NEW TALKS ON SHAKE-UP OF CITY SCHOOLS

South Wales Evening Post - 4 April 2006

Education bosses will begin talks with head teachers next month over the proposed shake-up of schools in Swansea. Council officers have been reviewing their plans after a controversial scheme to merge Bishop Gore and Dylan Thomas comprehensive schools was dropped.

The authority wants to introduce a massive change to the school system as a way of dealing with surplus places.

Education chiefs claim the extra spaces are a waste of money and resources.

The initial plan had been to close Dylan Thomas and transfer pupils to the Bishop Gore site, spending millions on the school to accommodate the extra numbers.

But the idea was shelved at the end of last year after it was deemed too disruptive to pupils' education.

It had faced massive opposition from parents, teachers and children from the two schools, who feared it would have serious repercussions on their lessons.

But despite the U-turn, Councillor Mike Day, the cabinet member for education, has insisted there is still a problem with falling pupil numbers - a problem that is leaving desks empty across the county.

"We have been reviewing what has come out of our talks with all parties since Christmas," he added.

"The consultation is still ongoing.

"Unfortunately, the problem of surplus places in our schools has not gone away and we need to find a way of dealing with it."