Langcliffe Primary School

THE Government is planning to close some 300 rural schools in England and Wales according to news leaked at the weekend - a matter of great concern to parents in the more isolated villages in the Yorkshire Dales.

The school at Langcliffe, near Settle, was closed last year after many months of protests from parents and several others were believed to be under threat even before the weekend's news leaked.

The National Association of Small Schools is accusing the Government of reneging on a promise made in its manifesto to protect village schools when it first came to power under the slogan "Education, education, education"

Since then, hundreds of large urban schools have failed to reach the Government's target for basic educational standards in the Three Rs whilst Offsted inspectors have consistently praised the efforts in village schools with North Yorkshire always high in the national league tables.

MPs with country constituencies are due to meet this week to plan a campaign against further closures, which many look upon as "yet another slap in the face for the countryside."