(CZ) Kvalifikační zkoušky žáků středních všeobecně vzdělávacích škol
(EN) Qualification Examinations of Secondary General School Pupils

The secondary general School pupils can acquire the qualification of a skilled worker in a certain trade which is provided by the subject called ≫fundamentals of production≪. This qualification can be attained on the basis of a qualification examination instituted by the Government Order No. 106/61 Sb. of August 30th, 1961 and specified by the instructions issued by the Ministry of Education and Culture. Nevertheless, these examinations are still a very topical problem and even a subject of controversy. The author regards the qualification examination as a culmination of the specialized training, and this is made possible by the ≫pyramid-like≪ structure of the syllabus of fundamentals of production /i. e. proceeding from a broad common basis in the first year towards specialization in the third year/. He further explains the difference between trade as a worker’s occupation and trade as a subject taught at school and shows why it is impossible to prepare secondary general school≪ pupils for the apprentice’s trade school leaving examination. The author then goes on to analyse the results of qualification examinations 'held for the first time on a large scale in the school-year 1961/1962. The examinations were taken by more than 50 per cent of 3rd /i. e. last/ -year secondary general school pupils, who in most cases acquired the third or the fourth category in the qualification wage catalogue /i. e. an eight-category system/. These results must be regarded as very good. As regards the qualitative aspect of the examinations, the level attained was satisfactory. The pupils worked on the whole individually /each pupil by Himself but the norms fulfilled did not reach, in most cases, the required standard of at least 80 per cent. The author confronts the existing views on the examination. He thinks the examinations are a suitable way of deepening the ties between school and factory, and, at the same time, one of the revolutionary steps in the system of acquiring worker qualification. There are still, however, a great number of urgent problems to be tackled also in the field of pedagogical science.