RDC(3) RRSWB3
Rural Development Sub-Committee
Inquiry into Reorganisation of Schools in Rural Wales
Response from Dr Christine Jones, Chair of the Governing Body/ Ysgol Gynradd Gymunedol Llansadwrn
I write both as Chair of the Governors of the above school and also as a parent of two children in the said school. The Minister on June 18th rejected the decision of Carmarthenshire County Council to close Llansadwrn school which has 16 pupils, on the grounds that the consultation process was seriously flawed. As governors and parents we were naturally overjoyed to hear that the school will not now be closing in July 2008, but equally gratifying was the fact that our deep concerns regarding the consultation process had now been acknowledged.
As you will obviously have full access to the recent deliberations re Llansadwrn school, I will not repeat them here, except to say that as governors and parents we recognise the need for the County Council to look at the future of Llansadwrn school within the context of the wider area, not just the neighbouring school at Llanwrda. Indeed this was suggested in many of the letters of objection received to the proposal including that written by the Governors. The Minister likewise stressed this in her letter regarding the closure proposal, noting the comment made by one objector regarding the possibility of a flagship area school covering the Llangadog, Llanwrda and Llansadwrn catchment areas. Sadly the Council have chosen to misinterpret this, by putting out an immediate press release saying that this decision by the Minister will lead to the closure of more small schools as she appears not to favour schools of less than 90. As parents and governors, we do not feel that the Minister’s letter makes this suggestion, but rather that the somewhat petulant response by the Council deliberately ignores the key reason behind the Minister decision, as noted above, and we are certainly not alone in feeling this way.
Inhabitants of rural areas such as Llansadwrn are aware that many village schools are not financially viable and that reorganisation is sometimes inevitable. It is the means by which it is done that is the real issue and it is this issue that needs to be looked at in greater detail to my mind. Were a new area school with improved facilities for all the community be provided for this area, I personally feel that buy in would not in general be an issue, provided that the consultation process was inclusive and open and that such a school was built prior to transfer. Closure of one school for the sake of another alienates neighbouring communities. Closure of both in favour of a new area school on a different site - provided that that brings with it improved facilities - can bring communities together.
Federalization of course is another possibility, although this only really works successfully when the federalized schools are similar in size, otherwise budgetary concerns, particularly under the new formula, will mean the small units will always suffer. Many rural schools already work closely together on an informal basis and this too should be more actively acknowledged and encouraged at a higher level. For example one day every week the pupils at Llansadwrn and Capel Cynfab near Llandovery are taught together and this has proved extremely successful both from an educational and practical perspective.
Innovative and progressive alternatives to school closures are possible but we sadly found that all our suggestions fell on deaf ears during the Llansadwrn consultation process arranged by the LEA. Sadly the LEA have further alienated the inhabitants of Llansadwrn by refusing to acknowledge the weaknesses of their case. More detailed and explicit guidelines need to be produced with regard to such consultation processes and made available to all. Given the strengths of the Minister’s comments regarding the Llansadwrn case, many of us also have serious concerns regarding the validity of the scrutiny procedures within County Councils. Many lessons could be learnt by all following this significant decision by the Minister, and with that in mind, I would be more than happy to discuss any of the above points further and attend a meeting of the Committee if required.
Dr Christine Jones
