Madam,

This last weekend I represented the community of Abergeirw at the ‘closure ceremony’ of Ysgol y Ganllwyd, where my mother, myself and my daughters received excellent primary education that spans over 75 years in the school’s 112-year history.

The denial of any possibility of the next generation’s attendance is particularly poignant in light of the Assembly’s apparent U-turn last week, regarding the value of small schools such as this, that they have actively denigrated until now.

For the sake of present pupils forced to transfer, I wish every success to the new Ysgol Bro Idris that opens on six sites in September. Anyone serving or wishing to serve on the new governing body should be aware, though, that Gwynedd Council’s re-structuring means that the remaining smaller rural schools will be ‘sites’ and not schools. Further ‘school’ closures won’t be needed, only ‘site’ closures.

If this happens, Gwynedd Council needn’t involve itself in further negative publicity. It will probably come in the form of an apologetic ‘rational’ decision of the new governing body closing a ‘site’ - with no appeal procedures for opponents!

Yours etc,

Gerallt Jones, Abergeirw.

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