School Mergers and Closures

Part of 1. Questions to the Cabinet Secretary for Education – in the Senedd at 2:19 pm on 25 April 2018.

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Photo of Suzy Davies Suzy Davies Conservative 2:19, 25 April 2018

Cabinet Secretary, I know that the future of small rural and semi-rural schools has been a huge issue in your constituency, and it's Councillor Brigitte Rowlands now, who represents the Mawr ward in Swansea, who's facing the same sort of challenges you've had yourself in the past, because there are two schools there that are earmarked for closure—shall I put it that way? I recognise the awkward position that the local authority is in, but I also recognise that a significant number, across Wales now, of our smaller schools have either already gone or are in the process of going, leaving a much smaller number of small schools that have survived the 90-pupil test, if you like. I heard your answers to earlier questions in this session, but do we need to be looking now at tweaks, shall we say, to the 90-pupil count guidance, in effect, to allow for the fact that, sometimes, it's not surplus places that are the priority argument in keeping schools open and there might be other considerations that are more important?