AT-RISK SCHOOL 'HEART OF COMMUNITY'

15 August 2005

Parents have warned that the closure of a village school would rip the heart out of their community. Swansea Council is shutting Ysgol Gynradd Gymraeg Garnswllt as part of a big education shake-up.

The decision was made on council estimates showing there would be just seven pupils at the school in May.

But actual figures for the September term have more than doubled, with around 15 children expected at the school by Christmas.Parent and chairman of the board of governors Gareth Davies said the school should be given a second chance.

"There are no shops in the village, no library, no pub. All we have is the school and a post office.

"People with young families will not move here if there is not a school for their children. The population is already ageing and closing Garnswllt school will make things worse."

Mr Davies said councillors should admit they had made a mistake and look at the school's future again.

He said: "What I'm most annoyed about is that there has never been another option offered for the school.

"The Assembly says every avenue needs to be exhausted before closure is considered. The only option they have come out with is closure.

"We would like to see the school federated, at least for a couple of years to see what happens."

That would mean keeping the school open and merging with another. There would be one head teacher looking after two separate schools.

"It would be a cost-saving measure and we could see how pupil numbers were after that."

Parents are already planning to lodge formal opposition to closure, automatically triggering a review of the decision by the Welsh Assembly Government.

Cabinet education portfolio holder Mike Day said pupils from Garnswllt would move to either YGG Bryniago or YGG Felindre.

Mr Day insisted: "The number of pupils who are expected to attend the school from September makes its future unviable."