The Education Ministry has defended its plan to reform school funding, saying the current system – where all schools receive equal funding despite differing obligations – is unfair and unsustainable. The ministry’s statement responded to criticism from the opposition Christian Democratic Movement (KDH), which calls the changes an attack on private and religious schools.
Under the proposed reform, private and religious schools not registered as public education providers would face a 20 percent cut in funding per student. These schools would have the option to join the public system, accept students from their local districts, and receive full funding, or keep their freedom to select pupils, however with reduced financial support.
Opposition leaders argue the cuts threaten the identity and mission of religious schools, restrict parental choice, and risk pushing education back to the pre-1989 era. The ministry, however, insists it is simply correcting a long-standing injustice highlighted by audit bodies, aiming to create a fairer and more transparent funding system without nationalising schools.
Source: TASR
