The study expresses the tendency to give a more important role to the humanities at secondary schools. This tendency is being analysed historically by the relation of the economic and educational development by the comparative method, and by an analysis of the major functions of the humanities. Thus the critera for the evaluation of the hitherto school system in Czechoslovakia as well as the formulation of the suggestion of the changes to come at secondary schools were formulated. The conclusion notice refers to the methods of the school reforms.