Parents to fight school closures

http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/rss/-/1/hi/wales/north_west/7053187.stm

Version 0 of 1.

Parents have reacted angrily to plans to shut 29 primary schools in Wales's biggest closure plan so far.

Gwynedd Council said the changes made the "best use" of resources to maintain standards, with pupil numbers falling.

But there are claims small rural schools and communities are being betrayed, and some parents say they will fight the proposals.

Education authorities across Wales have been tackling the issue of thousands of spare school places.

Under Gwynedd's plans, 29 schools would close, with eight new area schools opening.

The council said part of the reason for the reforms was that pupil numbers had fallen, leaving the county with thousands of empty school places and a drop in funding.

The council also wants to modernise the education system.

Parents say they will protest against any closure plans

Les Jones, chair of governors at Ysgol Baladeulyn in the Nantlle Valley, and who has grandchildren there, said: "We will have to join with other schools under the same threat, and we will fight this all the way and hopefully we will be successful.

"We are naturally very disappointed with these proposals and we are going to fight this all the way."

Parents of its 27 pupils will start a campaign to save it.

"My little boy has special needs and I bring him here because I believe he gets the best education," said Emma Jones, a former pupil.

Another parent, Anna Marie Jones, said she was shocked when she heard of the proposed closure.

"It's shameful that they are even considering this. Four of my girls are pupils here," she said.

Mother-of-two Frances Williams said: "I'm really disappointed. This could kill the village."

A meeting has been arranged on Tuesday by parents.

'Complete meltdown'

Ffred Ffransis, education spokesman for Welsh language pressure group Cymdeithas yr Iaith Gymraeg, said the closures would further isolate rural communities.

"We're all agreed there is excess capacity, not excess schools," he said.

"There's been no suggestion there has been any educational problems, in fact Gwynedd has had some of the best results throughout Wales.

"The assembly government must act quickly or we are going to have a complete meltdown of Welsh-speaking village communities."

Richard Parry Hughes, the leader of Gwynedd Council, defended the proposals.

"We will need to persuade people that the actual value of this plan is for the improved services to children and education for children.

"It's improving the chances for children in life and I think that's the most important thing one can ever do."

The plans could mean 48 schools on 85 sites instead of the current 106.