Closure threat to schools still here

LETTER: Are you about to vote for a county councillor who favours closing your local school?

School closures haven't featured in the Powys news much recently but that doesn't mean that the threat here has gone away - far from it.

Our information is that plans to close dozens of community schools are likely to be announced by Powys County Council once the election is safely out of the way.

Look at what has been happening in Shropshire, Hereford and Gwynedd, don't say it won't happen here.

Thanks to our successful petition last year, which you may have signed, our organisation is in a dialogue with the Assembly and we have succeeded in persuading members to conduct a review of education in rural Wales, a review which we hope will lead to new policies recognising the enormous social and educational value of community schools and safeguarding their future.

But this will take time, which is why it is important for you to use your vote wisely on 1 May and beware of those candidates who are eager to throw away our heritage just to balance next year's budget.

If you want your children or grandchildren to continue to reap the many benefits of being educated in their own communities, you know what to do.

If you want more information about us, please e-mail powys.csa@googlemail.com - although Powys-based, we support community schools everywhere.

George Jones, Powys Community Schools Action