Current status: Answered by John Swinney on 22 November 2017
To ask the Scottish Government what its policy is on rural education provision.
The Scottish Government recognises that there can be real educational and social benefits to pupils from the delivery of quality education through small rural schools located in the communities in which they live. That is why this Government made amendments to the Schools (Consultation) (Scotland) Act 2010 in 2014 to make the consultation process for school closure proposals more transparent and rigorous, and to strengthen the requirements relating to rural schools.