P-04-349 Welsh-medium Provision - Caerphilly

Petition wording:

We call upon the National Assembly for Wales to urge the Minister for Education and Skills at the Welsh Assembly Government to afford urgent priority to the bid submitted by Caerphilly County Borough Council for monies to finance the badly needed additional Welsh medium secondary provision by 2013.

Petition raised by: Ben Jones

Date petition first considered by Committee: 29 November 2011

Number of signatures:Approximately 1,200

Supporting information:

Caerffili County Borough is faced with an urgent issue, according to population trends, it is estimated that the borough will an increase of approximately 700 children wanting Primary School Welsh medium places by 2016 and nearly 1000 extra children wanting Comprehensive Placements by 2020. This means that the borough needs to build at least one more primary and one more secondary school.

Caerffili County Borough Council had submitted plans under the Twenty First Century Schools Programme and like other authorities was deeply disappointed when the Minister for Education announced a delay in the programme until 2014 and a change in criteria.

Caerphilly County Borough has submitted an updated bid which gives value for money as it utilises the empty buildings at the site of the previous Saint Ilan school in Caerffili.

We need an urgent answer from the Government as the current Comprehensive School does not have sufficient space and some children will have to be turned away as soon as September 2013.