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The aim of this bachelor's thesis is to contribute to the understanding of the phenomenon of the so-called "free schools" in the Czech Republic. These schools practice the principles of free schooling which has a long tradition abroad in schools, such as Summerhill School or Sudbury Valley School. However, in the Czech Republic these schools have only now begun to emerge and as such have not been thoroughly studied, yet. This thesis is a case study of two Czech free schools. It describes how the schools' values manifest in the school documentation and, using the theory of accountability, it explores how the values are harmonized with the expectations of other actors, chiefly the Czech School Inspectorate. It is found that the Czech education system is open to many of these values. Nevertheless, in some areas disputes arise. The full realization of the values is hindered especially due to compulsory school attendance, statutory requirements in the curriculum and evaluation. In the thesis, the actors' attitudes towards the Czech education system are explored, as well. It is discovered that each school has developed its own approach. One of them takes a 'pessimistic' stand as the school employees do not believe a consensus with the state is possible, whereas the other one is more 'optimistic' and...

The bachelor thesis deals with the issue of the free schools in the Czech Republic. The basic perspectives of the thesis are anthropological, sociological and also philosophical. The bachelor thesis deals mainly with the context of cultural and education, and the place of free schools in the current system of education and culture. Furthermore, it focuses on a problem of the influence of free schools on pupils in the view of their possible future application in a society. One of the key questions of the thesis is: What contribution would the free schools have for the personal development of an individual in the Czech cultural environment. A part of the bachelor thesis includes the visits of free schools, observations and qualitative research by interviews. The aim of the thesis is to reflect the habits of free schools and their role in the context of Czech culture. KEYWORDS free schools, culture, education, Summerhill, Sudbury Valley