TAF PUBLISHING

In the light of globalization, national education strategies in many countries consider the need to preserve their small rural schools. The study aimed to analyse the small schools’ survival strategies and the attitudes towards their role in the development of rural communities. The data obtained during the comparative project "Rural Depopulation and the Governance of Education: Comparative Study of Latvia and Norway" was used. A comparative quantitative survey of municipalities, a survey of school administrations, and a set of comparative case studies carried out in rural areas of Latvia and Norway enable multi-faceted analysis of the role of small schools within different governance and education systems. The causes of school closures and the resulting problems are similar in both countries; however, the rationale and the attitude of stakeholders are significantly different.