27 schools in Mykolaiv were left without state subsidies due to small number of students

Schools with fewer than 45 students are left without state funding. Photo: archive NikVesti

There are 27 schools in Mykolaiv region with less than 45 pupils. According to the orders of the Ministry of Education, starting this year, such institutions will not receive a state subvention. And next year, the limit will increase to 60 students.

This was reported by Alla Velikhovska, Director of the Department of Education and Science of the Mykolaiv Regional State Administration.

Alla Velikhovska explained that communities will make their own decisions on the further operation of schools.

«No one says to close them, no one says to transform them. It is necessary to proceed from expediency and not to make children hostage to poor learning conditions,» she stressed.

According to Alla Velikhovska, if the community has the opportunity to organise transportation of children to a larger school, where there is a psychologist, social pedagogue, hot meals and proper conditions for learning and socialisation, it is better to take advantage of this opportunity. At the same time, it is allowed to keep small schools, but then their maintenance will be fully covered by local budgets.

Some communities are already considering options for transformation: in some villages, they plan to keep only the primary school, as it is not subject to the minimum number of students and can receive a state subvention.

«The principle for all children should be the same — quality education, regardless of where the child lives. We need to think through everything to ensure that children have equal access to education,» Alla Velikhovska summed up.