Prague archbishop warns against cutting funding for church schools

The state would be unwise to restrict funding for a functioning network of church schools, Prague Archbishop Stanislav Přibyl told the Czech News Agency.

He said churches would not have enough money to keep the schools running without state support, meaning some could have to close. His comments came in response to recent remarks by Prime Minister Andrej Babiš (ANO) about state funding for private and church schools.

Babiš said earlier this month that Education Minister Robert Plaga (ANO) should explain why the state provides 20 billion crowns a year to private schools and why it funds church schools when the Catholic Church had received 165 billion crowns in restitution. A week later, he said the government did not intend to abolish such schools or make across-the-board cuts to their funding. State funding for private and church schools is required by law.