The achievement of a balanced budget at Llanrhaeadr ym Mochnant Primary School should not be at the expense of educational standards and the school’s dual stream structure, according to Montgomeryshire Assembly Member, Russell George.
Speaking in the National Assembly for Wales this week (Wednesday 30th November), Mr George questioned the Minister for Lifelong Learning and Welsh Language, Alun Davies AM, on the importance of upholding the provision of bilingual education in Powys.
Mr George said:
“In spite of efforts from the Head Teacher and Governors of Llanrhaeadr ym Mochnant Primary School, it appears that it will have to make reductions in staffing from a 5 to a 4 teacher school in order to meet the challenge which has been set by Powys County Council of balancing its budget within three years.
“This could lead to the combination of English and Welsh streams at foundation level, potentially compromising the bilingual status of the school.
“After raising this on the floor if the Senedd, I was pleased that the Minister emphasised the importance of equity in terms of ensuring that pupils are able to access education in the Welsh and English languages equally. It is essential that Powys County Council adopts this principle when putting forward proposals for the provision of Welsh-medium education and bilingual education in the County.
“I applaud the work of my colleague, Cllr. Aled Davies, who has been campaigning to ensure that the achievement of a balanced budget should not be at the expense of educational standards and the school’s dual stream structure."
Cllr. Aled Davies, County Councillor for Llanrhaeadr Ym Mochnant & Llansilin added:
“Powys County Council must ensure that the funding formula delivers adequate funding and resources to maintain a bilingual school of this size.
"The standard of education delivered at Llanrhaeadr YM school is very good and the parents and governors are rightly proud of their school, but the education of children in Llanrhaeadr could be damaged and the delivery of Welsh medium education will be further compromised if a solution is not found.”
ENDS
Please find below the record of proceedings from Wednesday's plenary meeting at the National Assembly for Wales during which Russell George AM raised the issue of bilingual education in Powys with the Minister for Lifelong Learning and the Welsh Language, Aled Davies AM.
Russell George
4. Will the Minister make a statement on the Welsh Government's support for bilingual primary schools in mid Wales?
Alun Davies
Presiding Officer, prior to answering this question I would like to put on record an interest in this matter, in that I have a child attending a Welsh-medium primary school in mid Wales.
The national strategy for small and rural schools will provide support for schools to work together as well as a £2.5 million grant. This will support Welsh-medium and bilingual primary schools to work together and to share good practice. This will strengthen local authority Welsh in education strategic plans.
Russell George
Thank you, Minister, for your answer. In spite of efforts from the headteacher and governors of Llanrhaeadr-ym-Mochnant Primary School in my constituency, in order for them to achieve a balanced budget, they may have to make reductions in staffing from five to four teachers. In doing that, this will lead to the combination of English and Welsh infant streams in the afternoons, compromising, of course, their bilingual status as a school. Do you recognise the higher cost that small rural dual-stream schools face, and what do you think is a solution in ensuring that bilingual schools are not compromised?
Alun Davies
Many of the matters the Member has referred to in his question are, of course, matters for the local authority rather than matters for us here. But let me make a more general point in response—I think the general point does deserve a fuller response than that.
You’ll be aware that the Cabinet Secretary made a very comprehensive statement to the Chamber on the issue of rural schools. She emphasised, at that point, the importance of equity, which she has again referred to this afternoon, in terms of ensuring that people are able to access education in the Welsh and English languages equally. We continue to wish to ensure that rural schools and schools across the whole of Wales have the right framework available to them, plus the resources, to ensure that they are able to offer those educational opportunities. I will also repeat what I’ve said on previous occasions in this place—that we are anticipating the Welsh-medium strategic plans to be provided to us next month, and I will be taking a great interest in what all local authorities are proposing over the next strategic planning period.