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We’ve all spent time in the classroom – many return as parents, and others are preparing to stand in front of the class themselves. Yet in public debate, the voices of those who train future teachers are often missing. Pavel Mentlík, Dean of the Faculty of Education at the University of West Bohemia in Pilsen (FPE UWB) and the newly elected Chair of the Association of Deans of Faculties of Education in the Czech Republic, responds to this through the blog TeachVision.zcu.cz.

“This blog was created to offer a behind-the-scenes look at everything it takes for a (young) person to become a qualified teacher, and the crucial role that faculties of education play as institutions that bear key responsibility for the future of education in our country,” said Pavel Mentlík.

The blog tackles important topics related to teacher education, transformations within the school system, and current educational policy. It offers both a systemic perspective and concrete experiences from the faculty. “Few people can truly imagine all that goes into preparing a teacher—what demands the state places on them, what support faculties receive, and how essential the balance is between theory and practice, as well as between academic qualifications and the teaching skills of educators,” Mentlík added.

The blog’s subtitle, How to Stay Ahead of the Future, captures its core idea: faculties of education cannot merely react, they must help shape the direction in which Czech education is heading. “Preparing teachers means thinking ahead. The teaching profession is evolving—just like the expectations of society, technology, and students themselves. And if teachers are to be ready for that, their educators must already be one step ahead. In a sense, we must stay ahead of the future, and this blog is one tool for doing just that,” concluded the Dean.

At the heart of the blog are conceptual posts that respond to current questions in education and educational policy. In the posts published so far, the Dean has already addressed issues such as budgetary tensions in education, interest in studying at faculties of education, and specific data on the employability of FPE UWB graduates.

As of July 1 this year, Pavel Mentlík became Chair of the Association of Deans of Faculties of Education in the Czech Republic. The term of office for the Chair lasts one year.