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Village Schools (Closures)

Volume 951: debated on Tuesday 6 June 1978

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asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science upon what criteria she based her decision to approve the proposal by the Leicestershire County Council, under Section 13 of the Education Act 1944, to close Grimston Church of England (Controlled) Primary School; why neither her decision letter nor the Under-Secretary of State's letter to the hon. Member for Melton dated 16th May give any reasons; and whether she will make a statement.

My decision to approve the proposal of the Leicestershire County Council to close Grimston Church of England (Controlled) Primary School was taken after careful consideration of the case submitted by the authority, objections submitted by the school's managers and local government electors, and advice tendered by my professional adviser for the area. It is not the normal practice to give reasons when conveying my decisions taken under Section 13(4) of the Education Act 1944. In the case of Grimston school, I concluded that on balance the proposed closure was in the best educational interests of present and future children in the area.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science in how many cases in each of the years 1974 to 1977 inclusive a local education authority has reconsidered its previous decision to close a village school, and has so informed her Department, despite her approval of the Section 13 notice regarding the closure.

I regret that this information is not readily available and could be obtained only at disproportionate expense for the years 1974 to 1976. Since the Education Act 1976 local education authorities have been under a duty to cease to maintain schools whose closure has been approved. If an authority intends to keep open the school for which a closure proposal was approved after 22nd November 1976, fresh proposals to that effect are required under Section 13. I am not aware that any such proposals were made during 1977.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what weight she attaches, in deciding upon Section 13 notices to close village schools, to increasing parental support for such small local schools; and how many closures she has: (a) approved and (b) rejected in each of the years 1974 to 1977 inclusive.

Every proposal is considered on its merits. I am aware of increasing parental support for small rural schools and where objections to the proposal are made on these lines, they are given full consideration.Up to January 1977 records were not kept of proposals relating to the actual closure of schools and information for earlier years cannot be provided without incurring disproportionate expense. In 1977, 87 proposals for closing primary schools were approved and three were rejected. For secondary schools the figures were 16 approvals and no rejections. I regret that proposals relating specifically to village schools cannot be identified separately.