Datganiad i’r Wasg / Press Release

22 February 2011

Plaid Cymru secure extra cash for Gwynedd Schools

Plaid Cymru Councillors have secured extra funding for Gwynedd primary schools that are
facing increased class sizes next September.

Plaid Cymru's Finance Portfolio Leader, Councillor Siân Gwenllian, announced that an extra
£300,000 will be available in a special Fund to help schools that are struggling to cope with
reduced budgets as a result of dwindling pupil numbers and efficiency measures passed down
from the UK Government.

"Many primary schools are facing the unenviable task of lowering staffing levels and the only
way forward for many is to increase class sizes," Councillor Gwenllian explains.

"We as Plaid Cymru Councillors believe that if a class gets too big or has too many pupils
from a wide age range, some pupils risk being placed at a disadvantage. This has been
proven in a number of educational studies and makes common sense - how can teachers give
each pupil full support and attention if the class is too big?” Councillor Gwenllian said.

"Some children may not be able to reach their full potential because of reduced school
budgets. This results in large classes in some of the poorer parts of the County while some
medium sized schools are facing the prospect of major staffing changes. I am concerned that
this will have a detrimental impact on how well children achieve at school." said Plaid's
Schools Portfolio Leader, Liz Saville Roberts, as she gave her full endorsement to the
announcement.

"This is the message that I am hearing in discussions with School Heads, School Governors
and parents and I am delighted that some schools will benefit from a cash injection in
September 2011 to help alleviate some of the problems.

"As a County, we are also honouring the Welsh Government's pledge to protect schools’
finances but the full impact of this will not be felt until 2012," Councillor Saville Roberts
concluded.
Headteacher Ywain Myfyr, Chair of Gwynedd Headteachers’ Federation said: “Gwynedd
Council through its education authority already contributes £600,000 annually to ensure
adequate staffing levels in the County’s smallest schools.
“As a Federation, we welcome the Council’s move to contribute additional funds towards
reducing class sizes in larger schools, funds that are matched by the schools themselves.
Annual cuts to this group has seen larger classes becoming a norm in schools across the
county. School budgets have been cut drastically and this fund will go some way in
alleviating the burden on our schools during this difficult period.” Ywain Myfyr concluded.

Benefiting pupils across the county

Councillor Dyfrig Siencyn, Chairman of Plaid Cymru’s Gwynedd Group of Councillors said:
“As a county, we already subsidise our smaller schools and we must remember that the 30
schools in that category do not have the budgetary problems faced by the other 70 primary
schools. The 30 smaller schools have guaranteed staffing levels, no matter how small the
class sizes," he said.

Councillor Siân Gwenllian said: "Next year the small schools subsidy will mount to nearly
£600,000. The financial imbalance within the primary schools sector is clearly unsustainable
in the longer term. Gwynedd Council ' s Schools Reorganisation Strategy will address this
financial disproportion ensuring a fairer and more balanced allocation for each pupil. In the
short term, I am confident that this Fund will benefit many of our pupils and schools within
the county."

- ends –

Media Contact: Ffion Clwyd Edwards, pi-ar, ffion@pi-ar.co.uk, 01745 550123,

07702 048184