EDUCATION Minister Martin Fronc would like to double the number of children in private and church schools. Currently, 7.5 percent of children attend those sorts of schools.
Minister Fronc wants this figure to be at least 20 percent, the daily Pravda reported. He thinks it is possible to achieve this through keeping the current level of funding to both state and private and church schools as it is.
Some state schools directors object to private and church schools receiving the same amount of money per pupil as state schools do because parents in non-state schools also pay school fees. Additionally, the state schools must return the profits of any of their business activities to the state budget while non-state schools can keep their profits.
Currently, in Slovakia there are 410 non-state elementary and secondary schools. Of those 177 schools are private and 233 schools are church. Fronc considers this a good state of affairs. However, the minister thinks an increase in the number of non-state schools is needed to provide variety in education.
Compiled by Marta Ďurianová from press reports
TheSlovak Spectator cannot vouch for the accuracy of the informationpresented in its Flash News postings.
