Janet Finch-Saunders, the Member of the Senedd for Bangor, Conwy and Môn, has written to Council Leader, Councillor Julie Fallon, challenging her response to Janet’s original letter.
In the original letter, Janet outlined the impacts that closure of the school will have on the local community, pupils, and on the Welsh language. With children losing the support systems the have built at the school, and facing a half an hour journey to get to school each day, and called on the Council Leader, to take actions to prevent the closure.
The Council Leader responded:
“I will not be taking action against the decision that we have taken as a Cabinet. The cost per pupil is the second highest in the whole of Wales and is unsustainable. Education will work with families to ensure their transition, when the time comes, will be as smooth as possible.”
Following this response, Janet has written to Council Leader, Cllr Julie Fallon, reiterating these concerns, and highlighting that there has been a lack of communication with residents in regards, to the timeframe of this closure.
Janet commented:
“The decision to close Ysgol Betws-y-Coed is deeply disappointing and completely out of touch with the concerns of local families. What makes this decision even harder to understand is that more than £700,000 of public money has been invested in the school, including improvements to the canteen, windows and plumbing. That investment has helped make Ysgol Betws-y-Coed one of the best-maintained school buildings in the area. It is incredibly difficult to justify spending that level of money on a school and then turning around and closing it.
“This is not simply about the financial cost of running a school. It is about the value of keeping education at the heart of a rural community and making proper use of a building that has already benefited from significant public investment. The building also has the potential to become a much greater community asset, supporting local groups and residents.
“Residents deserve to know why the school is being closed, when the closure is actually expected to happen. As some local residents were unaware of the vote on the closure taking place. This is a deeply concerning breakdown in communication.
“I am calling on the Council to reconsider this decision, listen to the families and residents of Betws-y-Coed, and recognise that once this school is gone, it cannot simply be brought back. The Council must think very carefully about the long-term consequences of this decision for our children and our community.”
ENDS
Photo: Janet Finch-Saunders MS/AS
Mae Janet Finch-Saunders, Aelod o’r Senedd dros Fangor Conwy Môn, wedi ysgrifennu at Arweinydd y Cyngor, y Cynghorydd Julie Fallon, yn herio ei hymateb i lythyr gwreiddiol Janet.
Yn y llythyr gwreiddiol, amlinellodd Janet yr effeithiau y bydd cau’r ysgol yn ei chael ar y gymuned leol, ar ddisgyblion, ac ar y Gymraeg. Gyda phlant yn colli’r systemau cymorth maen nhw wedi’u meithrin yn yr ysgol, ac yn wynebu taith hanner awr i gyrraedd yr ysgol bob dydd, galwodd ar Arweinydd y Cyngor i gymryd camau i atal y cau.
Ymatebodd Arweinydd y Cyngor:
“Ni fyddaf yn cymryd camau yn erbyn y penderfyniad rydym wedi’i wneud fel Cabinet. Y gost fesul disgybl yw’r ail uchaf yng Nghymru gyfan ac mae’n anghynaliadwy. Bydd Addysg yn gweithio gyda theuluoedd i sicrhau y bydd eu cyfnod pontio, pan ddaw’r amser, mor rhwydd â phosibl.”
Yn dilyn yr ymateb hwn, mae Janet wedi ysgrifennu at Arweinydd y Cyngor, y Cynghorydd Julie Fallon, gan ailadrodd y pryderon hyn, ac yn tynnu sylw at ddiffyg cyfathrebu â thrigolion mewn perthynas ag amserlen y cau.
Meddai Janet:
“Mae’r penderfyniad i gau Ysgol Betws-y-coed yn hynod siomedig ac yn anwybyddu’n llwyr bryderon teuluoedd lleol. Yr hyn sy’n gwneud y penderfyniad hwn hyd yn oed yn anoddach ei ddeall yw bod mwy na £700,000 o arian cyhoeddus wedi’i fuddsoddi yn yr ysgol, gan gynnwys gwelliannau i’r ffreutur, ffenestri a gwaith plymio. Mae’r buddsoddiad hwnnw wedi helpu i wneud Ysgol Betws-y-coed yn un o’r adeiladau ysgol sydd wedi’i gynnal orau yn yr ardal. Mae’n anhygoel o anodd cyfiawnhau gwario’r lefel honno o arian ar ysgol ac yna penderfynu ei chau.
“Mae hyn yn mynd ymhellach na chost ariannol rhedeg ysgol yn unig. Mae’n ymwneud â gwerth cadw addysg wrth galon cymuned wledig a gwneud defnydd priodol o adeilad sydd eisoes wedi elwa ar fuddsoddiad cyhoeddus sylweddol.
Mae gan yr adeilad y potensial hefyd i ddod yn ased cymunedol llawer mwy, gan gefnogi grwpiau a thrigolion lleol.
“Mae trigolion yn haeddu gwybod pam mae’r ysgol yn cael ei chau, a phryd mae disgwyl i’r cau ddigwydd. Nid oedd rhai trigolion lleol yn ymwybodol bod y bleidlais ar y cau wedi bod ac mae hyn yn ddiffyg cyfathrebu difrifol dros ben.
“Rwy’n galw ar y Cyngor i ailystyried y penderfyniad hwn, gwrando ar deuluoedd a thrigolion Betws-y-coed, a chydnabod na ellir dod â’r ysgol hon yn ôl unwaith y bydd wedi mynd. Rhaid i’r Cyngor feddwl yn ofalus iawn am ganlyniadau hirdymor y penderfyniad hwn i’n plant a’n cymuned.”
DIWEDD
Ffoto: Janet Finch-Saunders AS
