Fight Continues to Save Village School

Campaigners against the closure of YGG Rhiwfawr today met with their local AM.

Neath Port Talbot Council have proposed the closure of the village school as part of its ongoing School Reorganisation Strategy. Pupils would be transferred to YGG Cwmllynfell.

Teachers, parents and pupils met Gwenda Thomas, AM for Neath to present a petition against closure and express their concerns.

Local parent Ruth Evans said “This is a fabulous school that has recorded consistently outstanding inspection results. I can’t see how closure can possibly benefit the children of Rhiwfawr.”

“The closure of this school will also have a devastating effect on the village. I know many families who have moved here specifically to bring up their children. Without the school here we will, without doubt, see the population figures go into terminal decline.”

Lisa Morgan, a teacher at the school, expressed concerns at the safety implications of the closure.

“To get to YGG Cwmllynfell from Rhiwfawr you have to walk a long stretch of narrow unpavemented road, frequently used by HGVs from the local quarry. The Council have admitted that this would be an unsafe route to school.”

“They’ve offered to lay on buses at the start and end of the school day but what about children going to school late or half-day nursery pupils? This is an incredibly dangerous road for pedestrians and the risk of a serious accident is very real.”

Gwenda Thomas said: “Yet again it seems that the burden of school closures is disproportionately falling on small rural communities that already face significant problems. I am afraid that any small savings made by closing this and other rural schools will be vastly outweighed by the social and economic problems that will follow as a direct result of closure.”

“I would encourage all the parents and residents of Rhiwfawr to contact the Local Authority to express their concerns. I hope that Neath Port Talbot’s councillors will look carefully at the possible repercussions of their decisions while there is still time.”