1-09-07
IF CARDIFF Council were to receive an end of term academic report, it would read something like this: "has shown promise over the last 12 months but perseverance is needed in order to ensure success. Improvement needed in a number of areas. "
In September, the local authority intends establish four Welsh medium seedling classes in primary schools. These classes are needed to meet the growing demand for Welsh medium education across the capital. It has to be said the classes would not have been RhAG’s first choice had there been careful, proactive planning. In fairness to the council, the increase in demand has been without precedent: a near 20% rise in one year. There are still many issues of concern in the proposed plans. The classes will be situated, for the first two years at least, in English medium schools even though the pastoral responsibility for the classes will be with the heads of the nearest 4 Welsh medium schools. Some parents have already opposed one of the classes because of worries about the location and resources. It is essential that the council addresses these concerns positively.
Cardiff RhAG’s main concern is that the classes could remain stuck where they are longer than two years. The council’s intention is that the classes will turn into fully fledged primary schools in their own right as soon as possible. Indeed, the council has no statutory right to maintain these classes for more than two years without establishing them as full primary schools. However, this does not offer the assurance that as schools in their own right they will get their own site after the two year period.
Cardiff RHAG has asked for confirmation that the classes will not remain for more than two years within English medium environments. The Council maintains that it is not possible to establish new schools before addressing the overall surplus places issue (within English medium schools). This means that Welsh medium schools will not be able to be established until the Council announces, consults and implements plans to reorganize the English medium primary sector. Such reorganization would make closure of a number of English medium schools unavoidable. The real concern is that this process will take much longer than two years. It should also be remembered that decisions will be further impaired to a degree by local elections next year.
The council and Cardiff RHAG both want to see four new Welsh medium primary schools. The hope is that this will create Welsh medium schools located centrally within their communities. RHAG’s role has been vital to the process and we have attended a number of meetings with council officers over the last few years. Tribute should be paid especially to Michael Jones for his commitment, perspicacity and perseverance in his attempts to persuade the authority of the need to plan
ahead.
Hywel James, RhAG Caerdydd
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