‘Distorted’ evidence claim in battle
Campaigners claim education chiefs have cherry-picked evidence to make a case for school closures. RICHARD YOULE reports
CAMPAIGNERS have claimed that a council report about school closures has “cherry-picked” and “distorted” evidence, which they reckon could affect the decision-making process.
A small group of them put their concerns about Craigcefnparc Primary School to Swansea education leaders at a scrutiny meeting, three days before cabinet decides whether to issue a statutory notice to close the school next August.
The education leaders disputed the assertion but welcomed the campaigners’ questions – and said the Swansea Valley school was losing pupils and had been struggling to improve for years.
One man said he expected the 200page report going before cabinet tomorrow would be “a reasonable, balanced and just document”, but he felt it was “anything but”.
He added: “It’s totally biased towards the aim of closing the school.
“The points have been cherrypicked, and even in some cases distorted.
“How can we ensure that our voices are being heard?”
A woman said the school had not been given sufficient time to reverse falling pupil numbers, which stand at 49, and that the ongoing uncertainty over its future was exacerbating the situation.
“There are prospects for us to have bigger (pupil) numbers,” she said.
But Brian Roles, the council’s head of education, planning and resources, said: “The fundamental issue is the number of pupils leaving the school in the high age groups compared to the number entering intake years.”
Citing a low birth rate for the ward in which the school is located, councillor Jennifer Raynor, cabinet member for education improvement, learning and skills, said “it is difficult to see where these children will come from” to bolster pupil numbers.
Helen Morgan-rees, the council’s head of achievements and partnerships, said the council had ploughed an extra £110,000 of funding into Craigcefnparc primary over the past four or five years to try to improve it.
The school is in a provisional amber category under a Welsh Government categorisation, meaning in need of improvement.
Campaigners said this status was
It is difficult to see where these children will come from (to bolster pupil numbers at Craigcefnparc primary)
- Jennifer Raynor
embargoed, and therefore should not have factored in discussions.
Ms Morgan-rees said its provisional status was “pertinent to any decision the cabinet makes”.
Referring to changes in leadership at the school, Ms Morgan-rees said: “We understand it has been a turbulent time.”
But she said the school “is in need of urgent improvement”, and added: “We have given every lifeline to recover the difficult the position that the school has found itself in.”