State parliament committee

The fight for small schools is now a matter of politics

Parents have been campaigning against the closure of small schools for years. Now the issue is being discussed with them in the provincial parliament committee. 

No to further school closures is the point that will be put up for discussion today, Tuesday, in the Carinthian state parliament committee. The members of the Klein St. Veit, Tiffen and Sörg parents' associations are somewhat surprised by the invitation. They have been fighting for years to preserve their small schools - "but were never taken seriously."

"Now that all the facilities have been closed, are we still going to get together?" ask those affected, but they still have hope. "We don't know what to expect. But we can finally voice our concerns and perhaps fight together against further closures."

Small schools must be preserved. Will the committee have a solution? We are curious.

Mitglieder der Elternvereine

They agree: "The communities need these small educational institutions. Because if they die, village life dies too!"

Team Carinthia believes it has a solution to the problem. "The Education Act should be amended and the minimum number of pupils per school should be lowered." At present, a minimum number of 30 children "belonging to the district" is required for an elementary school to remain open.

It remains to be seen whether this proposal is an option. In addition to the parents' associations that are currently affected by school closures, the mayors of the respective municipalities, the responsible provincial councillor Daniel Fellner (SPÖ), the director of the provincial audit office Günter Bauer and the director of education Isabella Penz will also be present at the committee meeting.