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Earlier this month, the local authority decided to close Ysgol Y Garreg, citing “the very low numbers of pupils who attend” along with “low projections of future numbers” as the primary reasons for its closure. Sharon, a former teacher from Gwynedd and parent of one of the school’s two remaining pupils, expressed disappointment over the decision, feeling that more efforts should have been made to preserve the school.
Sharon shared her concerns about the impact the closure would have on local families, particularly those with young children aged two and three who will no longer have access to the quality education her son experienced in a small village school setting. She emphasized, “It’s such a shame – they have forgotten about the children,” and explained how her son benefited from the close-knit environment of the school, something she believes would not have been possible if he had to travel further afield. Despite attempts by the two remaining students to oppose the closure, including writing to David Attenborough as part of a school project—a letter which he replied to—she noted that the council failed to even acknowledge their efforts.
The council defended the decision by pointing to declining pupil numbers across the region, which made the closure unavoidable. Dewi Jones, cabinet member for education, revealed that the number of primary school children in Cyngor Gwynedd had fallen from around 9,000 in 2016 to just over 7,800. Jones acknowledged the difficulty of the choice, stating, “Nobody goes into education in order to close schools,” and underlined the council’s commitment to fostering thriving schools and strong communities. Nevertheless, he stressed the need to confront demographic realities affecting rural areas, describing the situation as “serious” and emphasizing that continuing without change was not feasible.
As a result of the closure, pupils from Ysgol Y Garreg will now be directed to Ysgol Cefn Coch, located about two miles away from Llanfrothen, effective from September 1st. Ysgol Y Garreg is just one of several schools in Gwynedd scheduled to close this year, including two smaller schools in Dyffryn Nantlle slated to shut at the end of December, and St Gerard’s, an independent school in Bangor, set to close next month. According to recent Welsh government data, since January 2020, a total of 31 council-run schools across Wales have closed, reflecting broader trends impacting educational provision in the region
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