Cymdeithas yr Iaith have called on the Welsh Assembly Government to follow the lead set by the Scottish Government (see today's announcement) and establish a presumption in favour of small schools. According to the Society, this would force 'lazy' local officials and politicians to properly engage with parents and governors to work out sustainable patterns for education locally and it would give encouragement to demoralised local communities.

Cymdeithas Education Spokesperson, Ffred Ffransis, explained:"At present there is in fact a de-facto presumption against small rural schools everywhere in Wales with the possible exception of Gwynedd since the election. It is true that we have succeeded in getting the Welsh Government to include in their guidelines for LEAs on school re-organisation that there should be a proper assessment of the effect of closure on the children's education, on the language and on the local community and that all alternatives should be explored before proposing closure. ""In reality however only one consideration counts. If an LEA can show that they can close a school and provide an alternative reasonable education at another school not too far away for a lesser cost, then closure is rubber-stamped after going through all the motions of consultation. The inevitability of the local officials nearly always getting their way has demoralised parents to the extent that they feel they might as well not send their children to small schools in the first place.""There is a de-facto presumption against small schools and governors have to make out an exceptional case to show why their school should not be closed even if it is succeeding educationally according to Estyn reports.""It's easier for local bureaucrats to evaluate new buildings and material resources than the educational value to a small child of education within his or her immediate environment with support of family and community. It's less hassle for them to throw them all into a centralised new Area School than to work patiently to promote co-operation and new integrated structures between schools to achieve the same educational benefits. It's less hassle for them to close schools than to work out positive community uses for the excess capacity. This de-facto presumption against small schools in Wales is as recipe for bureaucratic laziness.""If we in Wales followed the Scottish example of establishing a presumption in favour of small schools, it does not mean that no schools would close. What it does mean is that local officers and politicians would have to do their work properly to make out a proper case for closure if alternatives had been properly explored and found wanting. It would signal the end of bureaucratic laziness in this field and would give new encouragement to parents and communities who feel strongly about the future of their children's education."