Florin POP1, Ștefan DEZSI*2, Andreea Maria CRĂCIUN1, Judith NYULAS1, Dorin-Mihai CENGHER3
* Corresponding author
1 Babeş-Bolyai University, Faculty of Geography, Doctoral School of Geography, Cluj-Napoca, ROMANIA
2 Babeş-Bolyai University, Faculty of Geography, Department of Human Geography and Tourism, Centre for Research on Settlements and Urbanism, Cluj-Napoca, ROMANIA
3 ”Ioan Petruş” Theoretical High School, Otopeni, ROMANIA
E-mail: eflorinpop@yahoo.com; ORCID: 0000-0001-9627-7810
E-mail: stefan.dezsi@ubbcluj.ro; ORCID: 0000-0002-8191-2110
E-mail: craciun_andreea_maria@yahoo.com; ORCID: 0000-0002-2430-344X
E-mail: judit.nyulas@ubbcluj.ro; ORCID: 0000-0003-4864-756X
E-mail: mihaicengher@yahoo.com; ORCID: 0009-0001-2287-0125
Pages: 29-47. DOI: 10.24193/JSSP.2026.1.03
Received: 08 December 2025
Received in revised form: 22 February 2026
Accepted for publication: 29 March 2026
Available online: 31 March 2026
Cite: Pop F., Dezsi Șt., Crăciun A. M., Nyulas J., Cengher D.-M. (2026), Legislative Changes and School Network Restructuring. The Case of Mountainous and Marginal Areas in Mureș County, Romania. Journal of Settlements and Spatial Planning, 17(1), 29-47. DOI: 10.24193/JSSP.2026.1.03
Abstract. Ensuring sustainable prospects for young people is an essential condition for the national social and economic development, while education plays a central role in this process by forming the skills necessary for a dynamic and competitive society. The aim of the study is to assessn the impact of legislative changes and public policies on access to education by analysing the evolution of school network and school population in the mountainous and marginal area of Mureș County, during the period 1992–2023. Data series related to the number of educational units and the school population were extracted from National Institute of Statistics (NIS). Linear and polynomial regression models were used to highlight evolutionary trends, as well as ARIMA (Autoregressive Integrated Moving Average) models to make a forecast of the school population until 2030. A qualitative analysis of the relevant legislative framework and educational policies for the reference period was performed. Results indicate a sharp decrease in the number of educational units in rural areas, correlated with demographic decline and administrative restructuring processes, but also an increase in pressure on urban educational infrastructure, manifested by the overcrowding of schools. These trends contribute to the escalation of inequalities between rural and urban areas in terms of access to education. Statistical forecasts suggest that the downward trend in the number of school population will continue until 2030, with major implications for the school network planning. The comparative analysis with Romanian neighbouring countries shows that the national situation is closely related to the Bulgarian model, characterized by a high degree of school agglomeration, while Poland and Hungary have applied more balanced rationalization strategies. Conclusions emphasize the need to develop public policies that would advance the economic efficiency of school network reorganization, as well as the principle of equity in access to education, especially for rural communities, in order to strengthen social cohesion and the sustainable development of human capital.
K e y w o r d s: school network, education, school population, rural-urban space, public policies