Council report rebuts objections to school becoming Welsh medium
Elgan Hearn, local democracy reporter
A council report has rebutted objections to a school becoming Welsh medium point by point.
Powys County Council’s cabinet has agreed to carry on with transitioning Ysgol Dyffryn Trannon in Trefeglwys into a Welsh medium school after looking at a report on the objections to the proposal.
During a meeting on the subject, the council’s head of transformation and communication Emma Palmer pointed out that parents living in Trefeglwys have the choice of three nearby schools if they want their children to be taught through English.
She said: “Just to confirm to cabinet that while the proposal is to move the school along the language continuum, for those who wish to access English medium provision there are three English medium schools (Caersws, Llandinam an Llanidloes) located within a few miles of Ysgol DyffrynTrannon.”
“Just so that you are aware that education through the medium of English is available in that area.”
During the objections period from June 24 to July 22 the council had received two objections including one from Trefeglwys Community Council.
Education consultant Geraint Rees said: “The consultation happened back in February, March and into April.
“From the information we had there were 97 children in the Welsh medium stream and 12 in the English medium stream.
“On June 22 and you voted to go ahead to a statutory notice which allows people to make objections.”
“One objection was a reissuing of those raised at consultation the other objection was asking for an assurance that cabinet were mindful of all the issues that had been raised as part of the process.
“They have been responded to.”
‘Normalise’
Cabinet member for Adult Social Care and the Welsh language, Cllr Myfanwy Alexander said: “I’m delighted to see this come forward, it’s an important step to normalise the Welsh language in Powys.
“It’s a great example of an area taking a grasp once again of its own tradition.
“Just over 100 years ago perhaps one of the most famous Welsh poets ever (John Ceiriog Hughes) lived not far away in the station house in Caersws.”
“This process has been driven by the community itself and I’d like to thank the Urdd and the Young Farmers movement in the area.
“This is the model for what want to happen in Powys for people to rediscover the language, it’s a language for everybody.”
The change is due to be made in a phased approach starting with the reception class in September 2022 which will eventually see by the end of the decade all classes being Welsh.
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All schools in wales 🏴 should be welsh speaking first it’s time for a new wales 🏴 A Free Wales 🏴
Incomers must not have a say on school’s in wales 🏴
Objecting to a Welsh medium school in Wales is like objecting to an English medium school in England or objecting to a French medium school in France.
Da iawn Cyngor Sir Powys a gwarth ar Cyngor Cymuned Trefeglwys.
This decision is a positive turn of events that will hopefully be one of many such in the eastern third of the county. It is vitally important that local authorities hold the line when it comes to white-flight opposition to Welsh-medium schools. Da iawn iddyn nhw.
Mae’r gymhareb yn anghywir. Dylai fod mwy o ysgol Cymraeg a llai o gyfrwng Saesneg
Mae’r ddraig wedi ail-ddefro. Mae’n hen bryd hefyd.
Yep, let’s object to our children receiving the gift of being more skilled and bilingual instead of monolingual. Who can this possible make sense to? Hollol wirion i wrthwynebu y fath beth.