Powys councillor calls for unity over school language move
A councillor has written to parents in an effort to unity a community over any future changes in language at a Powys school.
Chairman of School Governors and Glantwymyn County Councillor Elwyn Vaughan said proposals for Machynlleth’s Ysgol Bro Hyddgen will not affect pupils already being taught there.
Earlier this month, Powys County Council’s Cabinet approved a decision to start the consultation process that could see it become a Welsh medium school.
Machynlleth County Councillor, Mike Williams had told the meeting that some parents feared this change, and could look to take their children to be taught elsewhere.
At that meeting, education officer Marianne Evans had also explained that if this is all agreed, Welsh medium only education would start in 2022 with the reception class.
Every new reception class would then be taught in Welsh which would eventually build it up into a full Welsh medium school.
Bilingual education
Plaid Cymru group leader Cllr Vaughan, said: “The consultation is one of many throughout Powys following a severely critical Estyn inspection report of many aspects of education in the County which highlighted the need for fundamental action especially in relation to ALN (Additional Learning Needs) Welsh medium and bilingual education and Post 16.
“Doing nothing was not an option. Any changes in the school resulting from the consultation will not affect anyone that’s already in the school and anyone who suggests otherwise is misinformed.”
Councillor Vaughan added that becoming a Welsh medium school would see the pupils become fully bilingual.
He also pointed to nearby schools in where the practice is normal, such as Carno, Llanbrynmair, and Glantwymyn in Powys, and nearby Corris, Dolgellau, Dysynni, and Barmouth in Gwynedd.
He added that he understood that similar changes had been done “successfully” in Ceredigion.
Investment
Councillor Vaughan added that the issues about the consultation had taken the lustre away from the Welsh Government’s decision to support investment worth £48 million for new school buildings at Bro Hyddgen, and a leisure centre for the tow
“Rather than be negative, let’s be united as a area and make the most of this investment in the future which will be the envy of many communities and benefit all our young people,” he added.
Increasing the number of Welsh medium schools is a cornerstone of the Strategy for Improving Education in Powys.
Machynlleth and the surrounding Dyfi Valley is a strong Welsh speaking area, and figures show that out of a total of 477 pupils at Bro Hyddgen, 332 are educated in Welsh and 145 in English.
The consultation is expected to start in December.
