Half a billion spent ineffectively: projects failed to improve the quality of education. However, the Ministry did a good job of integrating Ukrainian pupils into Czech schools
PRESS RELEASE ON AUDIT NO 25/02 – 26 January 2026
Between 2016 and 2023, the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports (MoEYS) spent more than half a billion Czech crowns from state and European Union funds on projects designed to improve the quality of education in regional schools and the results of primary and secondary school pupils. An audit by the Supreme Audit Office (SAO) showed that this money was spent ineffectively. The quality of education has not improved, and pupils' performance in key competencies such as mathematics, reading, and science has stagnated or even deteriorated. This is shown by international surveys and reports from the Czech School Inspectorate. The SAO audit also focused on the integration of Ukrainian pupils into Czech schools. According to the auditors, the MoEYS responded to the situation with a series of measures to ensure that Ukrainian pupils could exercise their right to education in the Czech Republic.
The audit showed that education management projects were formally completed but had little practical application. One example is the Guide to Strategic and Action Planning. The most-watched video, which was part of the guide, had 537 views. Yet, there are approximately 11,000 schools in the Czech Republic. The low viewership confirms the SAO's finding that the project did not contribute to improving the quality of education in schools and that the funds were spent ineffectively.
The audit also revealed that the MoEYS violated the Public Procurement Act in a public contract for Education Information System worth a total of CZK 27.4 million. The Ministry concluded an amendment to the contract, thereby violating the prohibition on substantial changes to public contracts. On the basis of the amendment to the contract, the MoEYS paid the contractor CZK 1.3 million for a detailed proposal for the implementation of extended functionality of the information system, without making any further use of it. The SAO assessed the expenditure of these funds as uneconomical.
The MoEYS did not evaluate long-term educational plans. The repeated absence of evaluation reduces the informative value of long-term plans and limits their usefulness for strategic management of education.
The auditors also examined CZK 226.7 million provided between 2017 and 2022 for school quality assessment. According to the SAO, these funds were spent effectively, as the project yielded concrete results that contributed to systemic changes in assessment. The Czech School Inspectorate linked internal and external evaluation systems and created and published criteria for a quality school. The MoEYS used some of the project's conclusions, for example, in drafting legislation or reforming teacher training in the Czech Republic.
More than CZK 460 million for the integration of Ukrainian pupils
In 2022, following the outbreak of armed conflict in Ukraine, the Czech Republic faced an influx of Ukrainian refugees. The task of the MoEYS was to integrate Ukrainian pupils into the Czech education system in accordance with international and Czech law. To support this integration, the MoEYS provided a total of over CZK 460 million from the state budget in 2022 and 2023. The SAO did not find any irregularities in the process of providing subsidies. The MoEYS spent the funds effectively and in accordance with legal regulations.
In order to facilitate the integration of Ukrainian children into the Czech education system, preparatory classes were set up for them to learn the basics of the Czech language and adapt to the school environment. Pupils who did not have a sufficient command of the Czech language to be able to fully attend regular classes were admitted to preparatory classes.
In addition to preparatory classes, the MoEYS provided financial support for so-called adaptation groups, which Ukrainian children could use for the first 90 days in the Czech Republic. One of the ways of integrating these children into the Czech environment was through Czech language courses.
The MoEYS has ensured conditions for the integration of Ukrainian pupils into Czech schools so that they can exercise their right to education. According to data from the MoEYS, at the end of September 2022, over 50,000 Ukrainian children and pupils were enrolled in Czech schools (kindergartens, primary and secondary schools). This number has not changed significantly over the years – as of 31 March 2025, 46,800 Ukrainian children and pupils were enrolled in Czech schools.
Communication Department
Supreme Audit Office