§ Mrs. Dunwoodyasked the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will list the criteria his Department has laid down as to the minimum number of (a) pupils, (b) teachers and (c) facilities acceptable for the maintenance of a rural village school.
§ Mr. DunnMy Department has made no such stipulations. Circular 3/87, issued on 6 May, referred to the general principles proposed in the White Paper "Better Schools" concerning the size thresholds at which schools of different types can economically deliver a satisfactory curriculum, but acknowledged that there may be some localities where for geographic and other reasons smaller schools need to be maintained.