On 1 April 2013, Act No. 48/2013 Coll., came into effect. This Act amended the Act on Higher Education Institutions and the Act on State Social Support. This Act imposes upon universities the obligation to take effective measures for parents to be able to study for the period for which their maternity or parental leave would otherwise last (i.e. up the three years of age of their child), which the Act specifies as the “recognized parenthood period”.
For women, the recognized parenthood period includes maternity or parental leave, and parental leave for men. These are two areas of changes.
Changes relating to studies:
Students are entitled to interrupt their studies for the recognized parenthood period pursuant to Article 11, paragraph 3 of the CZU Study and Examination Rules.
Pursuant to Article 6, paragraph 12 of the CZU Study and Examination Rules, students (mothers) are entitled to extend the period for fulfilling their study obligations by the period during which they would draw their maternity leave if they do not utilize interruption of their studies pursuant to Article 11, paragraph 3 of the CZU Study and Examination Rules.
Changes relating to student fees:
The study periods for which students who are mothers or fathers draw (or can draw) maternity or parental leave (i.e. the “recognized parenthood period”) no longer counts toward the total study period for the purposes of determining fees for longer study periods.
For students who have already given birth and for students who are fathers, this means the period from the date their child is born until the child’s third birthday; for pregnant students, this means a period of eight weeks from the expected date of birth until the child’s third birthday.
I am a parent. What do I have to do in order to take advantage of the recognized parenthood period? In order for this right to be utilized, the students’ recognized parenthood period is to be registered in the records of each of their studies in the IS that took place during their parenthood. The recognized parenthood period can be registered for students/parents in studies that are currently active, interrupted or completed in a manner other than a proper manner.
How should I have the recognized parenthood period registered in the IS records? Submit a written request for registering your recognized parenthood period to your study assistant at the Study Department of your faculty.
What do I have to submit along with the request? A copy of your child’s birth certificate; for pregnant students, a copy of a pregnancy card with expected date of birth, or a copy of a request for financial maternity aid with the date of the beginning the maternity leave, but at the earliest eight weeks before the expected date of birth.
I am pregnant. When can I apply for the recognized parenthood period? The recognized parenthood period cannot be registered in the IS for a pregnant student earlier than eight weeks before a child’s date of birth. As soon as a student who submitted a pregnancy card to the Study Department for registering the recognized parenthood period gives birth, she will be obliged to submit a copy of her child’s birth certificate at the latest within 20 weeks of the child’s birth. If she does not submit the child’s birth certificate, the record of her recognized parenthood period will be terminated at the end of the 20th week after the expected date of birth.
It is not possible to register the recognized parenthood period retroactively. If it is submitted late, the recognized parenthood period will be registered from the date of the delivery of the application, not from the child’s date of birth.