The importance of education and its prestige has grown as a result of the socio-economic changes after 1989. However, the Czech population still attributes less importance to education as a success factor for life compared to more developed countries. Still, young people strive for as high a level of education as possible, the primary incentive being expected financial gain. The characteristic features of the Czech population include a high occurrence of ISCED 3 qualification, a low proportion of the labour force with basic education (ISCED 1, 2) and with no education (ISCED 0) and a low proportion of individuals with tertiary qualifications (ISCED 5, 6). The 1990s saw a sharp reduction in the number of secondary vocational school students and an increase in participation in secondary programmes with "maturita" and in tertiary education. A further development of tertiary education is hindered by insufficient capacity in higher education institutions. The CR also shows a very low level of upward educational mobility. Participation in continuing education is lower compared to the EU and there is weak motivation particularly among individuals with lower qualifications. (Contains 6 tables, 2 graphs and 10 footnotes.)