Territorial Differentiation of Elementary Education in Czechia during the Second Half of the Twentieth Century (Its Influence on Local and Regional Development)
Abstract
We are all witnesses to a process of extensive spatial polarization in the distribution of elementary schools in many economically developed countries, including Czechia, during the second half of the 20th and in the 21st century. Processes of mass school closures, especially in rural areas, and the concentration of educational services in regional centres, arise out of general processes, such as changes in the geographical organization of society, as well as the unique historical conditions of each country.
With the example of Czechia we will demonstrate changes in the elementary school network using methods from geography itself and we will attempt to specify several consequences of this process that affect the stability and functioning of local communities and the marginalization of municipalities.