Government accused of hypocrisy after demanding rural schools stay open

Jan 31 2008

Ministers were accused of hypocrisy today when they ordered local councils to keep rural schools open - after backing more closures last month.

Schools minister Jim Knight wrote to local authorities telling them to protect village primaries after a series of media headlines warned that hundreds could be shut down.

The letter followed Government guidance last month that suggested councils can “take the opportunity” to close schools with empty places.

Mr Knight said today: “Rural schools are central to the life of village communities.

“Over the last 10 years, we have made it a statutory requirement for councils to presume that rural schools should stay open.

“There is not, and never has been, any policy for closing rural schools.

“I am writing to local authorities to underline their legal duty to protect popular rural schools.”

Guidance issued in December said maintaining surplus school places represents “a poor use of resources”.

“The department expects local authorities to make the removal of surplus places a priority in their planning,” the guidance said.

The document said councils could consider “amalgamation and rationalisation” of primary schools in their area.

“Local authorities may, for example, take the opportunity to reorganise primary provision, close schools with consistently poor performance and/or excessive surplus places and place new buildings under the management of stronger heads,” it said.

Liberal Democrat schools spokesman David Laws branded the Government’s policy “confused and hypocritical”.

“This week, ministers are telling everyone that the closure of smaller schools is not on the Government’s agenda,” he said.

“But official guidance issued last month tells local authorities to close smaller schools and remove surplus places as a ’priority’.

“Local authorities are being told that unless they follow the Government’s blueprint, which includes closing up to one in 20 schools, they will not get the money for new primary schools.”

Les Lawrence, chairman of the Local Government Association children and young people board, said: “The closure of village schools is an emotive subject.

“Councils are striving to keep them open wherever possible.

“However, primary pupil numbers have fallen by 10% in 10 years and there is a large surplus of places in many areas.

“Falling school rolls can adversely affect children’s education and cause serious financial problems for schools.

“In some cases, councils cannot justify keeping them open.”

The Conservatives said Government rules on surplus places have contributed to almost 220 schools of fewer than 100 pupils closing since 1997.

Shadow children’s secretary Michael Gove said: “Back in 1998 Labour pledged to save small schools, but these figures tell a very different story.

“We know small schools provide an excellent education so we should be doing everything possible to support them.”

The National Union of Teachers warned that school closures can devastate local communities.

NUT general secretary Steve Sinnott said: “School closures are devastating to their communities, whether rural or urban.

“But the Government needs to urgently address the underlying pressure on local authorities of falling pupil rolls.”

A spokeswoman for the Department for Children, Schools and Families said: “It is simply wrong to claim that our guidance to local authorities is ’misleading’.

“It is nonsense to say we have told local authorities to close up to one in 20 schools.

“Our guidance makes it clear that we want local authorities, as part of their plans to improve primary school buildings, to target the 5% of schools in the worst physical condition and rebuild them or take them out of commission.

“We are absolutely clear that good, popular schools should remain open.”