Places needed as region grows

I must take issue with your letter writers Chris Endacott and Hilary Stephenson.

While there is no doubt that there are surplus places at the moment, there is also a projection of a rising birth rate and a rapidly growing population.

Why is it assumed that Shropshire will be immune from these trends, given that the rate of "white-flight" is also increasing?

The ease of which people can work from home via the internet will encourage families to come to live in safety and freedom in the countryside.

In 10 years' time, if these trends continue, we could easily find that there will not be sufficient places in the county.

Hilary Stephenson rightly raises the concerns of "the devastating effects closing a small school can have on a community" having witnessed it at first hand in the North East, but is wrong to say that the Government is not to blame.

Fact one: It costs more to educate children in rural areas.

Fact two: If Shropshire's children had even the average spent on them that the rest of the country's children have, then not a single school would need to close despite fact one.

The failure has been insufficient lobbying for many years for a realistic education budget for a super-sparse county; and for not having marginal constituencies.

Shropshire's schools are to be congratulated on achieving above average results on a way below average budget.

Cllr Georgie Ellis, Lydbury North