Village Schools (Hansard, 27 February 1990)

§ 5. Mr. Bellingham
To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what recent representations he has received regarding small village schools.

§ The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Education and Science (Mr. Alan Howarth)
My right hon. Friend regularly receives representations about rural primary schools which are the subject of reorganisation proposals.

§ Mr. Bellingham
Is my hon. Friend aware that many of my constituents are pleased with his positive attitude towards small schools? Will he turn his attention to Syderstone primary school in my constituency which is being considered for closure by a Norfolk county council sub-committee, although we hope that it will change its 125 mind? Although only 19 children are on the school roll at the moment, there are 47 children of primary school age in the village. Evidently, there are special reasons for the fall in numbers. Does my hon. Friend agree that the way forward is for the school to be given a reprieve to enable it to build up its numbers?

§ Mr. Howarth
If proposals are published to close Syderstone primary school, the case could come to my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for decision, so my hon. Friend will understand that it would not be appropriate for me to comment. I have, however, noted my hon. Friend's active concern about the school—as, I am sure, have his constituents. I assure him that any points that he puts to us on behalf of his constituents will be considered carefully.
On the more general issue, we recognise that small schools can provide excellent education. We also recognise that rural schools play an important part in the life of the local community. They are some of the factors that my right hon. Friend takes into account when he makes judgments on these cases.

§ Mr. Campbell-Savours
If all that is true, why do the Government insist on placing on counties such as Cumbria the responsibility to close rural schools by cutting their budgets? In the county where I live, people pay taxes for education and they want those schools to be retained. They cannot understand a Government who say, "Keep them", while also saying, "We intend to take your money away so that you will have to close them."

§ Mr. Howarth
Underoccupied schools carry high unit costs. That is a consideration which local education authorities should properly take into account. They should also take into account the quality of the education provided by the schools and the wishes and needs of the local community. It is for local education authorities to initiate proposals.

§ Miss Emma Nicholson
Does my hon. Friend accept that although I welcome his support for small primary schools in villages, the cut in planned expenditure from Government central funding for Devon will inevitably harm the capital expenditure proposals for Horrabridge county primary school, where the children have to cross two main roads from one set of temporary classrooms to another, which is wholly unacceptable?

§ Mr. Howarth
The annual capital guidelines that we issue to local education authorities on the capital expenditure that they may undertake on schools are based on well-understood criteria and priorities. If Devon's capital guideline does not in all respects match my hon. Friend's desires, that is because the bids put forward by her county did not closely match our priorities. It is entirely for the authority to make its own determination on whether to spend money on an individual county school.