculty of Education is historically the oldest and in terms of the number of students also the largest faculty of the University of West Bohemia in Pilsen?
- The faculty lives in close connection with its city and region. This became evident in everyday practice, especially during the covid pandemic and during the arrival of Ukrainian children in Pilsen at the beginning of the Russian war in Ukraine. Both activities were also recognised by the City of Pilsen in the form of a festive presentation of a certificate of thanks.
- During the covid period, students led a children’s group and an improvised school for children of Pilsen hospital employees, tutored children online, helped in hospitals, etc.
- At the beginning of the war in Ukraine, the faculty quickly assembled a group of more than 150 student and staff volunteers. They led children’s adaptation groups, organized a concert, a fundraiser and much more.
Did you know that…
Study at the Faculty of Education is in close contact with teaching practice? The Faculty of Education of the University of West Bohemia in Pilsen has a network of Pilsen faculty schools, which it is continuously developing.
The original concept of the Pilsen Faculty School connects studies with practice in schools as well as with research and personnel assistance to schools. The preparation of future teachers at the faculty is thus undergoing a gradual transformation in line with this concept.
Our students work with the latest technologies in teaching, the faculty has, for example, a virtual classroom, high-quality laboratories or robots designed for educational needs. Students are guided to use modern didactic methods, while at the same time we pay attention to the quality of the disciplinary component of their preparation.
The students also participate in the implementation of the Children’s University, which has been attended by hundreds of children from our region over the many years of its existence. They can choose from dozens of courses in science, technology, humanities, languages, arts and sports.
Despite many difficulties, the faculty has managed to maintain a complete spectrum of disciplines that naturally mirrors the needs of the region’s schools. Students can thus educate themselves in humanities, natural sciences, languages, arts or sports-oriented educational programmes, while simultaneously studying a pedagogical-psychological foundation.
At the faculty, we closely monitor the current development of the individual disciplines in which we educate our students. In addition, we also contribute to their development through our project, research and publication activities.
Lucie Kantorová
Faculty of Education at ZČU dispels myths about teacher training
Myth 1: Young teachers don’t go into teaching. They leave the education system after graduating from college.
Percentage of FPE ZČU graduates who go on to teach.
Myth 2: Young teachers are prepared without any connection to practice.
Percentage of FE UWB graduates who teach while studying.
Myth 3: Faculties of Education are unattractive and there is no interest in studying there.
Development of interest in studying at FE UWB: The blue curve shows the total number of applications to FE UWB. The red curve shows the number of applicants admitted to FE UWB.
How does our faculty further contribute?
- Employees of the Faculty of Education of the UWB in Pilsen co-create new trends in the Czech education system through their participation in expert working groups or committees.
- Whether it is a revision of the curricula in primary schools or, for example. reform of undergraduate teacher education.
- The faculty has numerous contacts abroad, thanks to which students can go on study placements not only in Europe, joint international projects or study programmes are created and implemented.
- We even run an international educational radio station.