Our story
The history of today’s Faculty of Education can be divided into four distinct phases:
- 1953 – 1959: Higher Pedagogical College in Opava
- 1959 – 1964: Pedagogical Institute in Ostrava
- 1964 – 1991: Pedagogical Faculty in Ostrava
- 1991 – today: Faculty of Education at the University of Ostrava
Higher Pedagogical College in Opava
The Higher Pedagogical Institute (Vyšší pedagogická škola) in Opava had to contend with numerous difficulties in its early years. It had to recruit staff, find premises, purchase equipment and materials, start building up a library, build laboratories for science subjects, and provide accommodation for students living away from home. The city of Opava had sustained heavy damage in the fighting at the end of World War 2, so it was difficult to find suitable premises for the college. Establishing a fully-fledged teacher training college proved a tough challenge.
Pedagogical Institute in Ostrava
The second phase of the Faculty’s history began with the relocation of the Opava college to the nearby city of Ostrava, where it was renamed the Pedagogical Institute (Pedagogický institut). Teachers had to move or commute to Ostrava, and again it was necessary to find suitable premises. Although Ostrava was a major regional capital, it already had one university (the VŠB-Technical University), and it was poorly equipped to host another higher educational institution. The Institute’s management again had to overcome tough challenges.
Pedagogical Faculty in Ostrava
In 1964 the Pedagogical Institute changed its status to that of an independent faculty (Pedagogická fakulta); it broadened its scope to become a fully-fledged provider of teacher training (for humanities, natural science and social sciences subjects) first at primary level, and later also for secondary schools. The new Faculty grew not only in its educational provision and research; it also began to offer a range of extra-curricular activities including sports, culture, tourism and student events.
Faculty of Education, University of Ostrava
When the University of Ostrava was founded after the fall of communism, the Pedagogical Faculty was incorporated into the new university as its Faculty of Education. The Faculty has continued to grow and develop, responding to both the opportunities and the challenges brought by the new era.
Updated: 09. 11. 2017
