The council proposes to close Ripple School by January 2005

Chris Woodhead, who lives close to Ripple Primary School near Dover, says the consultation into its future has implications for all village schools.

Kent County Council has said the school, which has only 35 pupils, is not financially viable.

Mr Woodhead says the council needs to make a decision for the good of the entire county rather than one school.

I used to ask if the focus of the community was the church, shop, school or pub and always received different answers Chris Woodhead

He said: "I was involved in discussions about small schools and they were always seen as essential to the community.

"I used to ask if the focus of the community was the church, shop, school or pub and always received different answers!

"But to be serious the school is very important to the survival of a rural community so this is an important issue not just for Ripple but for the whole of Kent.

"In principle I'm on the side of diversity and the state giving the local community what they want but in practise that can only be done within the constraints of what is financially possible and Kent County Council can only do so much."

A meeting to discuss the public consultation has been scheduled for 11 February.