The Czech Republic

This chapter analytically examines the formation of Adult Learning Systems (ALS) in the Czech Republic from the 1990s to the 2010s, delineating three distinct developmental stages shaped by shifts in the political, economic, and social landscape. The post-1989 era initiated with a swift move away from the previously centralised socialist ALS towards a liberal market characterised by minimal state oversight and a proliferation of private Adult Education and Training (AET) entities. This early phase was defined by the absence of cohesive state-driven coordination or strategic planning for AET, mirroring a wider neoliberal policy stance. Entering the 2000s, the Czech Republic experienced a pendulum swing back towards state-led centralization and regulation. This period saw the adoption of the European Union’s lifelong learning paradigm, with state strategies increasingly harnessing EU funding to bolster the AET sector. The 2010s marked another pivotal shift, characterised by a reduction in state involvement in AET coordination and a resurgence of deregulation. Nevertheless, this era differed from the initial phase due to enhanced socio-economic conditions, reduced unemployment rates, economic expansion, and labour market shifts, all contributing to a heightened demand for AET, especially among employers addressing skills gaps. Across these transitions, the Czech ALS experienced profound institutional transformations, navigating through an initial phase of decentralisation and market liberalisation, moving towards attempts at re-centralization and regulation, and ultimately settling into a phase of liberal market operations under conditions more conducive to AET engagement.