Medical examinations of pupils and students from 1 May 2015
Medical examinations of pupils and students are regulated by Section 51 of Act No.373/2011 Coll. on Specific Health Services, as amended by Act No.82/2015 Coll. and Section 8 of Decree No.79/2013 Coll. These medical examinations do not apply to university students - no medical examinations are prescribed for them.
Medical examinations for or during education are:
(a) a medical examination of the applicant for education at a secondary or higher vocational school, which is carried out before the application for education in the relevant field of education is submitted.
(b) a medical examination of the pupil or student in the course of education
- in case of a change in health status
- before being included in practical teaching or practical training, it is not carried out if only work classified in the first category according to Act No. 258/2000 Coll., on the protection of public health and on amendments to certain related acts, as amended, is performed during practical teaching or training, and if this work does not include activities for the performance of which the conditions are laid down by other legislation.
(c) a periodic medical examination of the pupil or student, which shall be carried out once a year if they perform hazardous work.
Medical examinations of an applicant for education at a secondary or higher vocational school, or of a pupil or student during education in the event of a change in health status, are carried out at the request of the legal representative of a minor pupil or student.
Medical examinations of a pupil or student in the course of education prior to enrolment in practical training or practical training, or periodic examinations of a pupil or student if the pupil or student performs hazardous work during practical training or training, shall be carried out at the request of the school principal. In the case of practical teaching or training carried out in the workplace of a legal or natural person, the head of the school shall, for the purposes of the request, request from those persons information on the type and mode of work to be performed by the pupil or student and on the health and safety risks of that work and the level of risk expressed in terms of the category of work.
In addition to the basic examination, a pupil or student shall undergo further specialist examinations in the course of his/her education if his/her state of health or the working conditions to which he/she is exposed so require. Further specialist examinations may be carried out after the basic examination has been carried out.
Medical assessments, including medical examinations, are fully paid for by the school where the training takes place.
The amendment to the Act limits the range of cases where a medical examination is necessary before a pupil or student is enrolled in practical teaching or training. In Section 51(3) of the Act, a medical examination is not required if the activity performed is similar to work classified in category one or for the performance of which the medical fitness conditions are laid down by another legal regulation.
A medical examination is not necessary if
- the practical education or training starts within less than 12 months of the date of the medical assessment of fitness for education (i.e. before the pupil or student is admitted) and if there has been no change in health during that time - in this case, the fitness for education assessment will be carried out no later than 12 months after the date of the person's placement in practical education or training.
- if other legal regulations do not provide for other conditions of health eligibility for education - NV No.211/2010 Coll., on the system of fields of education in primary, secondary and higher vocational education, as amended, Annex No.1 to this regulation lists health restrictions for individual fields of study, and if none are listed (e.g. the field of economics and administration in business school), medical examinations are not required.
Furthermore, the amendment changes and clarifies the competence of medical service providers to issue medical opinions.
- if the practical training or instruction takes place at the workplace of legal or natural persons (enterprises), the medical report is issued by the occupational health service provider of that person (enterprise)
- if the practical teaching or training takes place at the workplace of a self-employed person who has no employees, the medical certificate is issued by the registering provider of the pupil or student.
- if the practical teaching or training takes place only in a school or educational establishment, a medical certificate is issued by the pupil's or student's registering provider and, if the latter does not have one, by the school's occupational health service provider.
- if the practical training or training is combined at the workplaces of legal or natural persons as well as at a school or educational establishment, the place where the practical training or training starts is decisive and the medical certificate is issued accordingly - as described above.
For the cases referred to in the second, third and, where appropriate, fourth indent, if the examination is carried out by the pupil's or student's registering provider, a doctor qualified in general practice for children and adolescents shall also be competent to carry out the examination.
If medical reports and examinations will be issued and carried out by the occupational health service provider of the establishment where the practical training and education will be carried out, the employer's contracts with this provider should provide for pupils or students to be sent to the provider for medical examinations.
