Changes in the Spatial Distribution of Elementary Schools and Their Impact on Rural Communities in Czechia in the Second Half of the 20th Century
2012
Abstract
This article addresses the changes in the spatial distribution of elementary schools in Czechia in the second half of the 20th century and the consequences of these changes on the functioning of rural communities. We find decreases in the number of elementary schools, along with a concentration of elementary education provisions, in larger population centers.The effects of school closure on rural communities in peripheral areas fail to show any fundamental difference between Czechia and other developed countries, although the unique features of the former communist system are expressed in the time and forms of school closures and the resulting spatial patterns of school distribution.