Wrong priority

Published on 08/02/2013 00:00

Judges condemning current policy on school closures said it was, in part, “a waste of time, 
effort and resources” (your 
report, 7 February).

Arguably, this is a prime 
example of what happens when a “political imperative trumps sound economic reasons”.

Apparently, there is a central government moratorium on local authorities closing any rural primary school.

However, a recent Aberdeenshire Council report shows a third of rural primary schools are under-capacity.

Seemingly, one, Ardallie primary near Mintlaw, is being kept open even though there are no pupils. Isn’t this a maldistribution of scarce resources to be condemned from the viewpoint of ethical economics?

A political decision by central government to keep open schools that are under-capacity, especially if they have no pupils, is economically and morally indefensible.

Ellis Thorpe

Old Chapel Walk

Inverurie