This morning (Mon 14/05/07), Carmarthenshire County Council will be announcing a plan to take out two more Welsh-medium Village Schools – Llanarthne and Llansawel.

The Education Officers have placed before the Executive Board a long-winded report (which should demand well over two minutes’ consideration!) trying to explain why their schedule of proposed school closures (contained in the MEP) has slipped so much. They also ask for permission to begin the dreaded 'consultations' over the future of 2 more village schools – Llanarthne and Llansawel.The majority of Village Schools originally scheduled for 'consultation' during the coming year have been dropped from the list. The Council is also in the embarrassing position of having to re-open its consultation over the future of Ysgol Llansadwrn this year as it could not complete it last year ! In a message being distributed to campaigners for village schools throughout the county, Cymdeithas Education Spokesperson, Ffred Ffransis, says:"There will be a massive sigh of relief from Bancffosfelen and all the other schools originally scheduled for the dreaded consultation this year. Let that relief re-invigorate the campaigns for the future of the schools, the children and the communities. The lessons are crystal clear for all those campaigning.""Firstly that all the opposition has created real difficulties for the Council and has forced them to postpone many of their plans. Secondly, however, the lesson is that we must keep up the pressure and call them to account for their fraudulent claim to be consulting genuinely over the future of the schools.""Today's announcement is evidence of further fraud and that they have not the slightest intention of listening to anything said during consultation because:* Education Officers have already told governors at Llanarthne that there will be consultations this year over the future of the school even though the Executive Board have not yet discussed the matter.* the Council have seized an opportunity to attack Ysgol Llanarthne in the wake of the departure of the Head to another post.* the Council have seized the opportunity to attack Ysgol Llansawel as it is in the middle of an Inspection and the Governors will not have therefore the time to properly prepare their opposition to closure plans.* many parents and governors in Llansawel, Caio and Rhydcymerau have expressed an interest in forming a federated or multi-site school as an alternative to closure. By discussing the future of just one of the schools in isolation to the others, the Council hope to make the development of such a viable alternative more difficult."Mr Ffransis concludes:"The Council is still at its old tricks. They have no intention of listening nor consulting honestly over the future of our schools. That's why we renew our call for those concerned over the future of our Village Schools to come to the County Council's Unit at the Urdd Eisteddfod Field at Carmarthen at 12.00 Bank Holiday Monday 28th May where we shall be putting the chief officers and council leaders on trial for their fraud in this matter."CYMDEITHAS HITS BACK AT ACCUSATION OF 'PLAYING POLITICS'Cymdeithas yr Iaith have hit back at the accusation made by today by the leader of Carmarthenshire County Council that the Society was 'playing politics with the future of the children’s education' by opposing the mass closures of village schools. Coun Meryl Gravell made the accusation at a meeting of the Council’s Executive Board today which agreed within a couple of minutes to begin consultations about the future of 2 more village schools in the county. Coun Gravell was obviously referring to the call made by Cymdeithas for a vote against Labour in the Assembly election as Labour are a partner in the ruling coalition on Carmarthenshire County Council which is waging a war on village schools and a Labour Minister of Education has rejected every appeal against closure.In response, Cymdeithas spokesperson on education, Ffred Ffransis said :"It is those who are trying to close the children’s schools for the bureaucratic convenience of County Hall who are playing politics with their education. Another example of playing politics is the cruel fraud of a consultation process whereby the Council claims to be consulting about the future of schools when it has already planned to sell them off. Coun Gravell will however have a fair chance to put her case at the Fraud trial being held at the Council’s unit on the Urdd Eisteddfod field in Carmarthen on May 28th."'Gêm wleidyddol': Ffrae addysg - Newyddion BBC Arlein, 14/05/07School closure critics under fire - BBC Wales News, 14/05/07