'Mr. Forgetful' forgot to tell voters about 17 proposed Carmarthenshire School Closures

Cymdeithas yr Iaith has dubbed Carmarthenshire Cabinet Member for Education, Coun. Ieuan Jones, 'Mr Forgetful' for conveniently forgetting to tell voters in last month’s election of plans revealed today for a bumper year for Village School Closures in the county.

A massive 17,000-word document is to be placed before the Council’s Executive Board on Monday morning proposing reviews and consultations in 2008/9 about school sites in 11 Welsh-speaking villages, and to begin discussions in a further six.

This follows a remarkably quiet pre-election year when the Council managed only two such consultations. Cymdeithas yr Iaith will hold a protest outside the meeting at County Hall next Monday and will highlight the Council’s deceit of the electorate through the presence of the famous 'Mr Men' characters 'Mr Forgetful' (Coun. Jones) and 'Little Miss Bossy' (Coun. Leader Little Miss Bossy).
Cymdeithas Chair in Carmarthen, Sioned Elin, explained:

"A 17,000-word document has not suddenly appeared from nowhere. It was obviously available prior to the election but Mr Forgetful forgot to tell voters that the Independent-led coalition on Carmarthenshire County Council were about to declare war this year on up to 17 more Welsh-medium village schools after a conveniently quiet year prior to the election."

"Had they done so and lost a further 4 seats, then they would have been unable to force through these proposals. We challenge the Executive Board to send this Declaration of War on Village Schools to the full Council for debate so that amendments can be made."

"One of the most disgraceful parts of the proposals is the determination to kill off the two federated schools in the county, showing their dogmatic desire to have no option other than closures and centralised Area Schools. They wish to close altogether the 3-site Ysgol Y Fro, and to stuff all the children from Ysgol Carreg Hirfaen on to one site by adding a glorified portacabin. They had promised detailed discussions about amending the funding formula for federated schools, but have decided straight after the election that they can’t be bothered and that closures are easier."

"Cymdeithas yr Iaith will stand with every community which wishes to fight these proposals. The Council will not get their way easily, and people will remember how cynical they were in keeping the news until after the election."

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