End of consultation: 30/06/08

The National Assembly for Wales’ Rural Development Sub-Committee is undertaking an inquiry into the provision of education in rural Wales and the reorganisation of schools in rural Wales.

The Sub-committee’s inquiry will examine the adequacy and interpretation of the guidance provided by the Welsh Assembly Government in relation to the management of education in rural areas, focusing specifically on the reorganisation of schools in rural Wales, which is an issue of social and political significance across communities in Wales.

The inquiry will focus in particular on the following areas:

• the educational context of rural schools;
• whether there are any wider social and educational issues associated with rural school reorganisation, such as the impact on rural communities, families and children and how this is taken into consideration as part of the decision-making process;
• examples of reorganisation in rural Wales and elsewhere to understand the experiences and learn from any innovative approaches;
• existing and proposed Welsh Assembly Government policy and guidance and whether they adequately deal with the wider issues that may be associated with the reorganisation of rural schools; and
• the role of Estyn in reporting on schools and LEAs.

Further information is available from the National Assembly for Wales website.