<abstract xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml">

<p>Public elementary schools in rural municipalities represent key institutional amenities for the communities they serve, and their administrations are part of the broader municipal political structure. This article focuses on the views of Czech mayors regarding the role schools play for municipalities and a consideration of how school operation practice can produce positive outcomes for school and community. Schools have proven to be important local institutions with many social functions for which municipalities have various support tools and strategies. We argue that the good functioning of the school strongly depends on the local political representation’s support. The rural school incorporates both an investment in the physical environment of the municipality and a strategic investment in the human capital for the future generations, and sustainable development of municipalities.</p>
</abstract>

Public elementary schools in rural municipalities represent key institutional amenities for the communities they serve, and their administrations are part of the broader municipal political structure. This article focuses on the views of Czech mayors regarding the role schools play for municipalities and a consideration of how school operation practice can produce positive outcomes for school and community. Schools have proven to be important local institutions with many social functions for which municipalities have various support tools and strategies. We argue that the good functioning of the school strongly depends on the local political representation’s support. The rural school incorporates both an investment in the physical environment of the municipality and a strategic investment in the human capital for the future generations, and sustainable development of municipalities.

School in the Rural Municipality as an Issue of Politics: Czech Mayors' Attitudes towards the Role and Support of the Local Elementary School

Jan Evangelista Purkyně University in Ústí nad Labem

European Countryside

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 3.0 License.

Public elementary schools in rural municipalities represent key institutional amenities for the communities they serve, and their administrations are part of...

School in the Rural Municipality as an Issue of Politics: Czech Mayors' Attitudes towards the Role and Support of the Local Elementary School

Published Online: Jul 03, 2024

Page range: 251 - 268

Received: Oct 30, 2023

Accepted: Feb 13, 2024

DOI: https://doi.org/10.2478/euco-2024-0014

Keywords
rural school, school in demand, public amenities, elementary school operators, mayors’ views, local school policy, Czechia

© 2024 Silvie R. Kučerová et al., published by Sciendo

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 3.0 License.

School in the Rural Municipality as an Issue of Politics: Czech Mayors' Attitudes towards the Role and Support of the Local Elementary School

Published Online: Jul 03, 2024

Page range: 251 - 268

Received: Oct 30, 2023

Accepted: Feb 13, 2024

DOI: https://doi.org/10.2478/euco-2024-0014

Keywordsrural school, school in demand, public amenities, elementary school operators, mayors’ views, local school policy, Czechia

© 2024 Silvie R. Kučerová et al., published by Sciendo

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 3.0 License.

Keywords
rural school, school in demand, public amenities, elementary school operators, mayors’ views, local school policy, Czechia