SOME time in late February or early March, our county councillors will be asked to countenance the launching of the third – or is it the fourth? – public consultation on the council’s proposed secondary schools re-organisation proposals for Haverfordwest.

The council’s lead team consisting of the Leader, Cllr Jamie Adams, the Director of Education, Mrs Kate Evan- Hughes and Cabinet Member for Education, Cllr Mrs Sue Perkins, frequently remind us that their responsibility is the educational advancement of our children.

Less frequently they inform us that their success rate to date is to have our county languish in 16th place in a rating table of 22 authorities.

As they have been together for 29 months, they must be happy not to be football club managers!

Surely Pembrokeshire’s children are as bright as those of any other county.

Equally, their teachers are as good as those in any other county.

Is it possible that our poor position is caused by the deprivation of resources?

Is it possible that this is caused by the unhealthy eagerness of the leading team mentioned above to relinquish responsibility for our post-16 students?

The following statements drawn from the council’s financial forecast for the coming year serves to prove that my belief is well founded: “School balances have reduced over the past four years with an increasing number of secondary schools in deficit or anticipated to be in deficit by the end of 2015, and having to face significant challenges to recover these deficits.

“The consequential borrowing costs relating to unsupported borrowing will need to be factored into the business case for secondary/special education reorganisation, including an appropriate top slice from existing individual schools budgets.

“Individual schools budget cost will be reduced by £1,877,000 next financial Year.”

How can schools survive, let alone advance, under such restraints?

The truth is that our councillors are being asked to continue sacrificing good standards for our present pupils in the hope that it will benefit Pembrokeshire College and the pupils of the future.

We must hope that they will see sense, even at this late stage and stop punishing our present pupils in this way.

With the wishes of St Davids and Fishguard accommodated, and in the knowledge that a Welsh school will be built, to begin to halt the decline by building a state of the art 11 to 19 school in Haverfordwest and directing our money towards better resources to all our secondary schools.

PETER LEWIS

Haverfordwest