RCTs figures on current school transport numbers (2015)

 

 

	Primary		Secondary		College
	Welsh Medium	English   Medium	Welsh   Medium	English Medium
1 - Total Pupils Travelling on Home to School Transport	1,582	282	2,032	4,365	1,794
2 - Pupils Transported Between Discretionary & Statutory Distances	333	24	183	2,097	66
3 - Pupils +16 Who Travel 2-3 Miles	-	-	54	398	66
4 - Children Under 5 Travelling 1.5 - 2 Miles	81	8	-	-	-

 
Comment1.5 - 2 Miles for Primary, 2 - 3 miles for Secondary. Does not include pupils who do not live on safe walking route

Suggested response to the School Transport Consultation (2015)

Bilingual Letter ...

Annwyl gyfaill

Cludo Disgyblion o’r Cartref i’r Ysgol

Rydw i'n poeni'n fawr am beth fydd yn digwydd i addysg Gymraeg yn Rhondda Cynon Taf yn sgil cyhoeddi'r ymgynghoriad 'Cludo Disgyblion o'r Cartref i'r Ysgol'.  Fel y dengys ffigurau'r Cyngor, mae 1,582 o blant yn teithio ar fws i ysgolion cynradd cyfrwng Cymraeg, o gymharu â 282 o blant sy'n teithio ar fws i ysgolion cynradd cyfrwng Saesneg. Mae 93% o’r plant cynradd yr effeithir arnynt os gweithredir yr argymhellion yn derbyn addysg gyfrwng Cymraeg. Dim ond 20% o blant sydd mewn addysg gyfrwng Cymraeg, felly byddai’r newid yn effeithio ar addysg Gymraeg mewn ffordd gwbl anghymesur. Byddai’n gosb ariannol i rieni sy'n dewis addysg Gymraeg i'w plant.  Mae pob plentyn mewn ysgol gynradd am wyth mlynedd ac felly mae'r ymrwymiad ariannol yn sylweddol. 

Byddai canran uwch o blant yn gorfod talu i gael eu cludo i ysgolion uwchradd cyfrwng Cymraeg nac i ysgolion cyfrwng Saesneg. Mae hyn oherwydd y canrannau uwch o blant sy’n teithio ar fysiau i ysgolion cyfrwng Cymraeg (oddeutu 60% o gymharu â 30% i ysgolion cyfrwng Saesneg).  Mae hyn eto yn anghyfartal. O fewn yr hinsawdd ariannol presennol y mae'n gwneud dewis addysg Gymraeg yn opsiwn anodd, os nad amhosib. Byddai’n cosbi teuluoedd llai cefnog yn fwy na neb.

Mae'n ddyletswydd erbyn hyn ar bob awdurdod addysg i hyrwyddo mynediad i addysg Gymraeg.  Dyna bolisi llywodraeth Lafur Cymru.  Dywed Mesur Teithio gan Ddysgwyr (Cymru) 2008 bod yn rhaid..."hyrwyddo mynediad at addysg a hyfforddiant trwy gyfrwng y Gymraeg". Mae'r cyngor felly'n argymell mynd yn gwbl groes i'r gyfraith trwy lesteirio mynediad at addysg Gymraeg. Byddai hefyd yn tanseilio Cynllun Strategol y Gymraeg mewn Addysg RhCT sy’n gosod cyfrifoldeb statudol ar yr awdurdod i gynyddu’r niferoedd sy’n derbyn eu haddysg trwy gyfrwng y Gymraeg.

 

Fel rhiant i blentyn yn Ysgol XXXX, gofynnaf yn daer i chi beidio â bwrw ymlaen â'r cynlluniau hyn.  

Yn gywir

 - -  - -  - -  - -  - -  - -  - -  - -  - -  - -  - -  - -  - -  - -  - -  - -  - -  - -  - -  - -  - -  - -  - -  - -  - -  - -  - -

Dear Sir/Madam

Home to School Transport

I am very concerned about the future of Welsh Education in Rhondda Cynon Taf.  My concern stems from the current consultation, 'Home to School Transport'.  As Council figures show, 1,582 children travel to a Welsh medium primary school, compared with the 282 children who travel to English medium primary schools.   93% of the children affected by the new proposals receive Welsh medium education.  As only 20% of the county’s children are in Welsh medium schools, the facts speak for themselves that this policy is completely unjust. The proposals would place a financial burden on those parents choosing Welsh medium education. Each child is in primary school for eight years and therefore this is a substantial financial commitment. 

A higher percentage of children attending Welsh medium secondary schools will also have to pay to travel, compared with those attending English medium schools. This is due to the fact that a higher percentage of pupils travel to Welsh schools (about 60% compared with 30% in English medium schools). This is totally unacceptable at any time but during this period of austerity it makes choosing Welsh education a difficult, if not impossible, option. This would penalise the less well off more than anyone.

Every local authority in Wales has the duty to promote Welsh education.  This is the policy of the Welsh Labour government.  The Learner Travel (Wales) Measure 2008 states that each local authority “must promote access to education and training through the medium of the Welsh language.” The council therefore is recommending taking action which contradicts this law entirely by making it more difficult to opt for Welsh medium education. It would also undermine RCT’s Welsh in Education Strategic Plan which imposes a statutory responsibility on the authority to increase the number of pupils being educated through the medium of Welsh.

As a parent of a child in Ysgol XXX, I am asking you to withdraw these unjust proposals.

Yours sincerely

 

 

 
 

 

Cefnogaeth gan yr ymgeiswyr - Support from council election candidates

Here’s a summary of the responses by the candidates. I’ve picked the main points from the responses sent by each party:

Weler grynodeb o’r ymatebion. Dwi wedi dewis y prif bwyntiau anfonwyd gan bob plaid:

Plaid Cymru:

As the candidate for Talbot Green I'm particularly concerned about the over subscribed YGGG Llantrisant. My mother worked at the Ysgol Feithrin in Pontyclun and saw first hand the problems.  Hopefully the expansion of Ysgol Gyfun Gymreag Llanhari to a 3-18 school might ease the pressure for places in the short term, but I agree with you that in the long term is isn't good enough.
Having quickly discussed your manifesto with current Plaid Cymru councillors and other candidates I can inform you that you have their full backing as well.

Emyr Williams

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Thank you foryour letter, in which you asked me to support RhAG’s aims. You have myfull backing, in particular the promotion of Welsh-medium education across thewhole county. I am writing to the Director of Education, Chris Bradshaw, to add my support to the campaign. ...

Mick Tems (Plaid Cymru candidate, Brynna ward)
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Afraid dweud fy mod yn llwyr gefnogi amcanion RHAG - ond mae angen ysgol gynradd Gymraeg newydd yng nghanol Rhondda Fawr -Penygraig / Tonypandy, dyweder.

Cennard Davies [ymgeisydd PC yn Nhreorci]
_             _             _             _             _             _             _             _             _

Jonathan Huish and I, Merfyn Rea (Pontyclun councillors) are in full support of you aims and manifesto. We have met with the director of education. . . .

_             _             _             _             _             _             _             _             _

Fel ymgeisydd ar ran Plaid Cymru yn ward Gorllewin Tonyrefail, hoffwn i eich sicrhau chi, o gael fy ethol y byddwn yn cefnogi eich maniffesto cant y cant. Mae'n holl bwysig bod yna ddatblygiadau yn digwydd ym maes addysg Gymraeg, gan ddilyn dyheadau'r rhieni sydd am weld eu plant yn derbyn addysg Gymraeg.
Danny Grehan
             _             _             _             _             _             _             _             _

I would like to respond to the maniffesto below on behalf of myself and Julie Williams ( Plaid Cymru Candiadates in the Porth Ward).  We are fully supportive of the points below and we will ensure that Welsh Medium education is treated fairly in the Authority, if we are elected.  We have both been involved in the campaign with Rhag Llwyncelyn in the last year to ensure palces at YGG Llwyncelyn.
Yn gywir

Alun Cox, Julie Williams

Liberal Democrats:

. . . on behalf of all of the Welsh Liberal Democrat candidates.

We have always been fully committed to furthering Welsh medium education in RCT.  I am a former Cabinet Member for education in RCT – when I was with Plaid Cymru some twelve years ago.  At that time the discussion was ongoing as to the location of the replacement for Rhydyfelin.  I held a variety of meetings with all welsh Medium Headteachers in the county to discuss that and the overall provision.  I moved on from Plaid and that position before the school decision was finally made.  It is in the wrong place - it is taking pupils from the western side of the constituency, away from YG Llanhari.  It was widely agreed by those in the profession that it should have been more towards Pontypridd, either in Rhydfelen or near the location of Coedylan (Pontypridd High).

The decline in numbers at YG Llanhari has led to what we would consider to be a downgrading of the provision there under the new plans.  Garth Olwg will not be able to accommodate the increasing numbers of pupils and Llanhari longer term may not be equipped to.  There is little scope for expansion at Cymmer.

Primary school provision is equally haphazard.  We welcome the new provision at Llanhari, but it appears to be a last minute thought rather than part of a longer term plan.  The new school at Miskin was supposed to be an extra school, not as it turned out a replacement for YGG Llantrisant.

Evan James is in an appalling state physically and badly located.  Although we recognise the emotions attached to any school, and the consternation any talk of moving can cause, we think that opportunities have been missed to expand and provide better accommodation.  English Medium schools have been closed and the site sold on to developers, or in some cases left empty.  Why couldn’t we have had extended Welsh Medium provision for example at Graig Y Wion school?

As a Party locally we were very involved in the campaign against the name change of Ysgol Gyfun Rhydyfelin.  There was overwhelming opposition to it from pupils, parents, staff, governors and a whole range of others who valued the history behind the name.  It was Welsh Liberal Democrat Councillors who put forward a motion to Council to keep the name but the ruling group did not want to listen.

We have also been strong opponents of any moves to close sixth forms across RCT and replace them with tertiary colleges.  We believe pupils should have choice, and we value the influence that sixth forms have in our schools.  We also appreciate the detrimental effect that it would have on Welsh Medium education at post sixteen level.

In short then the Welsh Liberal Democrats have no hesitation in supporting your aims, indeed they have been part of our manifesto for some considerable time, and we will continue to press for a fairer deal for pupils no matter what language they choose to be educated in.

Karen Roberts
Campaign Manager RCT Welsh Liberal Democrats

Conservatives:

Many thanks for the email.  Yes I will gladly support your proposals and would, elected or not, like to become involved in your campaign .  It is ridiculous as well as scandelous that children living within the catchment area of Llantrisant are being refused school places.  As Chairperson of Pontypridd Welsh Conservatives Policy Forum Group I am keen to address these issues by holding public meetings and transforming discussions into Policy Papers which will then be sent to Westminster and Welsh Assembly. 

Ann-Marie Mason.
_             _             _             _             _             _             _             _             _

Thank you for your letter dated 14/04/2012, after reading this and further investigation; I can say that I fully support you and if elected I would be more than happy to help in any way I can. Although I am not a Welsh speaker, I am currently taking evening classes to become fluent and I believe the Welsh language is very important. If you would like to speak further on this issue, please do not hesitate to contact me on the number or email address below.

Gregory Zuckerman

Independents:

Shawn Stevens, Tonyrefail
You can be assured that I fully support Welsh Medium education throughout the county.
_             _             _             _             _             _             _             _             _

Paul Baccara, Talbot Green

As always - you have my full support and action must be taken to resolve this situation. After the election, if re-elected, I will put my full weight behind your campaign.

Here’s our RhAG RCT manifesto that we’ve been sending out to council election candidates.

Dyma manifesto RhAG RCT ry ni wedi bod yn anfon mas:

For Rhondda Cynon Taf Local Authority to fully support and promote Welsh Medium education across the county, and in particular:

 1) Fully support the authority's Welsh Medium developments in the Rhondda and Cynon areas, ensuring that the developments provide additional schools, that are suitably located.

2) Fully support the proposal to re-house YGG Tonyrefail, and demand that the proposal is for an increased capacity school of 1.5 or 2 form entry.

 3) Further increase capacity in Welsh Medium primary places in the South of the county. In particular, to allow children from within the YGGG Llantrisant catchments, who are being refused places at the school, to attend their local school.

 4) Develop plans for the LEA to survey the demand for Welsh Medium places every 2 years.

     -     -     -     - - -     - - -     - - -     - - -     - - -     - - -     - - -     - - -     - - -     - - -     -    -    -    

 Gelwir ar Gyngor Rhondda Cynon Taf i gefnogi a hyrwyddo addysg gyfrwng Cymraeg ar draws yr ardal, ac yn enwedig:

 1) Cefnogi'n llawn y datblygiadau cyfrwng Cymrag arfaethedig yn ardaloedd Rhondda a Chynon, gan sicrhau bod y datblygiadau hyn yn arwain at ysgolion ychwanegol sy mewn lleoliadau addas.

 2) Cefnogi'n llawn yr argymhelliad i gael adeilad newydd i YGG Tonyrefail, gan sicrhau bod dau ddosbarth mynediad, yn hytrach na'r 1.5 presennol.

 3) Cynyddu ymhellach nifer y llefydd cyfrwng Cymraeg yn ne'r sir, yn arbennig i ganiatau mynediad i blant sy'n byw o fewn dalgylch YGGG Llantrisant.

 4) Datblygu cynlluniau'r Awdurdod Addysg i wneud arolwg o'r galw am addysg gyfrwng Cymraeg bob dwy flynedd.