(Copy of a letter sent to all county councillors)

AFTER the debacle of Thursday’s extraordinary council meeting, I realise that another cunning plan is festering in the background, to solve all our educational ills.

It appears to be based solely preserving the needs of a minority group. How clearly do certain people need to be told?

There will be an 11 to 19, school based education system in Haverfordwest. Any further plans we put forward must recognise this, full stop.

Apparently the new plan, which was hinted at several times, is to reduce all Pembrokeshire schools to an 11-16 status. Rubbish! To intimate there are no other possible alternative models is disingenuous.

We should never jump again before things are careful thought through by all.

Our so called plans and their abject failure for post-16 education should by now have concentrated our minds on what is possible and what should be off the table. Failure again is not an option. We must get it right this time.

Why are we still pushing Pembrokeshire College as the so called hub? I agree, the college has its place. It offers a good vocational education and an alternative for those students who do not want to continue within a school environment.

My daughter is considering doing her A-levels there, that is because she has choice which system to use being from Pembroke. Personally I still perceive the college as failing in several ways, especially in its academic A-level provision. I do not like its style of management and its lack of accountability. Still, we insist on seeing them as a major provider for A-level courses for the county.

Semantically the new proposition is either wrong or badly worded. None of the schools will be 11-16. If they have any sixth form provision at all, then they are classed by government, as 11- 19 schools. I suspect that the real reason for this is to allow change gradually through the back door and so out of our control.

A simple model to use, if we have to undertake this 30 A-level rule outlined by the Welsh Assembly; is to federate the sixth forms, to provide all other A-levels outside those core A-levels highlighted by the Russell Group of Universities.

Simplistically the sixth forms that should federate are: 1. Pembroke –- Greenhill; 2. Haverfordwest – Milford; 3. Preseli – Fishguard/St David’s, with interaction between areas due to the logistics and the Welsh language.

Over a period of time this may simplify further as required by the forces of supply and demand.

This is a much cleaner, cheaper model and preserves our school sixth forms. It does not involve the college as a focus. The students will also be generally in their own areas. This will be far more palatable to our communities.

The students will have to travel far less. This will greatly aid their willingness and ability to learn.

Obviously this is, as I see it;, yet another suggestion that has more to recommend it than the one being bandied about today. We should relook at every option from the purely educational based to the status quo. As the elected members we need to again consider all possibilities carefully. This must not be the sole preserve of the education department or a ruling cabal.

There must be proper, honest and open dialogue with those that mater. We made a major error last time. We should not be presenting one option before all others. Cunning, shallow and expedient plans have no place this time!

As a council we need to narrow these plans down to two preferred models, Models that recognise the majority view expressed so far. These then must be present to our communities and be debated, tuned and refined by all.

I suggest, if possible, some form of referendum is used to pick the preferred option from the two models presented.

I am sure it is at least feasible for the all present students and parents to show their preference.

It could even be used as the final and binding round of the consultation process. At least then there will be no argument against the plan picked, as it will be the one picked by the majority.

Finally I take exception to the south of the county being drawn into the ills of the rest of the county. Pembroke was promised a transformational new school with a vocational centre as an integral part.

I now hear that it is not the college who are the problem.

It is again a small group who are intent on getting their own way by using Pembroke’s vocational centre as a stick. This must not happen again! The loss of the vocational element of Pembroke was mentioned several times in the options presented today.

Whoever put forward the options did not have the right to do this. Yes, it is agreed that to get progress then their needs to be two phases of building at Pembroke. But to drop the vocational aspect of the new Pembroke Campus is only a decision full council can make. I expect it not to be used in any further discussion regarding the resolution Haverfordwest post- 16 provision.

CLLR JONATHAN NUTTING

Pembrokeshire County Council