North Wales Assembly Member Mark Isherwood is concerned by new figures which show that since 1999, 41 schools have been closed in North Wales, with the largest number being in Flintshire.
Newly released figures from the Welsh Government show that in the 18 years since devolution, Flintshire has closed 10 schools, Gwynedd 9, Conwy 7, Wrexham 6, Anglesey 5, and Denbighshire 4.
Meanwhile, across the whole of Wales, 227 local authority maintained schools have been closed since 1999, with rural areas worst affected.
Mr Isherwood said:
“When I called on the Welsh Government to respond to concerns that Flintshire County Council was using old and inaccurate data and acting in breach of the School Organisation Code in respect of school closures, the previous Education Minister said, ‘I can’t comment in terms of the School Organisation Code and the guidance, because, of course, this may come before Welsh Ministers’. Of course, in the context of small and rural schools such as Ysgol Llanfynydd and Ysgol Maes Edwin, that hadn’t been the case since 2013.”
“Small and rural schools can provide real academic, cultural and social benefits, but time and time again this has been overlooked and schools have been closed against the wishes of pupils, parents and staff.
“It is extremely sad that we have lost so many great schools since devolution and as a North Wales AM I am particularly concerned that we have lost 41 in North Wales.
“Too many good schools have closed their doors due to the policies of successive Labour Welsh Governments and it is our rural areas that have been hit hardest.
“No good school that is able to deliver the national curriculum should be forced to close without the agreement of parents, teachers and governors.”
ENDS