Rural depopulation, decreasing numbers of children, and general centralization, combined
with high expectations for education, are factors that challenge rural communities and …

In recent decades, the number of schools in Norwegian rural municipalities has been
reduced substantially, often accompanied by much contestation in the local community. In …

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 …

Primary school challenges in the rural areas of Finland, France and Portugal How do
Finland, France and Portugal define and administer their primary school networks in rural …

In the light of rural depopulation and a decreasing number of schoolchildren, municipalities
with rural territories face a question regarding whether to close small rural schools or seek …

2 LIND & STJERNSTRÖM areas in all three countries. For instance, the number of small
rural primary schools (fewer than 50 pupils) in Finland decreased from approximately 1,800 …

In this paper, we theorize on local school governance through a multi-method case study of
a large-sized Swedish municipality by drawing on neo-institutional theory. In light of a …

Rural areas across Europe suffer from population decline, which eventually leads to an
increased closure of small elementary schools. In order to avoid both school closure and …

Many countries have adopted school reforms that give parents an extended opportunity to
choose schools for their children. State schools are expected to compete. This gives rise to …

Growing global debates surrounding parental school choice underscore the relevance of
school place allocation. While there is much research on school choice, the enactment of …