Rural Schools in Spain: Strengths and Weakness

Andrés Cabello, S. y Garreta Bochaca, J. (2023). Rural Schools in Spain: Strengths and Weakness. AGER: Revista de Estudios sobre Despoblación y Desarrollo Rural (Journal of Depopulation and Rural Development Studies), 38, 113-142.

Despite advances in research on rural schools, their standing remains subordinate to that of urban schools. Also in Spain, although it has gained presence thanks to the enhancement of the rural environment and the incorporation in the public agenda of the depopulation of rural areas in the interior of the peninsula. This article is based on a survey of 1,730 primary schools in Spain as a whole, of which 9.2 % are rural. The aims of the project included the analysis of the strengths and weaknesses of rural schools in various areas, the link with the community and the role of the family-school relationship. The results of the study show that some stereotypes about rural schools, in terms of not being modern and lacking innovation and quality, do not currently hold true, and that the family-school relationship is the differentiating factor in relation to the link with the community.