Parents post defiant school gate notice ahead of closure process

Nation.Cymru Staff

Supporters of a rural primary school have stepped up their campaign against closure ahead of a key council decision by posting a “Community Notice” on their school gate declaring that the school will remain open.

The notice was placed on the gate of Ysgol Meidrim in Carmarthenshire this morning, one day before Carmarthenshire County Council is expected to issue a School Closure Notice for the end of 2026.

Once the council submits the closure notice, there will be a 28-day period for objections to be submitted. A final decision will then be taken at a full council meeting in October.

The school currently has 32 pupils, and the Council’s own figures show that this number is expected to rise to 40 within two years.

The Council’s figures also indicate that closing the school would save only £13,000, after accounting for additional transport costs, and parents dispute even that figure.

As the notice was being placed on the school gate, Mrs Ceirios Williams, a parent/governor at the school, said: “Up until now, we have been limited to submitting written evidence and attending two meetings with officers.

“We are calling on elected councillors and local Members of the Senedd to come and see our exciting plans to develop a community hub alongside the school and attract additional funding.

“Meidrim does not fit the Council’s stereotypical image of a struggling small rural school, and parents are united in their support for keeping it open.”

A Judicial Review judgment is expected this week regarding the Council’s decision to proceed to consultation on a proposal to close the school without first undertaking a proper process to consider all options, including a presumption against closure.

Cymdeithas yr Iaith has called on the Council not to publish a Closure Notice before the outcome of the Judicial Review is known.

Speaking on behalf of Cymdeithas yr Iaith in Carmarthenshire, Ffred Ffransis said: “Given that the court has decided that a full hearing is required for a parent’s application for a Judicial Review, it is clear that the court believes there is a substantial case to answer.

“Even if the situation were not to reach the high threshold required for legal intervention, the Council should carefully consider any comments made by the judge before proceeding to issue a Closure Notice.”

Today also, Pembrokeshire County Council took a final decision on the recommendation to close Ysgol Clydau in the north of the county, where there has likewise been strong opposition from the local community.

Following the council’s decision to close Ysgol Clydau, Bethan Williams on behalf of Cymdeithas yr Iaith said: “One of the councillors said that closing rural schools is a symptom of the wider problem of depopulation.

“It is true that the decline in pupil numbers is a symptom, and one that is common to several counties, but rather than addressing the wider problem, the council decided to close the school today.

“Similarly, maintaining and developing rural schools is not the only solution to this, but it is a fundamental part of the solution. There are plans to build more affordable housing in the village of Tegryn, but what is the point of those houses without schools for children?

“There is an opportunity for the new government to give new hope to our Welsh-speaking rural communities, and we will be pressing them to make use of that opportunity.”