“Tiny school wants one for the roll”
This article which harks from Scotland sets out a problem faced by many rural schools in England as well. It also shows how one mum is leading a dynamic campaign to keep the schools viable.
It explains how “[Rebecca] Ridgway – who runs the adventure holiday company founded by her father, the yachtsman John Ridgway – takes her two children, Hughie, eight, and Molly, 10, to school each morning in an open boat with an outboard motor from their home in Ardmore, in Sutherland.
Once on dry land, the children take a school bus to Kinlochbervie primary school.
“Fifteen years ago, there were 57 pupils. But the fishing industry has declined and, like many rural villages, the picturesque little port has a second-home problem…..This coming year, the primary roll falls to 19, one below the magic number of 20 that guarantees two teachers.”
With my good friend Rob Hindle, I did some work last year looking at the impact of public service cuts on rural communities – one of the key things we concluded was that the level of community commitment to preserving rural facilities was as important as the numbers game or simple financial sums.
I know these factors are really important but I can think of many far less remote places in England where facilities run the risk of closing for the sake of a dose of dynamism akin to that shown by Ms Ridgway.
Let’s hope she succeeds she is setting a positive example to us all! On other things Scottish hope you saw the Rural Services Network articler about our work on rural vulnerability in Scotland we are now working with the Scottish Agricultural College with their financial support to look at vulnerability in terms of individual settlements.
Let me know if you would like to learn more.