Montgomeryshire Assembly Member, Russell George, has again raised the plight of a Welsh-medium school facing closure with the Welsh Education Minister.
Mr George asked the Minister, Leighton Andrews AM, to provide Assembly Members with an update regarding his department’s assessment of Powys local authority’s Welsh in Education Strategic Plan for 2013-2014. He went on to raise the concerns of parents, pupils and teachers associated with Ysgol Carno, who are fighting to keep the school open, despite proposals by Powys Council who want to close the school.
Mr Andrews said that his officials had provided feedback to the local authority on its strategic plan and they were in the process of arranging a meeting to discuss the feedback in more detail.
Commenting, Mr George said:
"In rural areas, good, local Welsh-medium education contributes to the maintenance and growth not just of the language but of the community as well.
"The community in Carno believe that the authority’s proposals to close its school go fundamentally against its own strategic plan.
"Projected pupil numbers for Ysgol Carno are positive and I very much hope that Powys County Council will respond positively to the large number of correspondence I know they have received in support of the school’s future."