Parents in Prague’s Karlín district are protesting against the lottery-based enrolment system used in local schools due to insufficient capacity. The lottery system is used to allocate places to first grade children, as there are not enough places in the area’s local schools. The parents have drafted a petition to present to local authorities, with over 1,000 signatures gathered so far.

In an open letter to Prague 8 representatives, the parents of Karlín preschoolers argued that they refuse to accept that their children’s fate is determined by a random draw. They fear that children who have attended kindergarten and built social ties in Karlín may be removed from the community and sent to a school where they do not know anyone. The petition’s organizers argue that lotteries among children are technocratic and anti-social and will have a devastating impact on children and families.

Prague 8 residents are calling for the capacity of the ZŠ Lyčkovo náměstí school to be increased. During enrolment for the first grade, 135 children with permanent residences in the catchment area applied for just 100 available places.

Schools in other parts of Prague and elsewhere are facing similar problems due to demographic trends, which local authorities should have prepared for. The petition’s authors believe that Prague 8 should be addressed comprehensively, with the municipality working to strengthen the excellent reputation and quality of primary schools.

Miroslav Stacha, one of the petition’s organizers, suggests that this approach could limit “catchment tourism,” where some people change the residence of their children to enrol them in a particular school. This practice can reduce the number of available places for children who genuinely live in the school area.

Prague 6 has launched a program to limit catchment tourism. Its mayor, Jakub Stárek, announced in March that primary schools established by the municipality would verify compliance with the child’s residence, parents’ permanent residence, and the duration of their stay. It remains to be seen whether this approach will be adopted in other parts of Prague, including Karlín.

Article by Prague Forum