Plaid Cymru AM Dr. Dai Lloyd has today blasted the Liberal Democrats for their ‘two-faced hypocrisy’ on school closures in Swansea.

The Lib-Dems today (Tuesday) tabled a motion at the National Assembly calling on the Welsh Assembly Government to support local schools, referring to ‘the important contribution both educationally and socially that small schools make to their communities’.

During the debate Plaid Cymru AMs hit out at Lib-Dem AM Peter Black and Liberal Democrat Leader Mike German for closing schools in Swansea.

Dr. Lloyd asked Mr. German why his party was closing schools in the city, to which Mr. German stated that he was not in a position to comment on behalf of local authorities.

Following the debate Dr. Lloyd stated:

“This debate today shows the total hypocrisy of the Lib-dems in Swansea. On one hand they are calling for more support to small schools and referring to the important role that they play both educationally and socially. However, on the other hand they are closing schools left, right and centre in Swansea.

“How come we didn’t hear Mr. Black making such a fuss with regards to the importance of small schools when his Lib-Dem led Administration was going about closing two excellent schools in Garnswllt Primary and Dylan Thomas Community School.

“This is pure hypocrisy, and the fact that the Liberal Democrat Leader in the Assembly embarrassingly failed to give an answer on why his party was closing these two successful schools is just proof that the Lib-Dems say one thing and do another.”

Plaid’s Education spokesperson at the Assembly Janet Ryder AM further added:

"It is disgraceful that in some councils they give certain schools a ‘kiss of death’ by putting them on a threatened schools lists before consulting with the public. We have seen this happen in Liberal Democrat controlled Swansea and Ceredigion.

“The closure of the schools on these lists becomes inevitable, and in most cases become self fulfilling prophecies with parents sending their children elsewhere in fear that a certain school will close regardless. Plaid Cymru believe that the process should be changed and that communities should be consulted on the shape of education in their area before proposing any closures.”

Diwedd/Ends

Notes

Plaid Cymru AMs supported the motion below. The result was 30:29 in favour of the motion.

LIB DEM MOTION (Tuesday, November 8th)

To propose that the National Assembly for Wales:

1. Recognises the importance of safe and modern school facilities to their communities;

2. Instructs the Education Minister to commission a full, detailed, and up to date assessment of the school repair and maintenance backlog and to bring that assessment to the Education subject committee by July 10th 2006; and

3. Instructs the Welsh Assembly Government to ringfence the resources available to small schools within one special grant regime, to end the practice of counting funding for small schools with workload agreement funding and other initiatives, and to recognise the contribution, both educationally and socially, that small schools make to their communities.