Council is urged not to shut any 6th forms as it launches consultation on future

GWYNEDD council has been urged not to shut any of Arfon’s sixth forms as it launches a consultation on the future of post-16 education.

The cabinet approved a review of the current offering and if alternatives to traditional school sixth forms should be implemented in the north of the county.

In Dwyfor and Meirionnydd, with the exception of the Bala area, pupils attend colleges such as Coleg Meirion Dwyfor’s campuses at Dolgellau and Pwllheli.

This has been the case since sixth form classes at schools there were ended 25 years ago.

But urging decision makers not to implement similar measures in Arfon, a spokeswoman for Welsh language pressure group Cymdeithas yr Iaith Gymraeg urged the council to look at e-learning as an alternative, following the lead of neighbouring Ceredigion.

According to Angharad Tomos, using video conferencing technology has widened the number of subjects taught to Years 12 and 13 pupils there.

“At a time when Gwynedd council is complaining about a lack of funding and cutting services, it is simply irresponsible to consider wasting money on a consultation,” she said.

Garem Jackson, head of education, told the cabinet meeting the foundations of Gwynedd’s sixth form provision were 60 years ago and it was time to look at it again.

“I believe that the report shows evidence that there is a case for change,” he said.

“The standards are good, on the whole, but there are too many differences in standards in some key fields: I believe this work will look to strengthen that by working together.

“We need a mature and open discussion to create a foundation that will persist for decades to come, while also ensuring Welsh language provision will be available to learners across the county.”

Officers remain adamant that no decisions have yet been made and are not financially driven.

Current challenges include the fact that only Bangor’s Ysgol Friars has more than 150 pupils across Years 12 and 13 (219).

Numbers at the remaining five schools’ sixth forms vary from 118 at Ysgol Syr Hugh Owen, Caernarfon, to just 56 at Ysgol Dyffryn Ogwen and 79 at Ysgol Tryfan.

The council leader, Dyfrig Siencyn, acknowledged the current situation sees pupils bussed from school to school to attend certain lessons, dependent on which schools in Arfon provide them.

The cabinet report also noted: “Ensuring a broad choice at individual schools, where learner numbers for some subjects are low, is an ongoing challenge.

“As all Arfon secondary schools are allowed to offer a minimum of six core A-Level subjects, some subjects will be held with fewer than nine learners present.

“In 2017/18, 51% of core A-Level subject classes in Arfon had fewer than nine learners.

“Within a year, the percentage of classes with nine or fewer learners has increased substantially.

“In 2018/19, 68% of all core courses have nine or fewer learners, an increase of 17% since 2017/18.”

The proposal to launch the review was approved unanimously, with the department expected to report back by the summer.