Development of the basic school network in Czechia in the last three decades: Changes and current challenges

Abstract

Development of the basic school network in Czechia in the last three decades: Changes and current challenges The article deals with the development of the basic school (ISCED 1 and 2) network in Czechia in the last three decades. Developmental changes and tendencies of selected characteristics as well as their territorial specific features are considered in the context of the OECD scenarios of the future of education. The focus is mainly on the change in the number of schools and the structure of its operators. Furthermore, the challenges and current problems of the Czech basic education system related to spatial factors of schooling are presented. In the context of long - term development, the development of the number of schools can be described as relatively stable. However, the last decade has witnessed a continuous increase of private basic schools, especially in urban municipalities. Growing number of students at schools, predominantly in the hinterland of the cities, has further highlighted the unpreparedness and rigidity in the governance and organisation of regional education, especially in school capacity planning. The paper also shares a critical review about the emerging educational policy tool called middle layer of support and points out selected negative aspects of the school catchment system. Spatially, there will probably not be extreme changes in the school network at the macro - regional level in the near future, however, some changes in local scale could be expected.