School leaders oppose merging small schools

School leaders in the Faroe Islands’ smaller primary schools are opposing a proposal to merge small schools and classes, KVF reported on Wednesday.

The principals of Sumba School and Porkeri School said the changes would do more harm than good in small villages. Amy Thomsen, principal of Sumba School, said the school was a cornerstone of the village.

“To me, it is as if they do not know what it is like in a small school. We all know that the school is the cornerstone of the village,” Thomsen said.

Cecilia Nolsøe Sørensen, principal of Porkeri School, said merging schools would weaken the cultural identities of small villages.

“I do not think it is possible to compare school reforms in other countries with the situation in the Faroe Islands, because we are a very distinct local small-island society,” she said.