Základní škola Tusarova

Last fall, as this Czech odyssey was taking shape, Karl and I discussed various aspects of our potential life in Prague. My first instinct, with regard to the boys' schooling, was that we send them to one of the international schools such as Riverside School or the International School of Prague or The Prague British School. My rationale was that moving to a foreign country for a year would be disruptive enough for the boys -- let them at least be in an English-language environment.

Then we saw the price tag of such an education. My instinct to preserve our retirement fund trumped hard.

Czech public schools rocketed to the top of the list. And, frankly, the public school route was always Karl's first choice. His parents pitched him -- at 8 -- right into local schools in Lima, Peru, and Mexico City. His rationale was, "I survived, right?"

Karl visited three city schools during his trip in January to set up his contract. He honed in on Základní škola Tusarova in Holešovice. ("Základní škola" literally means "basic school" or elementary school, and Tusarova is its street address. It's kind of the equivalent of, for example, PS 21.)

Holešovice, an area east of our neighborhood, Bubeneč, has a large immigrant population, mostly from Vietnam. Vietnamese were first brought to the Czech Republic in the 1970s as guest workers from a brother state during the communist era. After the Velvet Revolution in 1989, many Vietnamese families chose to stay and became quite entrepreneurial, setting up small businesses all over the city. As they built up their lives and their bank accounts, they were able to bring other family members here from southeast Asia. Many families have lived here for a few generations, but new folks keep coming and their children often start school before any of them speak Czech.

Perfect!

As a result, ZŠ Tusarova is one of the most ethnically diverse schools in the city. And as for language, in Ben's class alone there are three children who began the school year speaking zero Czech: Filip, My, and Ben.

The school administration and teachers were unfazed by the fact that our kids had no Czech. They manage this situation every year. By contrast, one of the other principals Karl met with visibly blanched when Karl noted the language issue.

Thus far we've felt very fortunate to have discovered ZŠ Tusarova and its teachers. It doesn't have anywhere near the financial resources that the international schools have, it doesn't have a gorgeous campus, and it doesn't have a pool or a soccer field. But we think our kids are getting a richer experience than perhaps a hefty tuition could provide.

(Interesting 2007 article on the assimilation of Vietnamese in Czech society here.)