Here at the English College in Prague we are celebrating our 30th anniversary. It was in September 1994 that the iconic Blue Doors opened to the first 117 students for the very first time.
ECP’s origins go back to the fall of communism in 1989 and to a meeting at Prague Castle in February 1990. UK Foreign Office Minister, William Waldegrave, together with the British Ambassador Laurence O’Keeffe and Foreign Office official, Ann Lewis, were talking to President Havel about how the UK could help the newly democratic Czechoslovakia.
President Havel’s press spokesman told them about the old Prague English Grammar School. President Havel said that it had been the school that all young people in his day had wanted to attend. It opened in 1927 to provide an education in English for Prague children, but it was closed down by the Nazis. Although it opened again briefly after the war, it was closed down for good by the Communist regime.
Václav Havel’s video message on the 10th anniversary of the ECP
ECP’s First Headmaster
Ann Lewis was intrigued by the possibility of opening a school in Prague to once again, after 40 years of communism, provide a liberal, democratic education in English. She joined forces with Martyn Bond, who ran the European Parliament Office in London. Together with a committee that included the first Chairman of Governors Lord Holme, they spent the next four years raising the money, finding the premises and recruiting the first Headmaster, Hubert Ward. It was he who persuaded Czech parents to take a leap of faith by sending their children to this new, untried educational establishment. The very first parents to enrol their child were the eminent late Czech economist Michael Mejstřík and his wife.
ECP’s Principles
Václav Havel was supportive of the project and agreed to become the College’s Czech Patron. He asked HRH The Prince of Wales to become the British Patron and now, thirty years later, The Prince of Wales is His Majesty King Charles III. The College was delighted when he agreed to continue as Patron in recognition of its standing as a widely respected educational institution that has helped some 1700 young people to graduate with the International Baccalaureate, opening doors to prestigious universities around the world.
But although many ECP alumni choose to study abroad, many remain in Prague. One of them, Ema Srnková, who graduated in 2022, is now studying Law at Charles University.
As a Year 4 student, she was present at Founders’ Day in 2019 for the College’s 25th anniversary celebrations. This is what she wrote at the time, recalling what had inspired our Founders to establish the English College.
“So what makes the ECP different, what is it based on? Our teaching methods are based on discussion and critical thinking, just as they were all those years ago, and liberal and international attitudes and values are supported. Mutual communication among pupils, parents and employees is an integral part of school life. The English College is a solid community of like-minded people who value humanity and tolerance. I strongly hope that every student will absorb these principles after six years of study, and in the future, each of us will at least try to unite today’s polarised world. May we, in the next twenty-five years, return to school and say that we have lived our lives through the philosophy that the teachers instilled in us. Think critically. Don’t be afraid to express your own opinion, but listen patiently to others. Help others. Do not tolerate unfair treatment. Studying at the ECP gave me a new perspective on education. At other schools I did not find teachers so enthusiastic, experienced and willing to help. The 25th anniversary reminded me of what the school was trying to give us in addition to education and how I had to behave in order to represent it with dignity. To take full advantage of the development opportunities it offers me. Not only for academic advancement, but also for growth as a human being.”
British Ambassador sends his congratulations
A Message from Matt Field OBE, British Ambassador to the Czech Republic
It is these principles that have provided the foundation for an ECP education over the past three decades. Throughout that time, we have been grateful for the ongoing support we have received from successive British Ambassadors, ever since Laurence O’Keeffe attended that first meeting with President Havel at Prague Castle. Indeed, we are honoured that the former Deputy British Ambassador, Denis Keefe, is now our Chairman of Governors. We were therefore delighted that the current British Ambassador, Matt Field OBE, sent us this message of congratulations on our 30th anniversary. We look forward to welcoming him to the College this autumn to address our Model United Nations.