Welsh language school campaigners condemn ‘indifference’ of Welsh Government and City Council

Stephen Price

Campaigners have written to Cardiff City Council, calling out their ‘indifference’ to plans to build an ‘urgently needed’ all-age Welsh-medium school for the south of Cardiff.

In a strongly-worded open letter to Chris Weaver and the Cardiff Council cabinet, campaigners for Welsh-medium secondary education in the city have called on Cardiff Council to urgently submit a formal application and earmark land near Callaghan Square to establish a Welsh-medium All-Age (3-19) School to serve Butetown, Grangetown and surrounding areas.

As part of the letter, the campaigners raise three calls, focusing on the urgent need to announce an intention to establish a Welsh-medium All-Age (3-19) School to serve Butetown, Grangetown and surrounding areas.

They also call for Chris Weaver to submit a formal application to the Welsh Government for the Callaghan Square land and for the Welsh Government not to abandon the previous Finance Minister’s promise to the Council before the election and to protect Ysgol Gyfun Gymraeg Bro Edern for the community of the east of Cardiff.

In the text of the letter, the campaigners write: “[…] we wish to state publicly that it is in your hands to rectify decades of structural discrimination against the most multicultural communities of the city and the nation in the context of the progression path of Welsh-medium education from nursery to sixth form. There is still a dire under-representation of some communities, whether geographical or cultural, in Welsh-medium education. Only by securing the fourth secondary school as part of an application for funding to establish a Welsh-medium All-Age School (3-19 years old) to serve Butetown, Grangetown and surrounding areas will you be able to have the possibility of reversing this social injustice.

“We also note the comments of your predecessor Huw Thomas MS about the fourth Welsh-medium secondary school and his reference to a potential site between Butetown and the city centre […]. The location is absolutely ideal in the sense that it is on the doorstep of the communities of Butetown and Grangetown. We very much hope that you continue to develop the case for establishing the fourth Welsh-medium secondary school and a dedicated sixth form on Callaghan Square as a hub for a multi-site campus to include new primary streams together with resources for the whole community. We therefore express great concern that the Welsh Government is apparently considering abandoning the idea of ​​allocating the land to establish the school with the aim of selling it for private purposes. This emphasises the critical urgency for you to submit a formal application for this land to the Welsh Government. Only you as an administration have the power to work together with the Welsh Government to earmark this land, or otherwise secure another suitable site at the heart of the community, for the benefit of the children and young people of south Cardiff rather than private interests.

“In addition to establishing the fourth Welsh-medium secondary school as part of the All-Age School, we expect an unequivocal commitment that you will protect Ysgol Gyfun Gymraeg Bro Edern which is at the heart of the east Cardiff community, and commit to upgrade the school’s resources to a high-quality building that is fit for teaching purposes in the twenty-first century. […]”

‘At risk’

As reported only last week (17 September), plans for the new Welsh-medium secondary school could be put at risk if publicly owned land is sold to private interests, a Senedd Member has warned.

The concerns relate to Welsh Government-owned land at Callaghan Square in Cardiff, which has previously been identified as a possible way of helping to provide a site for a new school serving the south of the city.

Cardiff and Penarth MS Huw Thomas said an agreement in principle had been secured with the previous Welsh Government that the land could be made available to help deliver the school.

Finding a suitable site is regarded as one of the biggest obstacles to establishing a new Welsh-medium secondary school in south Cardiff because of the densely developed nature of the area and limited amount of publicly owned land.

Mr Thomas, who was leader of Cardiff Council before being elected to the Senedd in May, said he had now been told by stakeholders in the city that the Welsh Government was stepping up efforts to sell its land at Callaghan Square to private interests.

He has called for any sale to be paused while discussions take place with Cardiff Council about whether the land could be used to help unlock a site for the school.

Mr Thomas said: “There is a vibrant campaign calling for a new Welsh-medium secondary school embedded within the community in south Cardiff. Finding somewhere to build it is one of the biggest challenges we face.

“That’s why it was so important to secure agreement on the principle of using Welsh Government’s land at Callaghan Square – it gives us a real opportunity to overcome one of the biggest obstacles to making a new school a reality.

“I’ve raised this twice already directly with the new Education Secretary, but so far received no assurance that the previous Welsh Government’s position will be honoured.

“I’m now deeply concerned to be told that the Welsh Government is stepping up its efforts to sell the land to private interests, which would mean this unique opportunity would be lost.

“I’m asking the Welsh Government to pause any sale and sit down with Cardiff Council to explore how this land could help deliver the school that south Cardiff needs.

“Once this land is sold, we may never get this opportunity again. We cannot allow a short-term decision over the disposal of public land to close the door on a new Welsh-medium secondary school for pupils living in south Cardiff.”

“Promise”

Carl Morris from the Ysgol De Caerdydd campaign said: “There are high expectations in the communities of south Cardiff that the current leader Chris Weaver will apply to the Welsh Government for funding and for the Callaghan Square land to build our school.

“With the location on the doorstep of the Butetown community, the Welsh Government should not abandon a promise to the previous leader that the land could be allocated to the school.

“In May we asked for a meeting with the Minister for Education and the Welsh Language, Anna Brychan MS, but we have not yet received a response.

“And in response to a further letter in July, the Welsh Government’s Director of Education said that it was not “appropriate” for her to meet us as members of the community for the time being.

“But while everyone from Cardiff Council to the Welsh Government are showing indifference, dragging their feet, children and families in south Cardiff are losing out.

“As well as building a school for the children of south Cardiff, it is also very important that Cardiff Council protects and invests in its current Welsh-medium secondary schools, and specifically that it gives parents assurances about the future of Ysgol Bro Edern which is at the heart of the community in east Cardiff. Any attempt to create a Welsh language education factory to try to serve two large areas in the city as a whole would be completely offensive to the communities and would deepen the current social injustice. Establishing an All-Age School in south Cardiff cannot come through a betrayal of the community of east Cardiff, and both communities stand together on this issue.

“There must be local Welsh-medium secondary schools in each compass point of the city with quality buildings and resources fit for teaching in the twenty-first century.

“There is now a real urgency for Cardiff Council to get down to business and submit a formal application to the Welsh Government for am All-Age Welsh-medium School on the land at Callaghan Square. And the Welsh Government has a responsibility to earmark land within the community for this purpose as a matter of social justice.

The days of having to travel halfway across a city to access Welsh-medium education should be long gone. This is the opportunity for Chris Weaver and his cabinet to submit a formal request to the Welsh Government and put an end to the ambiguity that deepens the social injustice for hundreds more children in the south of the city every year.”

A Welsh Government spokesperson said: “Local authorities are responsible for planning and delivering school places, including Welsh-medium provision in line with their statutory Welsh in Education Strategic Plans.

“Any proposal for a new school would need to be taken forward by the local authority in line with the School Organisation Code, including formal consultation with local communities.

“We are unable to comment on the merits, or otherwise, of any school organisation proposal which may later be referred to Ministers for determination.

“Officials have not received a formal approach on the land from the local authority.”

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