of students studied medicine and pharmacy, 8.9% of students studied agriculture and veterinary medicine and only 4.3% of students studied natural sciences [Statistická ročenka České a Slovenské federativní republiky 1990-1992; Čtrnáctová, 2009]. In 1995, universities hosted 50.2% of students who studied social sciences and arts, 29.6% of students studied engineering, 8.5% of students studied medicine and pharmacy, 6.3% of students were involved in agriculture and veterinary medicine and 5.4% of students studied natural sciences. In 2000, 54.1% of graduates from secondary schools continued at universities to study social sciences and arts, 29.5% of graduates studied engineering, 6.3% of graduates studied medicine and pharmacy, 3.9% of graduates studied agriculture and veterinary medicine and 6.2% of graduates continued to study natural sciences. In 2005, 548% of university students studied social sciences and arts, 27.6% of students studied engineering, 6.3% of students studied medicine and pharmacy, 3.9% of students were engaged in agriculture and veterinary medicine and 7.4% of students studied natural sciences [Statistická ročenka České republiky 1993-2005, Čtrnáctová, 2009]. From 1990 we can observe a rise of interest in social sciences and arts; over the last fifteen years this increase has constituted 13.5% of students. At the same time we can witness a decreasing interest in engineering, but also in medicine and pharmacy, agriculture and forestry as well as veterinary medicine; a total decrease constitutes 16.6% of students. The number of students of natural sciences increased over that period from 4.3% in 1990 to 7.4% in 2005. The most popular disciplines are biological and ecological. In contrast, the number of students of chemistry and physics at the universities focused on humanities or engineering decreased from 3.0% in 1990 to 2.0% in 2005. Over the twenty years there has been a whole series of not only organisational changes but also changes in educational documents related to teaching at primary and secondary schools. The content and scope of teaching of chemistry as well as of other subjects tought, were determined, up to the year 1989, by curricula that were unified and binding for the given type of school. At the beginning of nineties, it was not necessary to consider these curricula, and teaching of chemistry at different schools of the same type started to differ more or less. In the half of nineties, taking into account this situation, the Ministry of Education and Youth issued the educational standards. On the basis of Standard for Primary Education [Standard základního vzdělávání; 1995] and a consequent Standard for Education at four-year grammar school [Standard vzdělávání ve čtyřletém gymnáziu, 1996] and Standard for Secondary Vocational Education [Standard středoškolského odborného vzděláv, 1997], the government intended to guarantee a full and comparable education for all pupils/students. The standards contained educational aims that included knowledge, skills and competences, values and attitudes, and the so-called core curriculum. This curriculum was divided according to educational areas where chemistry became a part of science subjects. Educational standards, applicable to primary schools from 1995 and for secondary schools from 1996 and 1997, were however so concise that, at the end of nineties, they were gradually re- supplemented with curricula [Čtrnáctová, 2000]. In 2000, within the EU dealings in Lisbon, the so-called Lisbon process was launched. The main strategic objective was to reconstruct, by the year 2010, the system of European education so that Europe could become “the most competitive and the most dynamic economy worldwide, drawing on the knowledge and skills, and capable of continued economic growth while achieving more and better jobs and greater social cohesion“ [Vzdělávání a odborná příprava v Evropě: různé systémy, společné cíle do roku 2010. Pracovní program MŠMT formulující cíle systémů vzdělávání a odborné přípravy 2002; Čtrnáctová & Čížková, Marvánová, Pisková, 2007]. In 2002, in line with this strategic objective the work programme Education and Vocational Training 2010 [Vzdělávání a odborná příprava v Evropě: různé systémy, společné cíle do roku 2010. Pracovní program MŠMT formulující cíle systémů vzdělávání a odborné přípravy 2002; Čtrnáctová & Čížková, Marvánová, Pisková, 2007] was approved. 23