In Greece, "small schools" usually means those with less than 50, and perhaps, as few as 3 children. The isolation and inaccessibility of many regions, due to Greece's many mountain ranges and islands, have resulted in many small "schools of necessity." Even with the demographic shift to urban regions since World War II, 24 percent of schools were still small in 1994. Since 1950, there has been a shift of population as rural people moved to urban areas seeking a better income and lifestyle. With this decrease in rural population, the state consolidated many one-teacher schools with neighboring schools in spite of opposition from rural inhabitants. The state's educational policy does not favor small schools, due in part to their high operating costs. Teachers appointed to small schools often have no previous teaching experience, and school operating funds are inadequate. There is emerging evidence that small schools should be preserved for a variety of social, educational, and economic reasons, and recent programs using multimedia technology, computers, and distance learning have been successful in improving the viability of small schools. The small school is not threatened so much by urbanization and rural depopulation as it is by the indifference of those in charge and their inability to redefine the role of small schools in tomorrow's society. The difficulties presented by the operation of small schools can be dealt with if there is political will and attention is given to the experiences of other countries facing this problem. (TD)