Sam Rowlands, Member of the Welsh Parliament for North Wales, has expressed disappointment at yet another delay on a decision to merge four catholic schools.
Flintshire County Council are planning to close St David’s Catholic Primary School in Mold, St Anthony’s in Saltney, St Mary’s in Flint and St Richard Gwyn High School in Flint and build a £55 million superschool for pupils aged 3-18 on the site of St Richard Gwyn.
Mr Rowlands, who has campaigned on behalf of the objectors and has been running his own petition against the proposals, was commenting after Flintshire County Council confirmed that the consultation processes around the major school reorganisation proposals for the Catholic Diocese will need to begin again after the Senedd elections have been concluded.
He said:
I am extremely disappointed that this issue is continuing to drag on and has not already been resolved.
Huge numbers have objected to this proposal and feedback from the previous consultation showed that over 95% of parents are against the controversial move yet councillors would not listen to public opinion.
It is certainly not fair that once again parents, governors, teachers and local councillors are left in limbo.
The Cabinet decision to consider the outcome of the statutory objections was paused on March 10 when a late legal challenge was received in relation to the Catholic proposal. The Council sought its own legal advice regarding this challenge and is in the process of reviewing the feedback from its barrister.
With the Senedd elections due to take place on May 7, all public bodies are now bound by rules governing activity during the formal ‘pre-election period’ which the Council is required to delay items that may be considered controversial. While the school organisation proposals are pressing, they are not sufficiently urgent to need consideration during the pre-election period.
The School Organisation Code also stipulates a fixed time period for school reorganisation proposals to be concluded following the start of public consultation. With the delay because of the pre-election period, this timescale cannot be met. As a result, the consultation process will need to begin again.
The Chief Officer for Education and Youth at Flintshire County Council, Claire Homard said:
We appreciate that all of the school communities impacted by these proposals need clarity about what is happening and acknowledge the frustration that these delays will be causing, but the Council needs to ensure that appropriate processes are followed and that legal advice has been fully considered. I can confirm that we will be seeking Cabinet approval to restart the consultation on both proposals in May, as soon as it is practicably possible after the election.
I can also confirm that we will reflect on the result of the first consultation in relation to both proposals to improve how we communicate on issues of concern to the school communities, parents and carers.
Sam Rowlands AS yn ofni am oedi’r penderfyniad ar gynigion ar gyfer ysgol pob oed newydd yn Sir y Fflint
Mae Sam Rowlands, Aelod o’r Senedd dros Ogledd Cymru, wedi mynegi siom am ragor o oedi ar benderfyniad i uno pedair ysgol Gatholig.
Mae Cyngor Sir y Fflint yn bwriadu cau Ysgol Gynradd Gatholig Dewi Sant yn yr Wyddgrug, Sant Anthony yn Saltney, Eglwys y Santes Fair yn y Fflint ac Ysgol Uwchradd Sant Richard Gwyn yn y Fflint ac adeiladu ysgol enfawr gwerth £55 miliwn ar gyfer disgyblion 3-18 oed ar safle Ysgol Sant Richard Gwyn.
Mae Mr Rowlands wedi ymgyrchu ar ran y gwrthwynebwyr ac wedi bod yn rhedeg ei ddeiseb ei hun yn erbyn y cynigion. Fe wnaeth y sylwadau diweddaraf ar ôl i Gyngor Sir y Fflint gadarnhau y bydd angen i'r prosesau ymgynghori ynghylch y cynigion i ad-drefnu ysgolion mawr ar gyfer yr Esgobaeth Gatholig ailddechrau ar ôl i etholiadau'r Senedd gael eu cwblhau.
Meddai:
Rwy'n hynod siomedig bod y mater hwn yn parhau i lusgo ymlaen ac nad yw eisoes wedi'i ddatrys.
Mae niferoedd enfawr wedi gwrthwynebu'r cynnig hwn ac roedd adborth o'r ymgynghoriad blaenorol yn dangos bod dros 95% o rieni yn erbyn y cam dadleuol ond nid yw cynghorwyr yn gwrando ar farn y cyhoedd.
Yn sicr nid yw'n deg bod rhieni, llywodraethwyr, athrawon a chynghorwyr lleol yn cael eu gadael yn y tywyllwch.
Cafodd penderfyniad y Cabinet i ystyried canlyniad y gwrthwynebiadau statudol ei oedi ar 10 Mawrth pan dderbyniwyd her gyfreithiol hwyr mewn perthynas â'r cynnig. Gofynnodd y Cyngor am gyngor cyfreithiol ei hun ynglŷn â'r her gyfreithiol ac mae yn y broses o adolygu'r adborth gan ei fargyfreithiwr.
Gydag etholiadau'r Senedd i’w cynnal ar 7 Mai, mae pob corff cyhoeddus bellach wedi’u rhwymo i reolau sy'n llywodraethu gweithgarwch yn ystod y 'cyfnod cyn-etholiadol' ffurfiol felly mae'n ofynnol i'r Cyngor ohirio eitemau y gellir eu hystyried yn ddadleuol. Er bod cynigion trefniadaeth ysgolion yn bwysig, dydyn nhw ddim yn faterion brys a fyddai angen eu hystyried yn ystod y cyfnod cyn yr etholiad.
Mae'r Cod Trefniadaeth Ysgolion hefyd yn nodi bod rhaid cael cyfnod penodol ar gyfer cwblhau cynigion ad-drefnu ysgolion ar ôl dechrau ymgynghoriad cyhoeddus. Gyda'r oedi oherwydd y cyfnod cyn-etholiadol, ni ellir bodloni'r amserlen hon. O ganlyniad, bydd angen i'r broses ymgynghori ddechrau eto.
Meddai Prif Swyddog Addysg ac Ieuenctid Cyngor Sir y Fflint, Claire Homard:
Rydyn ni’n gwerthfawrogi bod angen eglurder ar yr holl gymunedau ysgol yr effeithir arnyn nhw gan y cynigion hyn ac yn cydnabod y rhwystredigaeth y bydd yr oedi hwn yn ei achosi, ond mae angen i'r Cyngor sicrhau bod prosesau priodol yn cael eu dilyn a bod cyngor cyfreithiol wedi'i ystyried yn llawn. Gallaf gadarnhau y byddwn yn ceisio cymeradwyaeth y Cabinet i ailgychwyn yr ymgynghoriad ar y ddau gynnig ym mis Mai, cyn gynted ag y bydd yn ymarferol bosibl ar ôl yr etholiad.
Gallaf hefyd gadarnhau y byddwn yn myfyrio ar ganlyniad yr ymgynghoriad cyntaf mewn perthynas â'r ddau gynnig i wella'r ffordd rydyn ni’n cyfathrebu ar faterion sy'n peri pryder i gymunedau'r ysgol, rhieni a gofalwyr.
