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Petition update, 27 March 2009

More details from petition creator

Hundreds of village schools across Britain are under threat of closure, despite a pledge in 1998 by the Education Minister Stephen Byers that rural schools would be fiercely protected because of the “spiral of decline” that school closures cause in rural communities. Now Shropshire, Herefordshire, and the Isle of Wight are facing immense public opposition to plans to close between 20 and 35 small village schools each. Many other counties, Kent, Cheshire and Staffordshire among them, are also reviewing their school provision. The schools in question are not empty and unloved – most are popular, thriving schools providing good academic standards and are the focus of their small communities. The Schools Minister, Jim Knight, is writing to local authorities to remind them that there is a legal presumption that rural schools should only close as a “drastic last resort”. However, councils say government guidance requires them to reduce surplus places in order to access extra funding for refurbishing other schools. We ask that Prime Minister Brown ensures government education policies are consistent with protecting and properly resourcing rural schools.

Current signatories

Lisa Finighan, the Petition Creator, joined by:

• Rachel Hitchen
• Andrew Constantine, Free England Party
• Philip Glover
• Melvin Wagstaff
• Dick King
• S King
• Don Cross
• joshua stebbings
• chris jacobs
• lucy Brodie
• Mary Morris
• Kathy Grogan
• James
• Niviera Piper
• Rhiannon Hordley
• Rob Urquhart
• Charles Lyster
• Jan France
• Arnold France
• June Hodges
• David Hodges
• clive bibby
• David Chivers
• Joanne Sparkes
• MRS E D YARWOOD
• david m yarwood
• Carolyn Riddell
• Rosie Wilson
• Sue Hughes
• Jo Brooker
• colleen james
• Jerry Ross
• Stephanie Young
• R A and PJ WALKER
• jen epstein
• WILLIAM PAUL DAVIES
• Jason Davies
• Christopher J Moore
• angela farr
• doug skeggs
• Alison Taylor
• Tim Hancox
• A.J.Sullivan
• Linda Cinderey
• Merle Hancox
• Robert Crawford
• M S & V A Fawcett
• edward drzymalski
• Dawn McAfee
• Paul McAfee
• Keri Price
• Sheila Jones
• Liz Collins
• Stephen Grist
• Elaine Knox
• Kym Evans
• Heather Amos
• Anne Pye
• Robert Pye
• Louise McManus
• Irene Brewer
• Beth Williams
• Kas Shepperson
• Benita Treanor
• John B Cooper
• A. R. HOWELL
• Delia Perry
• Roger Aps
• Diane Aps
• Sarah Freeman
• Adrian Hitchen
• Lisa Robinson
• Richard Sparkes
• Rebecca McManus
• Ewan Smith
• Neil Ambrose
• Helen Hodges
• Julie Peacock
• Rebecca Roseff
• Simon Kmiec
• Jesse Norman
• Barry House
• Vicki Court
• Janet Lowore
• jan richardson
• Alan A Richardson
• Derek South
• Amanda Pinnell
• Simone McCartney
• Sarah Morrison
• Dr A R Snelson
• Simon Edwards
• andrew best
• Angharad Spooner
• steve kiff
• Lorraine Owens
• Susan McLean
• Janet Smith
• Leslie Smith
• Mrs Margaret Neve
• spencer goodwin
• Kathryn Court
• Kate Best
• Dr Debbie Smith
• F.P. Cram
• Richard Saunders
• michelle addis
• Penny Kemp
• Robert Kemp
• Janet Raeburn
• Robert Finighan
• Rita Whitehall
• Matthew Roberts
• Robert Fitzsimmons
• Sarah Kettles
• Laura Adams
• Sarah Gittens
• Brenda Friedl
• Susan Pearson
• Arno Friedl
• Brian Goodfellow
• Claire Cox
• Sarah Drew
• A. PODESTA
• Deborah Smith
• Terry Rees-Pedlar
• Sandra Duncan
• C Bracebridge
• Simon Enright
• Rebekah Cutler
• Dawne Shepherd
• Laurence Jarrett
• karen childerley
• Joyce Moorhouse
• Caroline Sawford
• Bob Sawford
• elizabeth shayler
• Marion Clucas
• David M Shayler
• helen harvey
• john harvey
• Tim Bibby
• Shelly Bibby
• Vicki Marshall
• Marion Grenow
• Derek Millman
• Deborah Barker
• Wendy Watkins
• Susan Ridd
• sarah williams
• Clare Tobin
• Simon Bounds
• Dawn Herriott
• Jeff
• Lyanne Furniss
• Kate Jordan
• Ron Hall
• Tracy Tyas
• Caroline Arthur
• Jonathan Price
• CLARE RUSSELL
• Lois Owen
• Hazel Edwards
• Patricia McAll
• tracey cotterell
• Paul Thomas
• Dianah Ellis
• Emma Brees
• Peter Lawton
• Mrs Denise C.Morehead
• Susan Hayday
• Michael Arthur
• J RICHARDS
• Mark Adrian Wood
• Andrew Wild
• Oliver Webb
• Daniel Wilkes
• A Cox
• Anna Roberts
• Alan Fearnley
• Michael Crawshaw
• Caroline Harries
• Graham Williams
• LOIS MCGILL
• Barbara Dearden (petitions.pm.gov.uk/TLC-Bolly/)
• Miss Tracy L Reed
• Catherine Knight
• Michael James Shaw
• JB Peterson
• Michael Dearnley
• keith Shields
• Lesley Dodgson
• Cathryn James
• John Barton
• Donna-Marie Fay
• Briony Adams
• Kevin Hayward
• Katrina Leszczynska
• Kelly Dolphin
• Megan Kerry
• N. Taylor-Edwards
• Adam Casey
• Michelle Lacroix