A new independent report has concluded that village school closures in Wales are going ahead in the absence of sound cost information.Hyb, the group which commissioned the research, said today at the report's launch that the information that is available suggests that school closures will result in little or no cost savings.

Independent research on the costs of small primary schools in Wales carried out by the respected Cambridge Policy Consultants shows that:• decisions on the closure of small primary schools in Wales are taken in the almost complete absence of research evidence on costs;• school size is only one of the factors that influence cost per pupil. Analysis of individual school budgets shows that there is some small increase in cost, on average, when there are fewer than 90 pupils, and more pronounced increases when pupil numbers fall below 30. However there are schools with fewer than 30 pupils which don't show this increase.• the consultants estimated that, even if all small primary schools in Wales with fewer than 90 pupils were to be closed, the resulting savings would be only just over 2% of the total primary individual schools' budget;• there is no centrally held information to assess the impact of school closures on transport costs. However, the research estimated that additional transport costs would be in the region of £500 to £1,900 per pupil per year. If this is correct, any cost savings resulting from school closures would almost certainly be negated.At the launch of the report today at the National Assembly for Wales Senedd building, Hyb spokesperson John Milsom said:'It is highly irresponsible that mass closures of village schools are being considered without the full cost implications being known. What evidence is available suggests that school closures will lead to little or no savings to the education budget. Furthermore, where will the money come from to build the centralised area schools which are now the flavour of the month? In the present economic climate it will be increasingly difficult for LEAs to sell off school buildings to raise capital money. It could well make more economic sense to make the best use of current assets.''Hyb calls on the Education Minister to respond to the report's recommendations and commission proper research to ascertain the full facts.''Hyb supports the Assembly Government guidance that educational considerations should come first when considering the future of schools - be they small or large. This should be made abundantly clear by the Minister to LEAs who think they are going to make quick savings from closures without looking fully at the facts.'