Murino elementary school enrollment drops amid regional depopulation

The Petar Dedović Elementary School in Murino, located in the Plav municipality of Montenegro, has enrolled only two first-grade students this year. This decline is a symptom of significant regional depopulation and economic stagnation in northern Montenegro.

School director Slavko Garčević noted that the school's total enrollment has dropped to 85 students, compared to nearly one thousand six decades ago. He emphasized that the decline reflects a broader trend of local residents migrating to more developed areas. Garčević suggested that creating sustainable jobs is essential to encourage young people to remain in their home regions.

The demographic shift is linked to the closure of local industries, such as the Titeks factory, which once provided significant employment. According to 2023 census data, the population of Murino and its surrounding villages—Gornja Ržanica, Mašnica, and Pepiće—is now just over 600 residents, down from nearly 3,000 sixty years ago.