Schools fight on against closure (From Western Telegraph)

Schools fight on against closure

TWO North Pembrokeshire village schools condemned to closure by the National Assembly are not taking the decision lying down.

Dinas and Moylegrove schools had appealed to the Assembly against Pembrokeshire County Councils decision to close them. But, their appeals were rejected last week by Education Minister, Jane Davidson. Parents and governors at Moylegrove School are taking legal advice about their next step and are thought to be considering applying for judicial review.

School governor, Jonathan Guest, said the decision showed how little the Assembly cared about the preservation and encouragement of the Welsh language and local democracy.

He said the county council had refused to take seriously an alternative proposal prepared by the school which would have placed it at the centre of a network of sustainable activities at village level.

Michelle Rooks-Bartram, chairwoman of governors at Dinas, said the idea of setting up as an independent community school was being considered.

The leader of Pembrokeshire County Council, Councillor Maurice Hughes, said the authority welcomed the decision of the Assembly Minister and believes it is in the best interests of the children.

Nick Bourne, Conservative AM for Mid and West Wales, criticised Mrs Davidsons decision, saying it was based on cost and not quality of education.

He said: Dinas Cross and Moylegrove are at the centre of very strong communities. To allow their closure will tear the hearts out of these communities and fly completely in the face of the Governments stated aims. This decision is particularly senseless, given that they are Welsh language schools. At a time when efforts are being made to promote the language, a decision to close Welsh language schools cannot be justified.

In a joint statement, Labour AMs Richard Edwards (Preseli Pembrokeshire) and Delyth Evans (Mid and West Wales), said the decision was a hammer blow to the parents, school governors and communities of Moylegrove and Dinas.

They said: The council may have followed the letter of the law but parents and the wider community clearly believe that the spirit of the law was disregarded in terms of any meaningful consultation.

However, they added that they accepted Mrs Davidsons decision which they stressed was made on the independent advice of professional educationalists.

Welsh language pressure group, Cymdeithas yr Iaith, have called on the Liberal Democrats to pull out of the Assembly coalition government in response to the move. They have warned that any party campaigning on a policy of supporting village schools at the next election would sweep the board in Pembrokeshire.