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History

The school was established in 1946/47 as the Higher Technical School of Social and Healthcare Studies in Holešovice, Prague VII. In those times higher technical schools tended to be the successors of technical schools established for female professions and various nursing schools run by e.g. the Czech Red Cross. In 1949 the school moved to larger premises located at the present-day address at Alšovo nábřeží; although the building itself dates back to the years 1879-1885, when it was built according to architect Josef Srdínek’s design. In those days it housed two schools, one for girls and one for boys. Later on a technical school and a school established for female professions was situated there.

Since the year 1946 a wide range of professional fields of studies have been offered by the school: social welfare worker, healthcare worker, midwife, medical laboratory technician (since 1947/48!) – graduate medical laboratory technician – laboratory assistant, nurse – graduate nurse, dental laboratory worker (since 1948/49) – dental technician – graduate dental technician – assistant dental technician, biochemical production operator, orderly nurse assistant, x-ray technician – radiological laboratory technician, physiotherapist – graduate physiotherapist, pharmaceutical laboratory technician (since 1962/63) – graduate pharmaceutical assistant, optician (since 1966/67), after discontinuity, the optometrist studies – graduate optometrist – graduate optician were re-opened in 1997/98, dental medical theatre nurse, dental nurse and graduate dental hygienist (since 1997/98). In 2009/10 the school opened the new branch of chemical-pharmaceutical production, which has since gaining obligatory accreditation in 2010 continued as applied chemistry. The latest academic acquisition is the freshly-accredited branch of fire protection experts.

The school has always been a very vivacious and complex organism, proof of which is wonderfully illustrated by the number of fields of studies and indeed by the scope of the study programmes that are aimed at many a group of students and administered in various duration and professional qualifications.

Throughout the years, the fact that the numbers of students had been growing considerably and the fields of studies had been continuously modified, resulted in the restructuring of the scheme of laboratories. Previously, students had to attend their laboratory classes in many external locations, which meant strenuous scheduling. Therefore by the 1980’s after major refurbishment, all laboratory classes had started to be taught in school. In 1995/96 yet another extensive reconstruction of the laboratories took place. While keeping pace with technological development is a never-ending process, a new work-floor for graduate dental hygienists was constructed in 2010.

The school governing body has also changed several times throughout the institution’s existence. At the beginning, it was the capital city of Prague, later on followed by the ministries of healthcare and education. Subsequently after the school had become subject to the Ministry of Education in 1996, the so-called Zero Wave of the educational system optimization deprived the school of its traditional fields, thus physiotherapists and x-ray technicians were relocated to other schools. In return the school regained the field of opticians.

More than 18 000 students have graduated the school so far, many of whom have become well-known in their fields. Others have become successful in a great deal of other professions (doctors, pharmacists, scientists, journalists, actors, models, politicians etc.). A number of students have not forgotten the school and have decided to return here as full-time or part-time teachers (210).   Whilst putting together the list of all the professional teaching staff, it has been discovered that a great deal of the approx.1350 teachers had taught here for 20 years or more. Each year, an average of 50-60 full-time teachers and 80-120 part-time teachers employed by various medical facilities have cooperated on the education at the school.