Following the decision today by the Executive Committee of Ynys Môn County Council to confirm the closure notice for Ysgol Bodffordd, Cymdeithas yr Iaith have called on Education Minister Kirsty Williams to intervene "to save the credibility" of her strategy to give new hope for rural schools. 

Ffred Ffransis from Cymdeithas yr Iaith said:  

"If it is possible for a local authority to blatantly ignore all statutory guidelines and close a Welsh-medium village school which is full, and, in the process, risk the closure of the only community centre which is part of the building, then no rural schools in Wales are safe. We shall be mourning the loss of yet more Welsh-speaking rural communities. 

He added:  

"In taking this decision, Ynys Môn have ignored the statutory requirements of the old Schools Organiasation Code (2013) let alone the new 2018 version which contains a stronger presumption in favour of rural schools. The Council did not evaluate, as required by the old code, any serious alternatives before proposing closure, and again broke the Code by not evaluating the effect on the community but merely stating that it would "discuss the possibilities" of saving the community centre with the local council. If local authorities are allowed to totally disregard the old Schools Organisation Code, what on earth was the point in Kirsty Williams spending two years drawing up and now publishing a new version of the Code? If she does not take action now to save the credibility of her rural schools strategy, it will have been a futile exercise."