Analysis of Causes of Regional Differences in Postponements of Compulsory School Attendance

This bachelor thesis analyzes the causes of regional differences in primary school enrollment postponements in the Czech Republic. The main objective is to identify factors explaining significant territorial inequalities in the proportion of children with postponed enrollment and to formulate recommendations for education policy. The research combines quantitative analysis of data from the Ministry of Education, the Czech Statistical Office, and other sources at various territorial levels with qualitative insights from interviews with staff of pedagogicalpsychological counseling centers, Ministry of Education experts, school representatives, firstgrade teachers, and other stakeholders. The results show that the Czech Republic has an exceptionally high proportion of postponements (21.77%) in the European context, with significant regional variability (8.3-34.3% across different administrative districts). The analysis revealed that in addition to the socioeconomic characteristics of regions, structural factors play a key role, particularly the personnel capacities of counseling facilities and the availability of educational infrastructure. The thesis provides empirically based recommendations for system transformation in the context of planned legislative restrictions on postponements, emphasizing early diagnosis, systemic support for primary schools, and targeted measures for structurally disadvantaged regions.