Survival strategies of agricultural secondary schools

Abstract

Qualitative survey methods were used to describe the survival concepts of agricultural secondary schools. Deep interviews were carried out firstly in one Italian secondary school, in Latina, then in another Slovakian school in Dunaszerdahely, and in the secondary school located at the university campus in Kaposvár. The aim of our research was to find out the role and tools of marketing on examples of secondary schools. Motivations for the research were that one of the bases of prospective students for two faculties of our university are agricultural secondary schools. During the analyses, SWOT tables were created on the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats of marketing in education. Summarising the results of the interviews it was found that the number of students attending agricultural secondary schools has decreased. The reputation of working in agriculture is gradually declining. Agricultural secondary schools are developing strategies for survival by introducing new, marketable study programs. Undoubtedly, those institutions that dare to change and reply more rapidly to market demands and use marketing tools increase their student numbers.