Prague Archbishop Urges Government to Keep Funding for Church Schools

In a recent statement, Prague Archbishop Stanislav Přibyl cautioned that removing state funding would jeopardize the operation of the Czech Republic’s network of church schools, potentially causing some to close. His comments responded to Prime Minister Andrej Babiš’s request that Education Minister Robert Plaga explain why the government allocates about 20 billion crowns each year to private and church schools, especially after the Catholic Church received a 165 billion-crown restitution.

A week later, Babiš reassured that there is no intention to eliminate these schools or impose blanket cuts to their subsidies. The funding arrangement is required by Czech law, and the archbishop emphasized that churches rely on it to keep the schools open. The debate highlights tensions over public spending for religious education in the country.