‘WE would be ashamed if our school was segregated’ was the message from the Llanfair Caereinion community at a meeting over the high school’s future this week.
Around 300 people packed into the school hall on Tuesday to discuss plans to ‘modernise secondary education’, which includes the possibility of Llanfair Caereinion becoming an all Welsh school, seeing English speaking pupils forced to be educated elsewhere.
In a passionate expression of views John Ellis, former headteacher at the school, said: “I have seen parents who have had children come through the English stream and they are so grateful that they did, as some now have a second language.
“We want to see Welsh thrive in Llanfair Caereinion, but if we are going to segregate then we can’t go forward. We need them together in this school. We need the English and the Welsh working together, and playing together.”
Myfanwy Alexander, chairman of governors, supported the calls from Mr Ellis saying: “This is a bi-lingual school, serving a bi-lingual community. To say to families that they have no right to attend the school because of their language would make me ashamed to be chairman of governors.”
Another suggestion as part of the modernisation plans would be for Caereinion High School to merge with Llanfyllin High School with one headteacher and management team to create a post-16 hub.
This suggestion was also given a resounding ‘no’ by the crowd.
Hugh Davies, who has four children at the school, said: “I wouldn’t go into a management change when I have not won the staff, the parents or the pupils. So good luck!”
Mr Ellis added that each headmaster was responsible for his or her own school and that should remain the case.
County Councillor Viola Evans said that the community would have fight for what they wanted at the school, which was to keep the excellent standards at the level that they are and have been.
Resident Ken Astley also questioned Coleg Powys’ motives for playing such a major role in the decision making. He told college principal Simon Pirotte that because of falling student numbers: “You are jumping on the bandwagon to get more bums on seats.”
Mr Pirotte replied: “There is an issue (regarding pupil numbers), but this is about the right bum on the right seat. We need to prove to the Welsh Assembly that we are working together.”