Without this approval the Ministry does not include the school in the network. A basic school with Years 1-4 can be established if the expected number of students is at least 30, and a basic school with Years 1-9 if the number of students is not lower than 150. In special cases (for example, if the closest basic school is difficult to reach) a lower number of children can be accepted. When the Ministry evaluates the applications it takes into account local and regional needs, the language of instruction, the number of students and the financial and technical conditions of schools. The Ministry can also take the decision to close schools through a similar process but a proposal to close a school can also be made by regional state authorities and the Inspectorate. There are a number of inherited inefficiencies which have been reinforced by the public administration and public funding reforms, creating too many and too small founder units and leading to a fragmentation of the system.