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    • Written answers - 22 April 2004

    Rhona Brankin, MSP for Midlothian raised a series of written questions for the Minister for Education and Young People, Peter Peacock to answer. Link to The Scottish Parliament Official Document.

    Parliamentary Bureau Motion: S2W-7129

    Rhona Brankin (Midlothian) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether pupils in rural schools suffer educational disadvantage compared to pupils in urban schools.

    Peter Peacock: The Executive aims to ensure an excellent education for pupils in all publicly-funded schools. Pupils in urban schools are likely to have easier access to some facilities and experiences which can contribute to an excellent education. However, the Executive has no evidence to suggest that pupils in rural schools have worse outcomes in directly comparable measures, such as attainment in national qualifications.

    Parliamentary Bureau Motion: S2W-7136

    Rhona Brankin (Midlothian) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what proportion of pupils attending rural schools go on to higher education compared to the proportion of those attending urban schools.

    Peter Peacock:The percentages of school leavers (2002-03) entering Higher Education from publicly funded schools are as follows:
      Full-Time Higher Education
    Large Urban Areas 28
    Other Urban Areas 31
    Accessible Small Towns 34
    Remote Small Towns 33
    Accessible Rural 34
    Remote Rural 37
    Scotland 31


    Definitions  
    Large Urban Areas Settlements of over 125,000 people.
    Other Urban Areas Settlements of 10,000 to 125,000 people.
    Accessible Small Towns Settlements of between 3,000 and 10,000 people and within 30 minutes drive of a settlement of 10,000 or more.
    Remote Small Towns Settlements of between 3,000 and 10,000 people and with a drive time of over 30 minutes to a settlement of 10,000 or more.
    Accessible Rural Settlements of less than 3,000 people and within 30 minutes drive of a settlement of 10,000 or more
    Remote Rural Settlements of less than 3,000 people and with a drive time of over 30 minutes to a settlement of 10,000 or more.

    Parliamentary Bureau Motion: S2W-7139

    Rhona Brankin (Midlothian) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether there is any research evidence to suggest that the fabric of school buildings alone accounts for differences in educational attainment.

    Peter Peacock: A wide range of factors bear on educational attainment. We are unaware of any research which suggests that the fabric of school buildings alone accounts for differences in attainment.

    Parliamentary Bureau Motion: S2W-7140

    Rhona Brankin (Midlothian) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what advice is given to local education authorities on minimising travel distances to schools.

    Peter Peacock: No such advice has been given. The pattern of school provision and catchment areas is best determined at local level. Many children travel considerable distances to and from school in many parts of Scotland.

    Parliamentary Bureau Motion: S2W-7141

    Rhona Brankin (Midlothian) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether pupils attending rural schools have the same entitlement to information technology facilities as those pupils attending urban schools.

    Peter Peacock: Education authorities are responsible for the provision of information technology (ICT) facilities in their schools. The Scottish Executive provides financial support for the cost of ICT in schools to all education authorities. Finances are provided with no assumptions about varying the level of support to schools on an urban/rural basis.

    Parliamentary Bureau Motion: S2W-7142

    Rhona Brankin (Midlothian) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether there is any evidence that pupils from rural schools are less fit than their urban counterparts.

    Peter Peacock: The Executive is not aware of any evidence available to indicate that pupils from rural schools are less fit than pupils from urban schools.

    Parliamentary Bureau Motion: S2W-7143

    Rhona Brankin (Midlothian) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what importance it places on parents being able to send their children to the school of their choice.

    Peter Peacock: Local authorities responsible for providing adequate and efficient education services for their area. Within any area we consider that parental choice is an important part of the Scottish school education system.

    Parliamentary Bureau Motion: S2W-7147

    Rhona Brankin (Midlothian) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how it defines "rural" when categorising rural and urban schools.

    Peter Peacock: There is no definition of a rural school in education legislation.

    For various statistical purposes, the Scottish Executive classifies settlements of 3,000 or less people to be "rural." That core definition is further refined by reference to settlements based on the 3,000 and 10,000 population thresholds. Settlements of less than 3,000 people and within 30 minutes drive of a settlement of 10,000 or more are classified as "accessible rural"; settlements of less than 3,000 people and more than 30 minutes drive to a settlement of 10,000 or more are classified as "remote rural."

    For statistical purposes, any school in an "accessible rural" or a "remote rural" settlement would be classified as a rural school.

    Parliamentary Bureau Motion: S2W-7149

    Rhona Brankin (Midlothian) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what value it places on educational attainment in rural schools.

    Peter Peacock: The Executive places a high value on educational attainment in all schools. Achievement and attainment are the focus of one of the five National Priorities in Education, set by the Executive and endorsed by the Scottish Parliament, which apply to all education authorities and their schools.

    Parliamentary Bureau Motion: S2W-7157

    Rhona Brankin (Midlothian) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how many rural schools have avoided closure as a result of the measures in the Education (Scotland) Act 1980 and the Education (Scotland) Act 1981 to safeguard rural schools.

    Peter Peacock: It is for education authorities to consider the pattern of school provision within their areas. The extent to which authorities may have decided either not to propose the closure of certain schools, or not to proceed with certain closure proposals which they may have made, and the reasons for such decisions, are matters for the authorities themselves.

    Parliamentary Bureau Motion: S2W-7164

    Rhona Brankin (Midlothian) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what action it has taken following the reporters' reports on rural schools to the Education, Culture and Sport Committee on 27 June and 4 July 2000.

    Peter Peacock: These reports were addressed to the Parliament's Education, Culture and Sport Committee, and contained no recommendations directed at the Scottish Executive.

    Parliamentary Bureau Motion: S2W-7173

    Rhona Brankin (Midlothian) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will update the legislation governing the closure of rural schools.

    Peter Peacock: The Scottish Executive has no plans to amend the legislation relating to school closure proposals.

    Last Updated : 07 August 2004