THE threat facing small schools in rural areas should be a big issue.

The village school is a very precious institution. It is also under threat. The benefits of the best village schools are obvious. They can provide good education in a nurturing environment, with strong community ties.

Financially, for a lot of small schools, the picture is troubling. Areas such as the Yorkshire Dales and rural parts of County Durham and Tees Valley risk losing their spirit unless young people and families can be attracted to the area. But figures lay bare a stark picture of low pupil numbers at some of the region’s remotest schools.

High housing costs are leading to the depopulation of rural areas, as families cannot afford to live there. There is a Catch 22 situation as families leave rural villages, thus threatening the future of local schools, and a paucity of nearby schools deters parents from bringing up their families in the countryside.

Former NUT president Anne Swift – who has been the head of schools in Ryedale and Scarborough in North Yorkshire – this week spoke for schools living on a knife edge.

Schools are doing their bit by combining into federations, sharing staff, facilities, and skills and cutting costs by working together, thereby keeping more schools open. But too many have been forced to close after miserly settlements from the Government.

Schools are a crucial part of any rural community and public policy should recognise the importance of protecting them.