What are the Education Authority doing?

Carmarthenshire Education Authority are...

• Treating our people with contempt: In a secret office based exercise, they have decided which schools are to close and which communities are left to die a slow death. They launched their strategy in a blaze of publicity and a fortnight later began to discuss it. They are making a mockery of democratic decision-making. No parents or governors were involved in the drawing up of the hit list.
• Acting like Estate Agents rather than Educationalists: The officials accept that the education provided by the schools is of an excellent standard. They only worry about buildings.
• Destroying Welsh speaking communities: Young families with children are less likely to settle in villages without a school and services. These communities face a slow death as OAP villages.
• Having a laugh at National Assembly Guidelines: Not only is the Council required to place educational considerations first, and evaluate carefully the effect of school closures on a community, they are also required to consider every other alternative to closure. Yet in every case they have automatically chosen to close schools and create centralised Area Schools. Less schools = less work for Officials.
• Using dirty tricks to persuade parents: Such as offering parents full time Nursery Provisions and Childcare Facilities only as part of a package that includes School closures. The local communities should use all schools. The creation of Community Schools is an added reason for developing Village Schools, not an excuse to close them.
• Misleading Spin:The Officials will tell us that no firm decisions have been taken and that all options are possible in Public Consultation. They have to say this, as the law requires them to consider all options in consultation. If the Council sticks to the Strategy of Centralised Schools, the Public Participation will only centre on detail and the location of schools.

The only thing that will affect the outcome is an immediate and united show of strong public will.