In 2000, the Faculty of Education (FE) set the following three priorities:

1. to prepare materials for the extension of accreditation of study programmes in accordance with the Accreditation Committee of the Government of the CR;

2. to develop and approve the long term objectives of the Faculty as per Article 27 Par. 1h) of Act 111/98 Sb.;

3. to complete and begin to operate the computer centre on the ground floor of Poříčí 31.

All three of these main Faculty objectives were met in 2000.

The mission of the Faculty is the preparation and education of quality teachers of all levels and types of school, which then defines the academic, research, and artistic activities the Faculty focuses on. One of the indicators are the grants obtained. In the year 2000, the Faculty continued to research the MSM 144100001 project Teachers and Health (A Psychological Approach), four projects of the GA CR and six projects of the Higher Education Development Fund. Faculty teachers co-operated in research of the Czech Ministry of Education (1 project), HED Fund (1 project) and the Internal Grant Agency of the Czech Ministry of Health (1 project). Research activities were also supported by the OSF Praha (2), VNJH (2), AKTION (1), and Computer Agency, o.p.s. (1). International co-operation and mobility was financed by KONTAKT, CEEPUS, SOCRATES, PHARE, LEONARDO DA VINCI, TULIPÁN, etc.

Using its own funds, the Faculty supported another 23 internal projects. With 27 grant projects worth a total of 8,209,000 CZK awarded to it, the FE was very successful in the programme of support for teacher training programmes and other educational activities of the Czech Ministry of Education.

The Faculty organised specialised seminars and scholarly conferences. One of the most significant was the international conference Teachers and Health III. The Department of History was very successful in its archaeological research of the Great Moravian fortification at St. Hypolite in Znojmo where it discovered the oldest known sacral structure. Artistic activities thrived manly the Departments of Music and Art Education. Some of the most successful Department of Music Education events were the Musica Viva in Schola conference and the representation of the FE and MU by the GAUDEAMUS choir in France and Vienna. Teachers of the Department of Art Education organised 13 independent exhibitions (one of which was in Austria) and took part in 25 group exhibitions (4 of which were abroad). The third year of the competition Phenomenon: The Book was particularly significant. The Departments of Czech Literature and Physical Culture also took part in some of the artistic activities.

In the 2000/2001 academic year, post-graduate studies had a total of 111 students in 5 fields; and in 2000, 13 students completed their studies. Materials were submitted for the accreditation of existing disciplines (discrete mathematics, kin anthropology, music theory and education, and art education theory). In 2000, The Faculty was accredited to confer the degrees of associate professor and full professor in the Pedagogy and Art Education, and the degree of associate professor in kin anthropology.

The Central Library (CL) of the Faculty is being developed as a specialised university library that provides lending, bibliographical, search, reference and reprographic services. At present, the library registers 3,995 users, and its study room was made use of by about 25,000 patrons. The library annually lends out an average of 61,600 copies from its collection. The collections of the CL and of 21 other Faculty libraries comprise a total of almost 160,000 copies. Another important service of the library is to provide access to specialised electronic resources. Retrospective cataloguing of the CL collection is also continuing. Publication activities remained at about the same level as before, although there was an increase in the number of publications abroad. For more data, see the university-wide tables.   

In the 1999/2000 academic year, the Faculty completely converted to the credit system, and the administration of all study programme files through the MU Information System. The opening of the new computer centre (with its 45 computers) helped to improve student and teacher access to the MU Information System.

Most of the study programmes at the Faculty of Education is intended for the training of teachers at primary schools, some are for teachers at secondary schools, and even at apprentice training centres. Apart from the teacher-training programmes, the Faculty offers social and special pedagogy study programmes, mostly as combined programmes. In 2000, the Faculty commenced preparatory work on the concept of two-level study programmes. Discussions were also opened with the Faculties of Arts and Science on the co-operation in developing and improving study programme contents. These activities will culminate in 2001.

In 2000, the extent of international relations was greater than in 1999. The trips were made possible by invitations from abroad, various grants and international programmes (Socrates, Leonardo da Vinci, Kontakt, CEEPUS, etc.), and, to a smaller extent, through partnership agreements between MU and foreign universities, Ministry of Education and AIA quotas, and via individual contacts. Altogether 157 visits were made to a total of 20 countries, involving 204 research and/or teaching staff members. The most visited countries included Slovakia (47 visits/71 employees), Germany (27/34), Poland (23/31), Austria (21/24), France, Great Britain, Slovenia, Belgium, the Netherlands, Hungary and Greece. The most frequent reasons for the visits were study stays (64/79) and participation in conferences and seminars (61/80). A number of the visits provided an opportunity to a lecture or a seminar. Twelve staff members took part in sessions of expert commissions or academic councils. 

The international mobility of students participating in SoCrates /Erasmus programme has grown. The Faculty obtained a total of 127,000 Euros for student and teacher mobility.

In 2000, a total of 230 students took part in study stays (of which 77 were through the Socrates /Erasmus programme), seminars, conferences, field trips and courses abroad, most frequently in Germany, Austria, Poland, Slovakia, the Netherlands and the USA.

Foreign research workers visited Faculty of Education either as participants in expert meetings, members of joint project teams, as lecturers, guest speakers or, sometimes for short-term study stays (46 guests at 25 events). They came mostly from Germany, Slovakia and Poland.

The most important events with foreign participation at the Faculty of Education were the international colloquium EUROSAFE (through the Socrates programme), the international scientific conference "Central European Space – Geography in the Context of New Regional Development", "New Findings in Kin anthropology Research in 2000", and the international conference MUSICA VIVA IN SCHOLA.

In 2000, teachers of the Faculty published 4 monographs, 4 almanacs and 30 textbooks. The publication plans for 2001 include 13 monographs, 7 almanacs and 46 textbooks.

Faculty members awarded honorary doctorates, medals or other distinctions

• Prof. Dr. Jaromír DEMEK – Silver Commemorative Medal of Masaryk University

• Prof. Leonid OCHRYMČUK – Silver Commemorative Medal of Masaryk University

• Prof. Michal KOŠUT, Ph.D. – Honourable Mention at the international composers' competition New Opera for Prague