A CALL for common sense “instead of sentiment” has been made during an emotive discussion about the potential closure of four schools by a former Carmarthenshire cabinet member.
Cllr Peter Hughes Griffiths said declining pupil numbers were a reality and that in his view the council, which runs schools, had to accept this and adapt.
But another councillor, Jean Lewis, said closing a school in her ward would “accelerate the deterioration of a rural area”.
The Plaid-Independent-led authority is proposing to close Ysgol Llansteffan, Llansteffan, at the end of August 2026 and Ysgol Y Fro, near Kidwelly, Ysgol Meidrim, west of Carmarthen, and Ysgol Pontiets, Pontyates, at the end of December 2026 although no final decisions have been made.
Speaking at a scrutiny committee meeting, Cllr Hughes Griffiths pointed out that two of the four schools – Ysgol Y Fro and Ysgol Meidrim – had been placed in “special measures” by inspection body Estyn and that in his view it was unfair on staff who had to teach mixed-year group classes in small primaries.
He said such schools lacked funding and sometimes head teachers and that education standards suffered.
He said it was important for the council to consult fairly and work for the benefit for all pupils, and added: “I’m asking for people to use their common sense as well instead of sentiment and accept the situation.”
Cllr Lewis, a fellow member of the education, young people and Welsh language scrutiny committee, questioned the Ysgol Meidrim closure proposal.
She described it as the centre of the village. “Closing the school will accelerate the deterioration of a rural area and Welsh education,” she said.
Cllr Lewis, who is a governor at the school, said it had taken action following the latest Esytn inspection and expected to be taken out of special measures as a result. The school’s financial deficit, she added, was a lot lower than others’.
And, according to Cllr Lewis, the school hadn’t received responses to questions it had submitted in writing to the local authority following an initial meeting a while back. She felt it deserved “more consideration and respect” and proposed delaying the process until the school’s questions had been answered.
Owain Lloyd, the council’s director of education and children’s services, said he didn’t accept Cllr Lewis’ take on the situation. “I feel we have done as much as possible to engage with the school and the community,” he said.
The committee didn’t support Cllr Lewis’ proposal to delay and recommended that cabinet proceeded in due course with a statutory notice to close Ysgol Llansteffan and proceed with formal consultation on the potential closure of the other three.
There will be an opportunity for the public to have their say before any final decisions are made by full council.
Cllr Glynog Davies, cabinet member for education, said the fall in pupil numbers and growth in surplus school places was “getting worse year by year” and that many pupils didn’t attend their local school because their parents placed them elsewhere. “The lack of support is a concern for us,” he said.
Committee members sought reassurances about the capacity of preferred receiving schools to accommodate pupils from the four primaries, should they close, including additional learning needs provision and transport arrangements.
Cllr Hefin Jones, referring to the Ysgol Y Fro proposal, questioned the plan to transfer pupils to Ysgol Y Dderwen as he said it was “a significant distance away” and that other nearby schools had spare capacity. He was advised the council would be listening to the families affected.
The council has said that the four schools were identified as part of a strategy to modernise education in the county which considered factors such as pupil numbers, high surplus places, unsustainable finances and high building renovation costs.
Cllr Martyn Palfreman said everyone involved would have legitimate concerns and anxieties. He said: “None of us want to be here having this conversation.” But he added that “the current situation is unsustainable”.
