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This bachelor thesis deals with a most current topic - transformation of institutional education; more specifically, with the transformation of children's homes in Czech Republic. Taking into account the fact that also several other European countries had undergone a similar process of change, we may look to them for inspiration. I have chosen two neighbouring countries, Slovak Republic and Austria, because their history and culture is similar or, at least partially, much the same.The goal of this thesis is to provide a comparison between system, structure, organization and educational activities in educational institutions that provide education of children without serious behavioural disorders in Czech Republic and those two above-mentioned countries. To achieve this aim I have studied and analysed Czech and foreign information resources and legislature in this specialist field.The body of the text is divided into four chapters. The first part focuses on the issue of children's homes in Czech Republic, more specifically, on the basic features of these institutions, their system and organisational structure, target groups, advantages and downsides of the system of institutional education, transformation trends and substitute parental care. Taking into account the goal of this thesis, the following two chapters follow much the same structure and describe current forms of institutional education in children's homes in Austria and Slovak Republic. As both states provide some forms of professional foster care, a certain part of these chapters deals with this issue. The last part of my bachelor thesis compares the data I gained from the above-mentioned countries. This comparison of systems in these particular countries may become a source of inspiration for the transformation of institutional education in Czech Republic. First such input is an idea to integrate all these issues under one ministry, for example under the Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs. In considered countries, the education in educational institution is the responsibility of one ministry only. Compared with the numbers from neighbouring countries and taking into account the overall number of children in Czech Republic, it also becomes apparent that the number of children in educational institutions here is rather high. If a legislation dealing with placing of children in institutional care is proposed, it may help to lower these numbers. In neighbouring Austria, children´s homes are being set up only for a small number of children. In Czech Republic, a child may be placed in institutions also because his or her parents are not able to provide material security. In Slovakia, this is not possible. For this reason, it may be advisable to look for an inspiration also here. Another input for our current system is an extension of substitute education so that it would able to react to the state of affairs more sensitively and flexibly and with respect to the situation as well as without any lasting interferences into the biological family. In this respect, current legal regulations that allow for ordered institutional upbringing or preliminary measure ad infinitum are deemed to be unsatisfactory. Conversely, in Slovak Republic there is a legal provision that allows for the child to be removed from its family for a maximum period of half a year. A similar legal provision in Czech Republic would be advisable, or we should at least set a maximum time for applicability of orders for institutional upbringing.In discussions among professionals on the topic of the transformation of the system in Czech Republic, the most frequently mentioned idea is to replace upbringing in institutional care with professional foster care. This kind of care has already a long and successful track record in Austria and Slovak Republic. However, there are also significant differences between these two countries. Probably the most important one is the formal relation with the child. ... |
