Attention to small schools in Manitoba reflects concern for rural development, recognition of cultural pluralism, awareness of benefits of small town living, and a growing scepticism about benefits of consolidation which have led to an appreciation of traditional small school educational practices. The challenge for small school educators is to insure that the increased attention is properly directed so that small schools will endure when interest wanes. Information from large urban schools cannot be used as benchmarks to examine small rural schools, and established theories of administration cannot be applied to a small rural context. Small schools differ from large schools not only in size, but also in environment and community factors. Rural school staffing problems may require certifying teachers for small schools, matching teacher characteristics with small school needs, and developing inservice activities. Development of curriculum materials for small rural settings must assume that small is unique, that more resources to buy more materials is not the only answer, and that students should receive quality materials designed for them and delivered in ways appropriate to the environment. Improvement of small school education includes placing responsibility for change upon the community with support from, but not dependency on, central educational agencies. (LFL)