The Scottish secretary for education has said planned law changes on school closures will not make it easier for rural schools to be shut.
Clear financial information for a school closure will be required, and those which survive closure proposals will be safe for a minimum of five years, unless exceptional circumstances come about.
Michael Russell MSP said: “Our commitment to making these changes to the consultation process for school closures underlines the Government’s belief that education authorities must give extremely careful consideration to a range of matters when bringing forward any closure proposal.”