Content area
Full text
There is something anomalous about the rural schools closure debate, which is the topic of this week's News Focus (p10). At a time when local councils are required to slash their education budgets, and schools face the prospect of losing teachers, learning support and classroom assistants, there are plenty of protests - but nobody expects the cuts to enhance children's education. Yet with proposals for small school closures, which could save hundreds of thousands of pounds, the councils have to make a statement of educational benefit under the new Schools (Consultation) (Scotland) Act 2010 which came into force last year.
All decisions about education cuts are unpopular, but none quite like the closure of a rural school. Teachers may fear for...