THE AGENDAS for the next Cabinet meeting of Ceredigion Council on Tuesday morning (3 September), which asks them to give the authority’s officials permission to start a formal consultation process on proposals to close four of the county’s Welsh-medium rural schools, have been published on the Council’s website.
The schools under threat are Ysgol Llangwyryfon, Ysgol Llanfihangel-y-Creuddyn, Ysgol Syr John Rhys and Ysgol Craig yr Wylfa. The four schools are designated as those subject to a presumption in favour of their maintenance on the Welsh Government’s School Organisation Code.
Cymdeithas yr Iaith have announced that if the Cabinet votes for such a consultation, they would immediately submit a complaint to the Minister for Education that the Council is not fulfilling its educational duties and is going against the School Organisation Code.
As a result of a similar complaint in 2019, Ynys Mon Council had to stop the process of trying to close two primary schools in the county.
On behalf of the Cymdeithas yr Iaith Education Group, Ffred Ffransis explained: “Not only are Ceredigion Council intent on undermining a number of Welsh-speaking communities and emptying them of younger families, but the whole process is also completely contrary to the presumption in favour of maintaining rural schools which is an essential part of the 2018 edition of the Schools Organisation Code.
“Ceredigion have looked at these schools in the context of trying to make immediate savings to their budget, and have therefore adopted a practical presumption against maintaining the schools, which are being asked to justify their existence despite their academic success.
“Furthermore, the Government Code insists that all other options must be considered while proposals are still at a formative stage – that is before a proposal is made. Yet the officials are proposing going to a statutory consultation on their established option and invite comments on other options during statutory consultation.
“If the Minister allowed Ceredigion to get away with this blatant disregard of the principle of presumption in favour of rural schools, then the whole government policy would be discredited.”
Mr Ffransis added: “Cymdeithas yr Iaith advised Ceredigion’s officials at the start of their deliberations early in the summer that they were risking breaking the Code, and we suggested an open discussion would be much better with all stakeholders.
“Our request was for a meeting with them in order to discuss the options. A polite reply was received back in June saying they wanted to consider the matter but, since then, there have been no answers to our requests.
“We would have preferred to have these issues discussed openly, seeking an agreement on the way forward, but the officials have insisted on proceeding with a consultation for their negative proposal to close schools.
“We appeal to Cabinet members to reject the recommendation and their path to confrontation with local communities, but rather insist on an open discussion with no threats of closure casting a shadow over such discussions.”
