I suspect that he’s right – Shropshire Council, along with many other local authorities, are going to have to make difficult choices. Not just because of reducing numbers, but because money simply will not be there. I don’t think they have much of a choice but to do what is right for the education system as a whole in the county. And that WILL involve upsetting people.

But let’s not forget that where money is concerned, education IS one of the most bloated areas of council activity, and there is ample scope for cuts without impacting on education at the sharp end. There are HUNDREDS of non essential education jobs – admin staff, ‘business managers’ and other (extremely well paid) ‘managerial’ jobs which are STILL being advertised at schools for which there almost certainly isn’t the money in the long term. Stop this ridiculous profligacy – get the head teachers doing what they are paid large amounts of money to do (manage!), cut well paid and pensioned “heads of learning” and “heads of care” (the titles vary but the big salaries don’t) and make sure that the money goes where it’s needed.

And only start upsetting people if it’s REALLY absolutely necessary.

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The wider problem is that because of the government’s lack of support for agriculture and because of high house prices young couples can’t afford to stay in rural areas therefore they are not having children here to put into local schools. If we could address these issues then there would be no need for school closures.

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clearly we need to close the rural ones and people can go to school in shrewsbury and the other main towns instead

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