Distance learning in basic and upper secondary schools in the Czech Republic 6/22 willing to respond to the challenges posed by the new conditions. The willingness of schools to make more use of digital technologies also with students back to schools is highly appreciated. This report was prepared to provide the international audience with an overview of the findings from the original Czech version of the thematic report published in May 2020. 3 Involvement of pupils in distance education The fundamental questions that the Czech School Inspectorate was looking for an answer to were whether it was possible to involve all pupils in distance forms of education, what proportion of pupils maintained online communication with their teachers and in what ways contact was maintained with pupils without internet access. Three weeks after the prohibition of the physical presence of pupils in education, there was already a significant proportion of schools that established regular communication with all their pupils. More than a third of schools (35%) provided online education for all their pupils to some extent. The amount of pupils' involvement was related to their digital equipment, internet access and, in some cases, their willingness to engage in distance learning, including the willingness of their families to support them in distance learning. 3.1 Involvement of pupils in “incomplete” basic schools (with primary level only) These influences are also reflected in the high proportion of incomplete basic schools, i.e. basic schools with primary level, which managed to involve all pupils in distance education (43% of schools). To ensure online communication, these schools often lent digital technology equipment to their students; either to those students who did not have equipment for online connection or to those who had more brothers or sisters, and thus had limited access to digital technologies. In cooperation with the school founder, the school provided one socially disadvantaged family with a free internet access. At school, they lent tablets with internet connection to parents. Only about 11% of pupils in these schools weren´t involved in online communication with their school. They were mostly involved in education in other ways, which are described below. The creative approach of teachers and school leaders led to the minimization of the number of pupils at basic schools with only primary level who were not involved in distance education at all (according to the principals' estimate, only about 0.5% of pupils were not involved at all). In order to involve socially disadvantaged pupils, schools used teaching assistants or even the help of non-profit organizations. The school involves actively teaching assistants in distance education. They ensure the physical delivery of school tasks for pupils from socially disadvantaged background. For pupils with different mother tongues, they help individually in families. The school cooperates with the non-profit organization Cheiron T in Tábor in addressing socially disadvantaged pupils. Schools allowed pupils to obtain materials for distance learning in other ways, including the involvement of local partners in supporting education.