School Closures Must Be Measured (Kirsty Williams AM )

Cymraeg
English

Kirsty Williams AM <info@kirstywilliams.org.uk>

School Closures Must Be Measured

September 27, 2007 3:00 PM

"School Closures must be more widely consulted on and the socio-economic impacts on the community must also be considered" said Kirsty Williams, Welsh Liberal Democrat spokesperson for Education.

The Lib Dems will tomorrow submit proposals to the Assembly for improved legislation on School Closures.

"We are proposing this measure as a result of the first hand experiences across our constituencies, at a time when local authorities throughout Wales are looking at a reorganisation of their education provisions. We have been repeatedly concerned that councils all too often look predominantly at costs when making these considerations and automatically leap to closure rather than looking at more imaginative and effective alternatives.

"As a representative of a rural constituency, where falling rolls have lead to proposals for closure in numerous small schools in Powys I am convinced that closures should be justified on educational grounds and not on the anticipated savings which rarely meet expectation .

"In Rural and Urban areas alike the local school has a huge impact upon the wellbeing and livelihood of its surrounding community, affecting its social makeup and its economic activity.

"For this reason our measure would require local authorities to consider both the impact upon the community of closure and the uses to which a closed school building could be put.

"We have heard the frustrated voices of parents and local stakeholders who feel that they are not being listened to by local authorities or having input into the decision making process. Their knowledge of local needs often makes them well placed to put forward viable alternatives.

"Our measure would require local authorities to consult with all education professionals, those representing local communities and parents and pupils affected, including those at all nearby schools.

"We have found that mergers between infant and junior into single primary schools have to go through the same process as a school that is being closed, such red tape and bureaucracy over-complicates and there is a strong need for a simplified process.

"The measure would therefore create a new category of 'amalgamation' alongside that of closure to facilitate genuine mergers between schools avoiding some of the steps required for a full closure.

"Parents and children alike should be given access and choice to the best education possible and for this to happen local authorities must work more imaginatively with local communities for positive alternatives to closure. Our measure seeks to enable them to do that."

Notes:

Friday sees the deadline for tabling Member's proposed Measures whereby their name is drawn from a ballot by the Presiding Officer 'from time to time'.

Ends/diwedd