Issue - meetings

That the observations of the Committee be reported to Cabinet on Tuesday 23 January 2018.  

            The Chief Officer (Education & Youth) introduced the report which outlined the projects contained within the Council’s Strategic Outline Programme (SOP) submission to Welsh Government (WG).  The report also detailed the principles used and assumptions made to deliver a programme with as minimal impact on future revenue budgets and information around the Mutual Investment Model (MIM).

            The Leader of the Council advised that the SOP had yet to be approved by Cabinet.  He explained that WG had requested that the programmes be prioritised, however given the complex programme would be over a 5/6 year period, there would need to be a degree of flexibility around the prioritisation with the Education Programme Board continuing to review the programme.

            In response to questions around the MIM, the Senior Manager School Planning and Provision explained that this was the WG’s new form of Public Partnership or Private Finance Initiative (PFI).  Through this service the Council would receive an intervention rate of 75% funding from WG with 25% funded by the Council for a period of 25 years.  The funding from WG would be received in the form of a specific grant.  

            In response to comments around welsh medium education, the Chief Officer reported that through the Welsh in Education Strategic Plan (WESP), the Council was committed to increasing the number of pupils accessing Welsh medium education to help WG achieve its ambitious target of a million Welsh speakers by 2050.

            Councillor Tudor Jones spoke in support of rural schools which he felt should be actively sustained.  He also commented on the need to actively progress federation and proposed that any reference to the closure of a rural school within the programme be removed.  This proposal was seconded by Councillor Patrick Heesom.  When put to the vote this proposal was lost.

            Mrs. Rebecca Stark questioned whether the report should have been considered in a public forum and raised concerns around the impact such proposals could have on school placements.  The Chief Officer responded that all schools had been briefed with discussions taking place with all Head Teachers individually on the programme and it had been explained that they were a provisional set of proposals at this stage.  

            Mr. David Hytch asked for information on the land at Ysgol Maes Edwin and Ysgol Llanfynydd following their closure.  The Senior Manager School Planning and Provision confirmed that options were currently being considered for the land at Ysgol Maes Edwin and that the land at Ysgol Llanfynyd had been sold. 

RESOLVED:

That the observations of the Committee be reported to Cabinet on Tuesday 23 January 2018.