Nia Griffith MP and Keith Davies AM met with Director of Education Rob Sully this week to reinforce the case made by parents and governors for new school premises for Ysgol Parc y Tywyn in Burry Port.
Supported by local County Councillors and the Town’s Deputy Mayor Moira Thomas, they stressed the urgent need to revise the priority order list on the County’s Modernising Education Plan, and push Parc Y Tywyn up the list.
Keith pointed out that with the escalating costs of heating and maintaining portakabins, it would make good economic and environmental sense to prioritise Parc y Tywyn. He will also be asking Welsh Government Minister Leighton Andrews AM for any additional sources of funding, particularly in the light of the Welsh Government’s latest requirements on local authorities in respect of Welsh medium education.
Nia said, “So many new houses have been built in the last few years in the Pembrey and Burry Port, that there has been a significant increase in the numbers seeking Welsh medium education. This means that the school has not got the space for all the children wanting Welsh medium education in the Pembrey Burry Port catchment area. Unlike a big city where there might be another school nearby, it is totally unacceptable for primary aged children to have to travel to the neighbouring Welsh schools in Kidwelly or Furnace, and, in any case both those schools would struggle to fit in any extra pupils. I was pleased to note that the Director of Education does accept that circumstances have changed in Pembrey and Burry Port since the start of the County’s Modernising Education Programme, and that he is making very genuine efforts to source funding and give extra priority to Parc y Tywyn .”