Peter Mackenzie, East Lothian Council Cabinet Member for Education and Children’s Services, has been asked to join the new group tasked with examining education in Scotland's rural areas. The Commission on Rural Education will be chaired by Highland Sheriff David Sutherland, with local authority representatives, parents, headteachers and experts making up the membership.

The Commission on Rural Education will look at how the delivery of rural education can maximise the attainment and life chances of young people in rural areas, and the link between rural education and rural communities.

Peter MacKenzie says:

‘I am delighted to have been asked to join the Commission. As you know, in East Lothian we are implementing a range of measures, for example, shared headships, that will secure the future of our rural schools.　 We prize our schools as an integral part of what make East Lothian life special and I look forward to the opportunity to share ideas and good practice.’

The group will report back next spring with a number of recommendations on the way forward for the delivery