New rules intended to help protect rural schools from closure have been announced by the Welsh Government.
Kirsty Williams, the Welsh cabinet education secretary, has announced she will change the school organisation code that guides how council’s make decisions about schools.
Councils will have to identify "clear and specific reasons" for closing a rural school and show the alternatives that have been identified and an assessment of the likely education benefits.
The impact on the community and likely effect on travel arrangements must also be demonstrated and councils will have to explain why the closure is the most appropriate course of action.
Federations of schools will also be considered as an alternative in all cases and consideration of alternatives will be a two-stage process. Councils will then have to consider other alternatives that emerge during a consultation process.
Consultations on school closures will also have to be published on a school day and the local community made aware of them.
The code will also be revised to better reflect that addressing surplus places don’t have to mean closing schools and alternatives to closure should be considered.
For the first time the Welsh Government will also define what is a rural school. It will then develop a list of designated rural schools which councils will have to refer to when considering school closures.
The Brecon and Radnorshire Liberal Democrat AM, who joined the Welsh Labour cabinet after last year’s Assembly elections, has announced a consultation on the changes.
She said: "Rural schools face unique issues and I want to ensure that pupils that attend them have the same opportunities as children in other areas.
"These proposals strengthen the school organisation code to make sure that councils do everything they can to keep a rural school open before deciding to consult on proposed closure.
"Talking and engaging with the local community is vital. If there is a consultation to close a school, all options and suggestions that emerge form this must be considered before a decision is made. This might include federation with other schools or increasing the community use of school buildings to make the school more viable.
"Rural schools are at the heart of community life. I therefore want to make sure these schools get a fair hearing when their future is being considered. These plans will play a key part in our national mission to raise standards and offer opportunities to all our young people."
Last year Kirsty Williams announced a new £2.5m a year rural and small schools grant to support schools working together and councils are due to submit their plans to the Welsh Government shortly.