NEATH PORT TALBOT AND THE REGIONAL SCHOOL IMPROVEMENT CONSORTIUM (ERW) / CASTELL-NEDD PORT TALBOT A’R CONSORTIWN GWELLA YSGOLION RHANBARTHOL (ERW)

Neath Port Talbot Council has today confirmed that, subject to a Cabinet decision next week (27 March), it will serve notice to withdraw from the Regional School Improvement Consortium, ERW, with effect from 31 March 2020. However, it retains the right to withdraw this notice at any time during its 12 month period.

Councillor Rob Jones, Leader of Council, said:

“This Council has consistently raised, for well over a year, major concerns about the governance, quality and financial aspects of how the consortium operates.

It is most regrettable that these issues have not been definitively addressed, leaving us with no choice but to exercise the withdrawal option which will be debated in Cabinet next week. I set out our position very clearly at the last meeting of the Joint Committee on 8 February, so this should be no surprise to anyone”.

Councillor Peter Rees, Cabinet Member for Education, Leisure and Lifelong Learning added:

“We are not contemplating this decision lightly; but Head Teachers in our schools have consistently told us about their concerns regarding ERW’s operations and lack of direct benefit to our schools.

Some good work has been done over the last six months or so within ERW, but the proposal as it stands today is to quadruple our annual contribution to the consortium at a time when we are trying to get every last penny into our classrooms.  This is not acceptable, particularly at a time of acute pressure on budgets and the major challenge represented by curriculum reform”.

The Council also underlined that it had concerns about the increased risk of redundancy for its staff as a consequence of the proposal to divert more core Council funding to ERW.  The Council also regrets that a well-reasoned proposal from the Chair of the ERW Joint Committee, dated 11 February, has received no substantive response from the Welsh Government at the time the report was issued.

CASTELL-NEDD PORT TALBOT A’R CONSORTIWN GWELLA YSGOLION RHANBARTHOL (ERW)

Mae Cyngor Castell-nedd Port Talbot wedicadarnhauheddiw, ynamodolarbenderfyniad y Cabinet yrwythnosnesaf (27 Mawrth), y byddynrhoihysbysiad i dynnu’nôlo’rConsortiwmGwellaYsgolionRhanbarthol, ERW, yneffeithiol o 31 Mawrth 2020. Foddbynnag, rydymyncadw’rhawl i dynnu’rhysbysiadhwnyneiôlarunrhywadegynystodeigyfnod o 12 mis.

Meddai’rCynghorydd Rob Jones, Arweinydd y Cyngor,

“Mae’rcyngorhwnwedimynegipryderonmawryngyson, am ymhelldrosflwyddyn, ynghylchyragweddaullywodraethu, ansawdd ac ariannolarsutmae’rconsortiwmyngweithredu.

Mae’nanffodusnadaedi’rafaelâ’rmaterionhynynderfynol, ganeingadaelhebddewisond i ddewisyropsiwn o dynnu’nôl a chaiffhyneidrafodyngnghyfarfod y Cabinet yrwythnosnesaf. Gosodaiseinsefyllfa’ngliriawnyngnghyfarfoddiwethaf y Cyd-bwyllgorar 8 Chwefror, felly niddylaihynsynnu neb”.

Ychwanegodd y Cynghorydd Peter Rees, Aelod y Cabinet drosAddysg, Hamdden a DysguGydolOes,

“Nidydymynystyried y penderfyniadhwnynysgafn; ondmaepenaethiaidyneinhysgolionwedirhoigwybod i ni’ngyson am eupryderonynghylchgweithrediadau ERW a diffygbudduniongyrcholi’nhysgolion.

Mae pethgwaith da wedi’iwneudynystod y chwemisdiwethafgan ERW, ond y cynnigfel y maeefheddiwywpedwaru’ncyfraniadblynyddoli’rconsortiwmaradeg pan rydymynceisioneilltuopobceiniogargyfereinhystafelloedddosbarth.  Mae hynynannerbyniol, ynenwedigaradeg pan fopwysaumawrargyllidebau a diwygio’rcwricwlwmyncynrychioli her sylweddol”.

Pwysleisiodd y cyngorhefydfodganddobryderonynghylch y risguwcho’i staff yncolliswyddi o ganlyniadi’rcynnig i ddargyfeiriomwy o gyllidcraidd y cyngor i ERW.  Mae’nofidi’rcyngorhefydnachafwydymatebsylweddolganLywodraethCymru i gynnigrhesymegolganGadeiryddCyd-bwyllgor ERW, dyddiedig 11 Chwefror, aryradeg y cyhoeddwydyradroddiad.