04.06.2025
The 2024/2025 school year is slowly coming to an end, and with it our educational program "Get to Know Bata," which has been running in all elementary schools in Zlín, specifically in fourth-grade classes, over the past few months.
We first met with each class three times in their classrooms, where we talked not only about the life of Tomas Bata, but also about how Bata principles can be applied in everyday life – what is really important in life, what makes us happy, why it is important to help each other and be able to express our opinions, or how we can be better people.
Each class then concluded the program with a visit to Bata Villa, where the students received a diploma in recognition of their completion of the program.
"Why didn't I know before how sophisticated Bata's legacy is and how to use it today? Why aren't children taught this in elementary school? These questions, among others, led us to reflect on our own question: Why is this not the case? We suddenly realized that Tomas Bata had a very similar view of education and human development, progressing from adult education to teenagers and then to children. Why should Bata's legacy be reserved only for adults? Perhaps if children already knew how Bata's philosophy works, they would have a slightly better life. Based on all this, we set about preparing an educational program for elementary schools in Zlín, later coming to the conclusion that Baťa belongs in every elementary school. Not just in Zlín," says Gabriela Končitíková, director of the Thomas Bata Foundation.
Thanks to the support of the City of Zlín, more than 700 children were able to participate in the program this school year, which makes us very happy. Thank you!
"I consider it very important to educate students about the significance of Bata's legacy, because it provides valuable lessons about work, innovation, and personal life that are still relevant today. Bata's principles of business and management go hand in hand with the key competencies we want to develop in our students, such as initiative, creativity, and problem-solving skills. We also strengthen their local pride and awareness of how they can contribute to the development of their community and society as a whole," adds Martina Hladíková, Deputy Mayor of Zlín, who supported the program from the very beginning and was actively involved in its inclusion in schools.
The program was taught by the Thomas Bata Foundation lecturers Klára Branická and Anna Neubauerová, who look back on the individual meetings with joy and enthusiasm. The lessons were filled with creativity, discussions, games, and quizzes—in short, everything to ensure that the children not only gained new knowledge but also had an enjoyable experience. Feedback from children and teachers confirms that it was a great success, which makes us really happy. We can't wait to see what the next school year will bring!
