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education
Expats.cz is working with English International
School Prague (EISP) as the premier
secondary education institution in Prague.
English International School Prague offers
education from 6 to 18 with a preschool
program, too. The instruction is in English and
quality is at an international level.
Living in Prague doesn’t mean that your child has to miss
out on a British education. EISP is part of a network of 14
international schools found in Europe, Asia and the Middle
East. While the EISP curriculum is based on the National
Curriculum of England, the atmosphere is decidedly
global. Students come from many different corners of
the world: approximately 25% are from English-speaking
backgrounds; another 25% are Czech and the remaining
50% are students from over 40 nations. From day one
your child gets a sense of what it is to participate in
today’s global environment.
Many expat families speak English, so having a school
which teaches in that language is important to us. The fact
is English is the major language in so many fields from
the sciences through to the arts. To have that advantage
but more importantly to fully participate in the global
community English is a necessity. At EISP English is not
just a subject. It’s the language of instruction, so whether
your child is from an English speaking home or you want
them to develop their English skills you’ll know that an
EISP education will be giving them the foundation they
need.
But language is only part of the reason we recommend
EISP. The language of instruction is irrelevant if the
content and the methodology isn’t of a world standard.
We believe EISP delivers and delivers well. The school
awards graduates the International Baccalaureate Diploma,
an internationally recognized diploma which will open the
door to universities around the world.
Moreover, EISP is about helping your child reach this goal
and become a truly educated young person. They monitor
the students’ progress and make sure the students are
keeping up. The school prides itself on this personal
attention.
Apart from the subjects, which include a balance of
humanities and sciences, the course seeks to develop
other aspects of a student’s mind. Participants in the IB
program are expected to take the Theory of Knowledge,
a course which gets students to think about not just what
they are learning but how they learn and why. This is miles
away from the rote-learning and spoon-feeding seen in
many other local schools.
We all know how important creativity is for young people.
Young people have dreams and ambitions, but regular
schools don’t always give them a chance to channel
this sense of expression constructively. EISP does.
Its IB course includes a creativity component which
encourages students to explore this side in a both visual
and performing arts. What’s more, the school has both
a theater and art rooms to allow creativity to be fully
explored.
Because we are part of a local community not just a
global community, EISP doesn’t ignore instilling some civic
mindedness in its students. Students are encouraged to
take part in projects such as building homes or organizing
charitable collections. EISP truly concerns itself with all
aspects of your child’s education and character.
EISP also concerns itself with the youngest students. Its
curriculum begins with three year olds. For the littlest
members of our community, EISP offers a number of
activities for kids and parents which still uphold the
school’s philosophy of turning out well-rounded students.
The classes for three to five are child-centered. They
dance, sing and even have a go at cooking. The focus is
very much on play and having fun but beneath the fun is
still the same intention to give children confidence when
they reach grade school. Most importantly for parents
the school values the relationship it has with them and
involves them in the child’s education.
This is perhaps seen best of all in the activities EISP
organizes for parents and kids even younger than three.
In keeping with the school’s broad approach the activities
develop the mind, body and creative spirit.
On Mondays there is Creative Club. Moms, babies and
toddlers have a chance to exercise their imaginations with
playdough and paints. Tuesday is time for Young Yoga so
that both mother and child can stay fit and learn important
relaxation techniques. Wednesdays is for the budding
maestro in the family. Kindermusik is one of the leading
music courses for little kids and is even suitable for kids
as young as 18 months. Fridays are more low-key with
the stay and play program which gives moms a chance to
chat while the kids take part in a range of activities.
Perhaps the main reason for attending the school is what
principal David Rowsell said in an interview with Expats.
cz. He said, “The more important question is what kind of
students we want to leave here. We want students to be
successful, to look back and say they had a great time at
EISP, but look forward and say, ‘I can make a difference
to how the world is’. If that sounds a bit ambitious, it is.
My students often laugh at me because at assemblies I
tell them, I’m after ordinary people who do extraordinary
things.”
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