3 │ INVOLVEMENT OF PUPILS IN DISTANCE LEARNING Distance learning in basic and upper secondary schools in the Czech Republic 15 CHART 2 | Proportion of schools where the number of pupils involved in distance learning increased compared to spring 2020 (situation in schools visited by the Czech School Inspectorate in January and February 2021) Distance learning has been mandatory by law since the 2020/2021 school year, which according to the principals of the schools visited by the Czech School Inspectorate in January and February 2021 in their cases significantly contributed to the decrease in the number of pupils without contact with school. What is also very important is the school’s intensive communication with the parents of such pupils, and in the event that all the options available to the school fail, the choice of an extreme solution, i.e. involvement of the authority for social and legal protection of children. In this regard, the question remains to what extent schools, having exhausted all possibilities to make these pupils participate in distance learning, used the option to contact the authority for social and legal protection of children. The partial findings of the Czech School Inspectorate show that schools chose such a procedure only rarely. In addition, one of the main reasons for the successful involvement of those pupils who were not involved in the spring of 2020 is the lending of digital equipment for distance learning. 7Change of learning from voluntary to compulsory, improvement in technical equipment in families (distance learning was expected). The school lent equipment to several pupils, and the parents of several other pupils were persuaded to cooperate better with the school. The introduction of compulsory distance learning and the patient work of teachers, who made many parents change their approach. As late as 8 February 2021, other pupils came to the school to borrow equipment. The targeted and focused effort of schools and their teachers to really involve all pupils in distance learning was also of great importance. The school had prepared pupils for the possibility of distance learning since September 2020. Pupils continuously completed assignments online to get used to the environment. The school continuously contacted legal representatives and pupils of full age in case of problems. However, the school management does not always know the reasons for higher pupil involvement in distance learning. It is hard to determine. We estimate that it was mainly due to an increase in the stability of the households’ daily routine, improvement in the quality of their technical equipment and the fact of getting used to the learning rules that had been set. 7 As early as the spring of 2020, based on the results of a survey conducted by the Czech School Inspectorate, the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports started working with the organisation Česko.Digital and the Ucimeonline.cz platform to address the lack of digital equipment in schools. Similarly, other non-profit organisations and foundations, as well as some statutory authorities of schools and some regions, became involved in resolving this situation. In the summer of 2020, the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports provided schools with approximately CZK 1.3 billion for the purchase of digital equipment, with the possibility of lending it to those pupils who did not have their own equipment at home, etc. Similarly, equipment was also purchased by a number of families if they were able to do so. 18%43%15 %24%18%7%25%26%38%53%0 %10 %% 20 %30 %40 %50 %60 %70 %80 %neúplné ZŠúplné ZŠSs gymnáziamaturitní SOŠnematuritní SOŠpočet zapojených žáků se výrazně zvýšilpočet zapojených žáků se mírně zvýšil80% 70% 60% 50% 40% 30% 20% 100% incomplete BSs complete B secondary general schools Maturita STSs non-Maturita STSs significant increase in involved pupils slight increase in involved pupils 15%