Rally cry to save schools

More than 100 people attended a public meeting in Llanfair Caereinion last night to express their anger over the controversial proposals and to pledge their support to the campaign.

The meeting was organised by Glyn Davies, Conservative spokesman for Montgomeryshire, in response to plans to close schools at Llanidloes, Crickhowell, Gwernyfed, Llanfyllin or Llanfair Caereinion and Llandrindod Wells or Builth Wells.

Sixth forms at every school across the county could also be shut with pupils being sent to the three Colleg Powys sites.

At the meeting, one of a number being held to discuss the plans, Montgomeryshire MP Lembit Opik asked members of the public to use people power by lobbying the council.

He said: "I would urge people to write to Powys County Council to express their views. But write rational letters. I personally don't think we will lose the schools but it's going to be a big test to see who runs the council - the councillors or the officers. If we lose the schools then it will prove that it is the officers who are in charge."

Earlier this month Powys County Council confirmed it would be reviewing secondary education because of falling pupil numbers and spiralling costs. But it has insisted that it is "far too early" for a decision. It now plans to carry out an in-depth review.

Parent Mark Owen, from Llanfair Caereinion, said he would fight tooth and nail to keep the town's school open.

He said: "My children are all at the primary school at the moment but if the school closed I would not be very happy to send them to a super-sized school somewhere else. It would be chaos because the school would be that big."

And Michael Davies, a pupil at Llanfair Caereinion High School, said he would be doing everything in his power to save the school.

He said: "We would never forgive ourselves if we did not do all in our ability to preserve and safeguard this school for future generations to come."

By Anwen Evans