RDC(3) RRSWC8
Rural Development Sub-Committee
Inquiry into Reorganisation of Schools in Rural Wales
Response from David Jones
For the attention of Claire Morris, Clerk to the Rural Development Sub-committee
Dear Claire,
I write to you on behalf of the parents and friends of Maesybont School, Maesybont, Carmarthenshire. We wish the enquiry to be aware of the following truths based upon our individual and collective experiences.
The Educational Context of Rural Schools
The rural school is able to deliver a high quality education with smaller classes enabling a greater degree of individual attention to be given to the children.
The children attain good levels of academic achievement.
Behavioural/anti-social problems are minimal.
The challenges presented to the teachers arising from multi aged classes do not appear to result in underachieving children.
The small rural school clearly generates a greater degree of identification with and loyalty amongst its pupils and their parents.
Wider Social and Educational Issues
Rural schools occupy an unique position within an often scattered community. Without the school, residents of a scattered rural community would not often connect with and come to know those living around them. Residents who are not themselves parents come to school to support our parents and children at the Summer Fair, Christmas Fair, St David's Day Concert etc.
With weakening support of chapel and church, no shop, post office or public house, our school is the glue which binds this community.
Our school, like many rural schools teaches extensively through the medium of welsh and feeds mainly to a welsh language comprehensive school and so contributes to the preservation of the welsh language and culture particulaly amongst the children of non welsh speakers.
The criticisms of rural schools ability to provide a range of extra curricular activities/more restricted opportunityfor children to form same age friendships/reduced access to a rage of teachers by no means outweigh the benefits of the care and attention to individual needs and the excellent outcomes obtained for the children.
Our shool has children walking, cycling and being driven short distances to attend lessons. Removing the children to a large school further away has the consequential impact on the environment caused by a larger number of car journeys at peak travel times and increased carbon emissions.
WAG Policy
The impetus for reorganisation comes from the WAG in its desire for LEAs to make the best use of resources. This is understandable but too often interpreted as a need to educate in larger schools and close the smaller schools. There little evidence to suggest that bigger is better in primary education and resorces are best used when achieving the best outcome for the children and their communities.
Estyn
Our school, like many other small schools, has received excellent inspection reports over the years. Estyn must be transparently objective in its future assessmentsand not be used, or even thought to be used, as an agent of closure.
Summary
Rural Wales is suffering the decimation of the amenities and services which underpin a cohesive rural society. Public houses, shops and post offices are rapidly disappearing. The local school is an asset within the control of the people via their elected representatives. The worth of a school should not be determined solely by its running cost but also upon the the broader values outlined above. It is an asset and not simply a liability.
Of couse a small school costs disproportionately mor per pupil than a large school and that is the price to be paid for supporting rural communities in Wales. It is a price which the WAG and LEAs should decide is worth paying.
Yours sincerely,
David Jones
