Drucker: After Optimisation of Secondary Schools, Primary Schools Are Next

Bratislava, 14 September (TASR) – One year after beginning the optimisation of the secondary school network, the Ministry of Education is preparing to introduce changes to the network of primary schools as well, Education Minister Tomas Drucker (Voice-SD) stated in an interview with TASR.

Drucker explained that schools attended by at least 50 to 100 pupils could stay in operation, but be merged with other schools into a larger cluster under a single director.

These clusters would enable, for example, the sharing of teachers, facilities, and other staff.

According to the minister, optimising the network would also help address the shortage of teachers in certain subjects and facilitate experience-sharing among educators.

The changes will be implemented in cooperation with local governments, which are running the primary schools.

„We have a very fragmented network of a large number of schools. Due to demographic trends, the number of children being born is changing.

Many schools suffer from having fewer children in municipalities, which in turn raises the question of whether they have enough funding to pay sufficient teaching staff and ensure quality education," the minister told TASR.

He added that one of the reasons for the planned optimisation is the poorer performance of pupils from small schools in the nationwide 'Testing 9' assessments.

These pupils scored 30 to 33 percent lower in Slovak language and mathematics compared to their peers in larger schools.

This reduces their chances of success in further education, despite an additional €100 million being spent annually on small schools — funding that has not yielded the desired outcomes.

The proposed measures are based on the final report of the Spending Review of Primary and Secondary Schools, prepared by the Value for Money Division of the Finance Ministry in cooperation with the Institute for Educational Policy at the Education Ministry.