The history of Czech education begins in 863 with invitation from Rastislav of Moravia to Cyril and Methodius to come to Great Moravia and serve liturgy in the Slavonic language.
A big step in education happened 7 April 1348 when Charles IV founded the first university in the central Europe. Second university in nowadays Czech republic was established in 1576 (see Palacký University, Olomouc) in effort to counterweigh the influence of Protestants, who controlled the Prague University, and who constituted about 90% of country's population. Another enhancement of education was possible only after the Czechoslovak state was established, when a number of other universities were founded, for example Masaryk University, the second largest university in Czech republic.
In the Enlightenment the Habsburg emperor Maria Theresa of Austria (1740-1788) passed the law that every child between ages 6-12 is required to attend school.