History

The Department of Physical Education at the Faculty of Education in Prague (KTV PedF UK) is a direct successor of the university training of physical education teachers for primary and secondary schools. This tradition began as early as 1882 with the establishment of the Czech educational course for teaching physical education at secondary schools and teacher training institutes at the Faculty of Medicine of Charles University Prague.

Between 1919 and 1939, PE teachers were trained in the State Education Course and at Charles University in Prague.

After the occupation, the universities were reopened, and the Institute for the Education of PE Professors, led by Prof. K. Hála, was established in 1945 at Charles University in Prague. After the establishment of the Faculty of Education, this institute provided between 1946 and 1952 the training of PE teachers at the Faculty of Education, which in 1952, was transformed into the Department of Physical Education under the leadership of prof. J. Wála. Since that time, teacher education in general and physical education in particular has undergone a series of reforms and developments. After another power struggle, both of these institutions were abolished and replaced by pedagogical institutes in Prague (for the capital city) and in Brandýs nad Labem (for the Prague region). Between 1958 and 1964, the Department of Physical Education was headed by doc. Stejskal and later doc. J. Hladil

In 1964, gradual liberalization efforts enabled the re-establishment of pedagogical faculties at the existing universities as well as the establishment of new independent pedagogical faculties in the regions. The Faculty of Education of Charles University in Prague was created by merging the pedagogical institutes in Prague and Brandýs nad Labem and its department of physical education. The heads were dr. Zedník, prof. R. Žaček, doc. J. Hladil, doc. J. Žižka, doc. P. Strnad, and doc. J. Hrabinec.

During the 1990s, the study of physical education and the Department of Physical Education underwent a series of changes relating to accreditation, the faculty’s transition to a module study system, a reduction in the number of hours for individual study programmes and, unfortunately, a reduction in the number of teachers in the department.

Since 1995, it has been possible to study the teaching of physical education in various combinations (mathematics, English, French, German, Czech, basic techniques) at the Department of Physical Education. The department also provides teacher training for nursery schools and special pedagogy.

In 2006, a three-year bachelor’s programme and a two-year follow-up master’s programme in the field of Physical Education and Sport with a focus on education were launched (as a part of the study programme Specialization in Pedagogy). This led to a significant increase in the number of people interested in studying.

Practical teaching takes place mainly at the Faculty of Education campus in Brandýs nad Labem, partly also in the CU sports complex in Hostivař. In Brandýs nad Labem, the swimming pool was modernized, and lecture rooms with top-notch technical equipment for teaching were built. A climbing wall was also erected in cooperation with the University Sports Club. Together with the existing sports hall, gymnasium, fitness centre, and massage room, the campus is very well-equipped for teaching professional studies in physical education.