School closure: Council assessment “not credible”

Cymdeithas yr Iaith in Carmarthenshire have described the County Council’s Language Impact Assessment of closing Ysgol Y Fro Llangyndeyrn “not credible”.

The Council’s Language Impact Assessment – given as an appendix to the consultation Document supporting the proposal to close the school – states that:

“Carmarthenshire County Council foresee an overall positive impact on the Welsh language as a result of this proposal to close Ysgol Y Fro with the transfer of pupils to Ysgol Y Dderwen from the 31st of December 2026”.

The Council’s document estimates that there will be 27 pupils at Ysgol Y Fro in January 2029, and the proposal is that they should be sent to Ysgol Y Dderwen Carmarthen, almost 7 miles away, even though there are currently only 3 empty places available at the school, and the Council admits that it has no legal power to direct children to the Welsh-medium school. The document also recognises that closing Ysgol Y Fro may well threaten the future of the Welsh-Medium Nursery housed in the same building at Llangyndeyrn.

In considering the influence Ysgol Y Fro has in promoting the Welsh language in the local community, the report states:

“Ysgol Y Fro encourage pupils to share and use Welsh with their families at home, helping parents learn alongside them in a natural, engaging way… this approach supports and strengthens the use of Welsh within the community.”

In response Ffred Ffransis commented on behalf of Cymdeithas members in Carmarthenshire: 

“It is not credible for the Council to conclude that the effect will be overall positive on the language of closing a Welsh-medium school, threatening the future of a Welsh-medium Nursery Class, risking driving children out of Welsh-medium education, and  undermining a Welsh-speaking community.”

He continues:

“The report also shows that there are 60+ other children also in the catchment area of Ysgol Y Fro who do not attend the school - some for reasons of work or family ties, but many because of the continues uncertainty about the future of the school and the fact that it is not allowed to accept pupils at three years as are the schools in Carmarthen town. 

“Rural schools are being treated in an inherently unfair way, but it is just not credible that the Council adds to the injustice by claiming that taking away one of the last of the village’s assets will be “positive” for the Welsh language.”

The consultation on the proposal to close Ysgol Y Fro runs until 2nd March, and the Council’s Consultation document can be found here: https://www.carmarthenshire.gov.wales/media/qn3f30mz/ysgol-y-fro-consultation-document.pdf