Montgomeryshire AM Mick Bates has welcomed the announcement that a shortlist of possible options for the future structure of Powys’ pre and post 16 education has been identified by Powys County Council.
In June the county council published an in-depth report outlining the challenges facing the existing secondary and post 16 education as part of the ‘school modernisation’ initiative. The strategic case, which was open to wide-ranging public consultation, set out the challenges facing education and identified a number of models for the future management of the county’s secondary and post 16 education.
This week the council’s Learning in the Communities Board approved a short list of options for secondary Pre-16 provision and post 16 provision for further detailed research and costing.
Commenting, Mr Bates said:
“I welcome the work by the council to fully engage and consult over the future for education in Powys and recognise the strength of feeling within our communities on this issue. It is no easy task to balance the need to maintain the excellent high standards of our present structure against changes in education and legislative requirements and reducing resources, but the most crucial thing is to engage the schools, local communities and stakeholders to identify the best way forward.
“Already in Powys we have the excellent ‘Trisgol’ programme, which is an example of innovative, collaborative working to deliver the best range and quality of education. The modernisation programme presents an opportunity for us to explore other models of delivery to find the best fit solution to meet the challenge that both the Welsh language and dispersed rural communities bring. I hope for some positive and constructive discussions over the options that have been identified for further investigation.”
