This paper presents the view of university students who are specialized in helping professions – in this case, special pedagogues and social workers. 501 respondents participated in this research. This article presents respondents’ characteristic, their motivation to study this major and investigate in the employability of students in relation to their professional identity. The aims are to presents students’ opinions, and to highlight the necessity of professional preparation i.e., placement during pre-graduate courses in the career of special pedagogues and social workers.

The central motive of this post is motivation. The article focuses on the aspect of motivation from the students' point of view. Students who have decided on their future profession in the context of the helping profession. The research probe was built on a questionnaire survey of students of the Univerzita Jana amose Komenského Praha s.r.o. who study at the Department of Special Education. We received a total of 501 answers, from which we created a socio-demographic structure of students and then focused on motivation for choosing a profession and motivation for choosing a professional practice.

In the Czech Republic, aid to and protection of children in various life situations have a longstanding tradition. In identifying children who are growing up in situations of risk, as well as providing them with full support and assistance in gaining their rights, all who work them professionally in some aspects of their lives are obliged to participate. Along with social workers, these are mostly paediatricians and other doctor specialists, midwives, pre-school teachers, teachers, pedagogues, psychologists… When applying work, social workers need to possess many layers of knowledge and skills on the one hand, and practice thoughtful ethical behaviour on the other hand. The text brings information about the system in the Czech Republic and the view of the social workers themselves helping children.

Each profession has its own requirements, legal norms and we also work with the personal aspect of the worker. This professional text provides a description of the professional nature of the social worker in the Czech Republic and points out the developments that should reflect the upcoming changes. So what are the prerequisites for performing social work? Of course, we are aware that in the application of the situational approach, the personal setting of the social worker is only one side of the coin, the other side being the organisational and legislative conditions for the performance of social work by a given worker. However, based on our findings, it appears that personal setting plays a slightly more significant role. Since 2006, the Czech Republic has had legislation regulating the nature of social services, and in view of the reflection, there is new talk of necessary changes.

Each of us in our lives will face emergencies, whether a fire, accident, traffic collision or natural disaster, and it is crucial that we know how to recognise them and how to adequately react. The text presents the knowledge level in protection and safety among first to third grade primary school pupils living in socioeconomically marginalised localities, in Central Europ – specifically in the Czech Republic. Education of children and pupils in areas of ppilation protection is becoming the number on topic. The challenge is to alert and motivate teachers to continue with topics that develop not only knowledge but also the perception of the outside world and the awareness of threats and dangers that may affect the development of the child or pupil. The findings are the outcome from the project weeks implemented over two years and yielding interesting findings that formed the basis of practical recommendations.