CAMPAIGNERS have suffered a fresh setback in their fight to save rural schools from closure by Scottish councils.

Local authorities have argued for the first time that schools are not important to the survival of rural communities.

In a controversial submission to a Scottish Government-backed commission on the future of rural schools, Cosla – the group that represents Scotland's councils – says the "vibrancy" of communities depends on a range of economic and social factors and argues a school "will at best only have a limited contribution to make to community life".

The claim undermines the belief, widely held by parents and campaigners, that schools are at the centre of life in rural areas and should be saved from closure for that reason.

Cosla's submission states: "It is hard to define the limits of a community, but if a local population is diminishing due to a lack of jobs, affordable housing and other opportunities then it is hard to see how simply keeping a school within the community would reverse or even halt its decline.

"We have not become aware of any evidence to support the ... continuation of a school simply on the grounds of the role it places in the community.

"Indeed, we are aware of examples ... which would suggest there is no substantive link between the presence of a school and the continued vibrancy of the community."

School closures – in both cities and rural areas – have been one of the most contentious issues local government has faced in recent years.

There are about 900 rural schools in Scotland, with the majority in the Highlands, Aberdeenshire, Argyll and Bute and the Borders.

Many councils facing tighter budgets have brought forward closure plans for schools that have small pupil numbers and that they argue are expensive to run, with pupils better served in larger schools.

Parents, on the other hand, feel such decisions damage their children's education and the future viability of their communities.

The Cosla submission to the Commission on Rural Education goes on to warn further rural school closures are inevitable, and criticises public pronouncements on closures by Scottish Government ministers for creating false hopes.

"In the case of Scottish ministers, public statements on rural schools ... have led to a view in some communities that no rural school should ever close," the commission says. "This has undoubtedly strengthened campaigners and, we would argue, undermined local authorities' ability to take decisions that are in the best interest of education locally.

"However, the hard fact is that some schools do need to close, and that keeping them open is both not in the interest of the children at the school, nor children in other schools in the authority."

Last night, Sandy Longmuir, chairman of the Scottish Rural Schools Network, rejected the Cosla claims.

He said: "It has been proven time and again across Scotland that schools are a vital part of the survival of many rural communities.

"It is a major attraction for families considering moving to a rural community, as well as being valued by those already living there, and that reaps

an additional benefit because it brings in new generations.

"It is also vital to the rural economy because a major criteria for companies seeking to locate in rural areas is the availability of education for the children of the workforce.

"There will always be circumstances where tiny schools close, and where there will be a financial benefit, but the economic argument makes no sense because the additional costs of transporting pupils and the loss of revenue to the council ends up losing them money."

The current row over rural schools dates back to the era of the previous Labour-led administration in Scotland, when there was anger over council closure consultations which were seen as shams in many parts of the country.

The SNP picked up the issue in its 2007 manifesto for the Scottish Parliament elections and promised a legislative "presumption against closure".

After winning power, the SNP passed legislation introducing new safeguards for rural schools, which made it explicit schools could not be shut for purely financial reasons and said there had to be an educational rationale. The legislation also forced councils to carry out an impact assessment on the local community if school closures were to go ahead.