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Rural Schools Consultation

From January 21st to April 14th, the Conservative MSP, Murdo Fraser has been running a consultation into rural schools with the proposal that there should be a presumption against the closure of these schools. Read SPTC's response.

A proposal to introduce a presumption against the closure of rural schools

The Scottish Parent Teacher Council welcomes the chance to respond to the above consultation as we have a large number of rural schools as members and are frequently asked by them for help and advice.

The consultation’s background definitions and information are very helpful to understanding the issue properly, and we note the contribution that has been made by the Scottish Rural Schools Network, a group with whom we ourselves have recently had a very productive and informative email exchange.

We also recognise that school closures and mergers are stressful for the parents, pupils and staff wherever they happen. No one likes change and the process is usually very unpleasant however satisfactory the final outcome may be.

Similarly we are aware of the pressures for school closures, as listed in the consultation, and would add that most of these pressures apply in urban as well as rural areas. However, we recognise rural schools have an added significance in that they are often seen as crucial to the survival of a rural community. Where this is the reason for keeping a school open, extra funding should be provided to the authority as part of a rural strategy to ensure that other schools in the area do not lose out.

However, it is important not to romanticise rural schools. Whilst there are many that do an outstanding job, there are some that let their pupils down and many of the phone calls that we receive are to do with problems that can arise as a result. For example, whilst composite classes of themselves do not have an adverse effect on a youngster’s education, a youngster can have a very poor educational experience if he/she has a teacher with whom he/she does not relate well but then has to have for three or four years. Similarly, we are aware of situations where the gender imbalance is so great that it causes problems for those in the minority group, situations where there are so many children from one extended family (siblings and cousins) that life is very difficult for children who do not belong to that family and situations where an outsider who does not conform to the local culture/ethos finds it very hard to fit in.

All small schools, whether urban or rural, also find it harder to get adequate resources, partly because their budgets are too small to allow them to set money aside for exceptional purchases.

We are not persuaded by claims of enhanced attainment in rural schools, even though they come from Scottish Executive figures. We question the basis for such claims and wonder whether proper account was taken of those differences between rural and urban populations which are known to have an impact on educational attainment. It is now recognised that in urban areas, multiple deprivation can have a compound negative effect on children’s educational attainment.

We think the important consideration in looking at any school is whether it is meeting the educational needs of the pupils and whether plans for closure or merger would enhance educational provision. We totally agree that decisions for closure or merger should not primarily be based on financial considerations. Whilst the running costs per child of a small rural school may be relatively high (and we accept the Scottish Rural School’s Network’s figures showing that many three-teacher schools are just as cost effective in terms of running costs as larger, urban schools), the total running cost of a small school is itself relatively small and the financial benefits of closure to the authority’s education budget will be minimal once the cost of alternative provision and transport are taken into account.

The state of the school buildings is often a more significant factor in an authority’s financial considerations because an inadequate or dilapidated building can cost millions to repair or replace and it is legitimate to consider whether this is the best use of the money.

However, it is important for all authorities to review their school estate periodically and decided whether the schools are in the best locations for the pupil population. As the consultation points out, plans for merger/closure can be prompted by the development of a settlement nearby which means that more children have to travel to the existing school than would travel to a new school built in that settlement.

In summary, we recognise that closing small rural schools is a sensitive matter that should not be undertaken lightly. However, we do think that it is important to consider the educational provision for the children and whether the school still meets the needs of the local community.

In terms of the current legislative position, we note the need for consultation, and the key criteria for referring the matter to Ministers. We are aware from recent Ministerial decisions to keep very small schools open in situations where HMIe and the local community thought closure was the correct course of action. With these precedents we are concerned that a presumption against closure will actually paralyze rural schooling and mean that existing schools will be kept regardless of the educational needs of pupils and the local community. We note with considerable concern that only three schools a year have been closed in England since the presumption against closure was introduced. This is the equivalent of one school every three years in Scotland and, with falling populations, it is hard to believe that this is the right course of action. Some years back, there was a proposal to keep the primary school on Kerara open even though it had only one pupil and was a short ferry ride away from Oban. It is hard to believe that any child educated on his/her own can have as good an educational experience as a child educated within a bigger social environment.

Whilst we do not support a presumption against closure, the suggestion that an independent panel should be set up to review closures is an attractive proposition both from the perspective of parents and the authority. Such a panel would have to be clearly independent, including of Government, and should be charged with considering the interests of the wider community as well as of the school that is the subject of a closure proposal. We think that decisions should be taken on a case-by-case basis. There are times when a very small school is the best option available because the alternatives, particularly in terms of distance travelled, are not in the best educational interests of the children. However, there may be other times when the best option is to merge two moderately sized rural schools so that the pupils can enjoy a better social mix and enhanced resources. All decisions should be taken objectively and in the best interests of the educational experience of present and future pupils.

Scottish Parent Teacher Council
April 2008

To read the full consultation go to: www.scottish.parliament.uk/s3/bills/MembersBills/pdfs/RuralSchoolsConsultation.pdf

Tuesday 15 April 2008