Rural Schools in Spain. Past, present and future: a sociological framework

Abstract

[EN]We are going to analyze rural schools in Spain from a sociological viewpoint (there are a lot of studies from the point of view of pedagogy - especially from the eighties - but not sociological ones). We will analyse the evolution that rural schools have followed in this context from the 70s. Specifically, the goal is to present a current panoramic exempt from stereotypes and based on aspects such as the equipment, transport and dining services and the demystification of false beliefs. In addition, we will study the past, present and future of rural schools in Spain. We will describe these schools in terms of demography, organization, educational policies, social meanings, methodology, etc. and, on the other hand, we will try to predict the situation of the education in the rural areas of Spain in the next years. The focus of this study will be the whole rural Spanish territory and more specifically the territory of the Autonomous Community of Castilla y León. National data, mainly from own surveys and interviews are synthesized covering the following topics: economic and demographic context of rural education, location and characteristics of rural schools, policies and programs benefiting rural education, equipment, transport and dining services, public school finance policies and practices affecting rural schools, teachers in rural schools and the future of rural education in Spain. The report contains data tables and a section describing statistical data sources and the methodology. One of our conclusions is that, in opposition to what the popular imaginary could consider, the schools in small villages have a more symbolic than real value because the need of the mobility has been internalized in the last years by the inhabitants of the rural areas - and this includes the parents of the students -.