No-one wants to have to close schools - particularly good schools as our village primary's are.
Nor would there be any question of closing schools which meet the current minimum size policy of 20 children, if Shropshire had a fair deal from central Government.
Shropshire is fifth from bottom in funding per pupil in England, getting £329 or 9% less than the average. With 38,600 pupils this year Shropshire gets £12.7m less than it would if it received average funding.
We established last week that this problem is not unique to Shropshire. Most neighbouring Local Education Authorities, except Telford, are facing the prospect of closing schools. Despite the rising population nationally, rural areas are being locked in to further under-funding of schools for the next three years.
This is because Gordon Brown and his Schools Minister Ed Balls last month decided to fix funding per pupil for the next three years at a rate which means Shropshire and other rural authorities will get even less per pupil than the average for England. Inner cities and Labour heartlands will get above average funding.
Shropshire's gap compared to average funding will grow to £14.9m in three years. But the county council's cash shortfall then will be £1.9m. So Government only needs to reduce one eighth of the unfair funding to be able to save our village schools.
This scandal needs to be exposed. Brown's cuts last year were for local hospitals - we must fight to stop local schools from becoming his next victim.
Shropshire's MPs are united in demanding fair funding from Government Ministers.
