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ministerial foreword
The Scottish Government believes that in order to create a wealthier and fairer nation all our communities should be strong, safe and flourishing. This belief goes hand in hand with a recognition that different communities have different priorities and needs and face different challenges. As a nation we particularly value our rural communities and the rural way of life. To ensure these remain viable and sustainable, we acknowledge that they need to be supported. Accessibility to local services is vital for all communities but especially so for small, fragile rural communities.
The principal purpose of a school is to educate and support children and young people in order that they may achieve their full potential. We know, just as parents know, that there can be real educational and social benefits to pupils from delivering quality education through small rural schools located in the communities in which they live. Scotland's own achievements here, notwithstanding the challenges, are recognised in a recent OECD Rural Policy Review. 1 We therefore propose to enact legislation to introduce a presumption against the closure of rural schools - not to prevent any or all such closures in future, but to seek to ensure that a closure decision is only taken as a last resort and not until all the alternatives have been explored and the potential impact on the community fully considered. Recognising that consideration of school closures can generate more controversy than almost any other local authority decision, our proposals seek to balance the legitimate wishes and concerns of rural communities and parents with the responsibilities of councils for the delivery of public services.
We also want to improve the way in which all school closures are handled. Some of the present regulations are long overdue for review. Our objective is to establish a new framework for consultation and decision-taking which reflects people's expectations today and which sets out more clearly the roles of both the local authorities and of the parents and communities consulted. We want to put in place a more open, transparent process that is easier to understand. Such a framework should encourage and deliver greater consistency of good practice. Our proposals accord with the fundamental principles and objectives of the new Concordat between the Scottish Government and COSLA and the local authorities, that local decisions should be made at local level by those with knowledge of all the immediate circumstances, wishes, concerns and views.
This consultation paper sets out a series of proposals for change to the current legislation and regulations. I would very much encourage you to respond and let us have your reactions and views.
Fiona Hyslop MSP
Cabinet Secretary for Education and Lifelong Learning
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