Pontius Pilot rules supreme in Carmarthenshire

Campaigners to keep the small rural school of Mynyddygarreg are celebrating after a decision made following an executive Board meeting opted to delay the decision and review its schools modernisation programme.

The decision has been welcomed by campaigners who say they are delighted but others have warned that this is nothing more than an act Pontius Pilot would be proud of in the light of local elections in May. The cynics amongst you might just conclude that the decision to delay is as fishy as a dead cockle at low tide. Would those parties risk the loss of a councillor in May, which might just rock the balance of power in the administration, which by the way yields a handsome wage for those in the expensively renovated offices at County Hall. Surely not. This is about our children’s future not political points scoring I hear you cry. 

They may have a point but the issue facing Ysgol Mynyddygarreg now is that children will be at a disadvantage in relation to the council’s mantra of ‘fit for purpose 21st Century Schools’.

As bulldozers move onto a property development site a stone’s throw away to build luxury family homes, the school sits high on the mountain looking shabby and dejected. The saving grace is the warmth of the community, the dedication of the school staff and the support of the parents and PTA.

A programme aired on TV recently showing a social experiment where children and staff from a ‘posh’ school and children and staff from a ‘state’ school exchanged places for a week. It was an eye opener for all concerned and ended with the age old realisation that if you invest in children and invest in buildings like schools then you produce successful adults.

One boy from the state school, despite his unruly behaviour made it clear that it was the posh school for him. Astonishingly he was offered a funded place and lived happily ever after.

That fairytale ending is within the reach of all the children in Mynyddygarreg and the other smalls schools threatened with the axe across Wales.

The Welsh Government will tell you that it is not their decision to make and the council in Carmarthenshire will tell you it is there decision to make if they are in power or if they are elected next time round. The school and the children and the community have become nothing more than a political football, which will yield goals for whichever local councillor or councillors who promise to save the school. Said councillors belong to a party and that may not align with that parties plans. That same party may have bitterly opposed school closure when in opposition. You see it really is not as straight forward as it seems.

Today’s decision to delay, wash hands, step sideways or whatever you wish to call it is one which can be reversed at the flick of a CEO’s pen given the way that our local democracy works. If you really want to know how it works just ask your local councillor what decision making powers they have and then if you are lucky enough to get an audience with the CEO of your county council ask them the same question. In short if you want a license to sell alcohol your councillor has some power. For all else see CEO.

It begs the question ‘what is the point of having elected representatives’. That is one for another day.

The issue facing Ysgol Mynyddygarreg now is a lack of investment with growing numbers of families potentially moving in to those new homes. As a matter of urgency councillors and officers need to visit the school and assess what investment is needed to give those children the 21st century education they love sound biting so much. There are a few quick fixes here. Lower the age to three years so that the children from the Cylch are included in the numbers at the school and begin modifying the school or provide a modular building which has the all singing and all dancing 21st century provisions whatever they may be aside from the obvious which actually does provide a 21st century education, the teaching staff.

The local elections take place in May. There may be another 4 to 6 months before the cabinet are faced with another meeting to decide the fate of the schools. Conservatively we could say that the school at Mynyddygarreg would be open for at least another two winters. This year saw rainwater falling into the building. The school yard is uneven tarmac, the exterior wall is crumbling and the road outside the school is riddled with potholes. The whole place needs a makeover and the staff and children deserve better. Not better in a new school on the other side of a busy bypass but better in the heart of this famous and historic Welsh village which offers so much of the items on the wish list of those policies so readily pushed down our throats by national and local government.

I will hand the last words to Ffred Ffransis who says:

“The decision of the officers was to close as shown by their report. The decision of the Cabinet is to review the whole MEP which has placed an unbearable strain on dozens of rural schools since 2005 as they have been under threat of closure.

“Ysgol Mynyddygarreg has had to battle “with its hands tied behind its back”. The Council has not allowed them to accept children aged 3 years. Today the council passed that Ysgol Swiss Valley should now accept children at 3 years “to equalise provision in the Llanelli ” area. The same principle should apply to the Kidwelly area.

“There is also the issue of not allowing capital funding from the central government’s 21st century schools fund for any small schools. Carmarthenshire did not apply for the money desperately needed for Ysgol Mynyddygarreg because it thought Central Government would not allow capital funding for small schools – on the basis that they haven’t so far.

“It is Catch-22 and the Education Minister has to sort it out and establish that rural communities too deserve their share of investment. Investing in Ysgol Mynyddygarreg would add just 5% to the total investment for the Kidwelly area.”