Campaigners vow to fight school closure
SCHOOL campaigners are refusing to give up the fight despite their village primary facing closure. Anglesey council decided to shut Ysgol Bodffordd, which will now merge with Ysgol Corn Hir as part of a new multi-million pound “super school” in the Llangefni area.
Ysgol Henblas, however, was offered a stay of execution and could stay open as part of a federalisation agreement with the new school.
But, according to campaigners in Bodffordd, who are understood to be considering legal action to challenge the authority, the fight is “far from over”.
Llinos Thomas Roberts said: “We were bitterly disappointed with the executive’s decision, but wish to make it clear that this battle is far from over. We will be taking this further and feel the consultation process has been flawed from the start. This is an urban problem, contained to Llangefni, but we’ve been dragged in unfairly to help solve problems elsewhere.
“The council doesn’t have to close the school. We have over 80 pupils and it is sustainable going forward. There are so many unanswered questions.”
But Cllr Meirion Jones, the authority’s education portfolio holder, said the decision was a difficult one.
“The decision to provide a new primary school in the Llangefni area is not one we have taken lightly,” he said. “However, we have a duty to act in the best interests of Anglesey as a whole.
“If we are to provide education of the highest standards across the whole county, we must make the best possible use of Welsh Government funding.
“Unfortunately, maintaining the status quo just isn’t sustainable.”
He added: “This will help us raise educational standards and protect the Welsh language.”
Cymdeithas yr Iaith Gymraeg, which campaigned to save both Ysgol Bodffordd and Henblas, has urged councillors to “call in” the executive’s decision.
Ffred Ffransis, of the Welsh language pressure group, said: “It’s incredible that the executive favours rushing forward to close the school only a few weeks before a new code comes into force in favour of keeping rural schools open. Ysgol Bodffordd is number one on the list of schools published for that new protection by the Education Secretary.
“The council executive wants to do this contrary to the wishes of parents, contrary to the recommendation of the council’s own scrutiny committee, and without even looking at other options such as creating a school federation.
“We call on councillors who are not on the executive to now ‘call in’ the decision, which means the decision will go back to the scrutiny committee and then for a vote in a full council meeting.”
Cllr Bryan Owen, leader of the opposition Annibynwyr Môn group, said: “The council leadership seems to have an obsession with shutting village schools and building new ones, but don’t seem to care what the local views are. It’s still the same teachers and, if people are happy with their child’s education as it is, we should respect that.”