18-06-07
The village of Oakdale is well known to many in Wales as the former home of the Miners' Institute or 'Stute' which was moved to the Museum of Welsh Life at Saint Fagans. Well, this village, which is also famous for its brass band, has notched up another important claim.
For here in Oakdale Caerphilly County's newest Welsh medium school will open in September 2007. The latest Welsh medium school in the county and the first Welsh medium school in the Sirhowy Valley in the electorate of Bedwellty. There'll be just one class this year under the supervision of Ysgol Gymraeg Trelyn, where children from the village go at the moment. Then, in September of 2008 it is hoped it will become a Welsh medium school in its own right with the ability to grow to its full potential.
The school is being opened to satisfy growing demand for Welsh medium education in the Blackwood area. Local parents have been campaigning hard since before Christmas. In fact, they were campaigning from the moment they knew there would not be enough space for all their children in Ysgol Gymraeg Trelyn. Trelyn can take a maximum of 27 children a year but there were 38 names down to attend - even before Christmas. What's more, there was concern there might not even be enough room in the reception class for all the children who had already started in the nursery. Parents who just send
their children to the local school have no idea of the anxiety this kind of problem can cause.
These dedicated parents are to be congratulated for the way they went about holding a public meeting, writing to councillors, members of Parliament, members of the Assembly
and contacting the press and the Welsh Minister for Education. The local authority came up with the solution of yet another temporary classroom at Trelyn, but that would have been unsatisfactory for a number of reasons.
So what will this new school be called? Ysgol Gymraeg Cwm Sirhywi? Ysgol Gymraeg Oakdale, or what about a Welsh name for Oakdale - something like Ystrad Derw... Let's hope not! Or what about commemorating a couple of poets from the valley, like Ysgol Islwyn or Ysgol Aneurin? Perhaps calling it a "bro" or "community" school would be better than a simple Ysgol Gymraeg, like Bro Sannan and Bro Allta, bearing in mind it would clearly be serving its local community. Calling it Ysgol Bro Islwyn would both commemorate the poet and the parish name of Mynyddislwyn. Or maybe they should keep its present name: carved on the façade are the words "Rhiw Syr Dafydd, Council School, 1908"
That would leave one important question, however. Who was Syr Dafydd?
d