Cymdeithas yr Iaith have demanded that Assembly Education Minister, Jane Davidson, meets a deputation from the society and concerned parents and governors of village schools in carmarthenshire to discuss the failure of National Assembly guidelines to protect the schools.

Cymdeithas are demanding to know why the people of Carmarthenshire are nor being given the same democratic right to discuss the strategy for local schools as is being given to the people of Cardiff.Cymdeithas point out to Jane Davidson that Cardiff have also this month announced plans to centralise education and close schools but that, unlike Carmarthenshire, they intend to put the whole strategy out to public consultation until July before moving ahead with plans for individual schools. Cymdeithas Dyfed Field Officer, Angharad Clwyd said:"Unlike Cardiff, Carmarthenshire County Council are determined to press ahead until their mad dash to close schools with no consultation about the overall strategy. They will only consult at the final step when they are about to close an individual school and are required to discuss the matter by law. By then, it is normally too late.""Cymdeithas demand that Jane Davidson meets the concerned parents and governors of Carmarthenshire to explain why she is allowing such a disregard for democracy. Her excuses in her correspondence with us, for avoiding a meeting are totally disingenuous. She claims that Carmarthenshire's MEP is based on an old document from 2001 which went out to minimal consultation. We contend that the MEP - launched cynically in late 2004 just after the elections - represents a quantum leap from the old 2001 document and that the strategy of mass closures has never been the subject of county-wide debate.""We also reject her incredible claim that she cannot meet the people of Carmarthenshire as she will have to adjudicate in the future on the future of the schools. What kind of judge comes to a decision without listening to the evidence and meeting the people involved.""If she refuses our final request for a meeting, it will be a slap in the face for dozens of concerned communities in Carmarthenshire."Call for schools talks before cuts - Western Mail, 11 Ebrill 2006