Perciun on Small Schools: We Need to Find a Solution to This Issue, even if It Is a Difficult One

Minister of Education Dan Perciun touched upon the topic of reorganizing under-enrolled schools, calling it “one of the most sensitive but inevitable” issues for society. “If there is a well-equipped school nearby with qualified teachers in all subjects and opportunities for extracurricular activities, is it justified at any cost to keep a secondary school (grades 5-9) where only 30 children study? What if there are 10? Or 5? Perhaps it would be better to organize transport for pupils to a larger educational institution and convert the current school into a primary school?” the minister asked, according to unimedia.info. He noted that a similar dilemma arises with primary schools: “If there are five children attending a school, is it worth keeping it open at any cost? What if there are only two? Perhaps it would be wiser to convert it into a combined primary school and nursery? There are no simple or universal answers to these questions.” The minister also raised the question of reasonable distance from school: “What does ‘nearby’ mean? Are we prepared to accept that pupils will have to travel 30 kilometers to a better-equipped school? Or is 20 kilometers a reasonable limit? Perhaps only 3? Is a 30-minute journey on a safe and comfortable bus acceptable, or do we believe that the journey should not exceed a 5-minute walk?” According to Perciun, the answers to these questions vary across different regions of the country, leading to extremely uneven practices. “Some places are keeping schools with just a few pupils, while others are going for reorganization. But one thing is obvious: society needs to find a common answer to these questions, even if it’s not easy and takes courage, thoughtfulness, and empathy for the communities affected,” said Education Minister Dan Perciun.