SIONED WILLIAMS MS, Plaid Cymru Member of Senedd for South Wales West, has today asked the First Minister about Welsh Government support for a replacement school for Godre’r Graig Primary School, which, for the last six years, has been teaching its pupils in portacabins miles away from their community.
In 2019, a medium-level risk from a quarry spoil tip near Godre’r Graig Primary School was identified and as a result, the school was closed and pupils were moved out of their community into temporary portacabins in Pontardawe.
An application for support with funding a replacement building has been submitted to Welsh Government by Neath Port Talbot Council but the ongoing uncertainty, amplified by Government responses so far, is impacting pupil numbers.
In her question to the First Minister, Sioned Williams MS noted that from correspondence made available to the school, it appeared that the application was being assessed as if it were for a brand-new school – not a replacement for one closed through no fault of the staff or pupils but because of the impact of the community’s industrial legacy. Ms Williams asked the Welsh Government to recognise the exceptional circumstances that have led to the school requiring a new building.
In a one line response the First Minister chose to blame Neath Port Council who she said had “blocked the new school”, alluding to the overturning of the previous Labour administration’s proposals for a ‘super school’ located in Pontardawe which would have seen the closure of three Swansea Valley schools, including Godre’r Graig Primary, in spite of a huge public backlash.
Sioned Williams MS, Plaid Cymru Member of Senedd for South Wales West, said: “The children, staff and community of Godre’rgraig deserved a better response to their situation than that given by the First Minister today.
“I met with the school leaders recently and what I saw was a school with a community focused ethos, passionate and dedicated staff, and polite, welcoming pupils that deserve a replacement school building.
“This building was closed through no fault of the school, its staff or its pupils but rather the scars of our industrial legacy – that are continuing to impact our children to this day.
“Labour’s previous ‘super-school’ proposal would have ripped the heart out of Godre’rgraig and the community subsequently elected a new council, jointly led by Plaid Cymru, that listened to their concerns.
“It was shameful to see the First Minister play politics with the future of Godre’r Graig Primary School without even trying to answer my question about the need to recognise the exceptional circumstances that led to the school requiring a new building.
“I will be writing to the First Minister to demand a substantive response more befitting of her office.”
