Page 115 - Studia Universitatis Hereditati, vol 11(2) (2023)

nomics (119), all in Koper (Svoljšak 1956, 281– economic development and the opening of new
4
286). The problem of compulsory primary edu- businesses .
cation was solved in 1958 by a school reform that In 1956 the projection of school needs was
abolished the four-year primary and post-prima- therefore hypothetical. The drafters of the mu-
ry schools and introduced a single eight-year pri- nicipal development plan foresaw a strong influx
mary school (Peterle Grahonja 2004, 104). of industrial workers and other personnel from
Slovenia and the other republics, but the ques-
Difficulties in Planning School Needs tion of the nature of immigration (permanent
or temporary) and the family structure of immi-
Immigration and population growth fol- grants was raised. Migratory movements with-
lowing the departure of the optants for Italy in the coastal region were also more difficult to
dictated the further development of school in- predict. Although there was a clear tendency to
frastructure. Meanwhile, planning in the sec- move from the inland, rural areas towards the 115
ond half of the 1950s was difficult and risky. The coastal zone (Svoljšak 1956, 287–289), the devel-
ti dynamics, size and above all the age and social opment conditions of the different regions var-
ied. For example, rural areas that were more fa-
structure of the population (which form the ba-
sis for educational planning) depended on the vourable for intensive agriculture with good
transport connections were soon revitalised by
ta struction of the railway, the extension of the har- immigration despite the loss of population due
progress of major economic projects, the con-
to the ‘exodus’ (Titl 1961, 22–24). However, the
bour, land reclamation, and the growth of indus-
try, tourism and other branches of the economy remoter parts of the municipality stagnated de-
mographically due to the emigration to Italy,
di high population turnover. In the years 1954– out-migration towards the coastal towns, and
(Svoljšak 1956, 287). Another problem was the
declining birth rates, and in many places expe-
57, the coastal towns of Koper, Izola and Piran
showed the greatest migratory pull in Slovenia, rienced depopulation. Between 1953 and 1961, the primary school in postwar koper/capodistria as a social laboratory
individual local communities in these areas lost
here immigration was quite fluid, with people com- and demographic vitality (Piry 1983, 21–22; Titl
more than half their population. In the coastal
receiving as much as 30% of the republic’s migra-
towns, the population grew rapidly in number
tion to urban areas (Vogelnik 1959). However,
1961, 34). Towards the end of the 1950s, immi-
ing and going in large numbers.
gration stabilised and there was a growing need
This was mainly due to a shortage of hous-
for school structures in areas of old and new ur-
ing. In the spring of 1956, there were 1,409 ap-
banisation, as existing school facilities could no
plications for housing in Koper, which were only
partially met by the authorities. New blocks of
man and Medveš 1974).
studiauniversitatis
flats were still being built, and the houses left longer cope with the demographic pressure (Jur-
behind by the optants were only partially usa- Koper Primary School
ble due to uncontrolled management and the – Its Pupils and Teachers
poor state they were in. The old housing stock Let us now turn to the specific case of the Janko
generally consisted of far from comfortable ac- Premrl Vojko Primary School in Koper, which
commodation, so it was difficult to retain new- opened in the autumn of 1945. It was the first
comers from central Slovenia, especially profes- Slovene state school in the town because dur-
sional staff, even though their accommodation ing the Austrian era (when compulsory prima-
was treated as a priority. The housing crisis, the ry education was established) the Italian nation-
constant turnover of experts and the shortage of 4 PAK, 712_1, 2 Minutes of the Municipality of Koper as-
sembly 1955–1957, 9th regular session of the Koper assem-
professional workers prevented more vigorous bly, 3. April 1956.