Welsh language education legislation becomes law
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BBC News
6 minutes ago
- BBC News
Llanelli Ysgol Heol Goffa replacement approved in £35m plan
A £35m additional learning needs school accommodating up to 150 pupils has been approved by a Welsh council, with the existing school described by a school governor as "not fit for purpose". Plans to replace Ysgol Heol Goffa, Llanelli, were originally cancelled by Carmarthenshire council over rising costs - eight years after it first committed to build a new £10m public pressure the council commissioned an independent report into special education provision in the Llanelli area and has now backed plans for a new school costing between £28 and £ of school governors Owen Jenkins said the school community would be "delighted", but warned: "We were here eight years ago". Mr Jenkins said 133 pupils with additional learning needs would return to the old school in September, in a building he said was not "fit for purpose"."Our pupils deserve the provision that they are entitled to," he added. "We'll be pressing the local authority for a rigid timescale so we can know when the first spade will go into the ground. "Pupils are crying out and our staff as well."Following a vote by the council cabinet, Glynog Davies, cabinet member for education, said the "new and enlarged" Ysgol Heol Goffa could be built more quickly than the one proposed eight years ago. Davies described the new plan as "a much better outcome for pupils, parents and staff".A new 150-pupil school was more "achievable", he added, than the alternative option of building a 250-pupil members had previously supported two options outlined in the report to replace the oversubscribed Ysgol Heol Goffa, but requested further details on costs and design and Alex Dakin, whose seven-year-old son Jac attends the school, said they were relieved after the decision. "It won't undo the years our son Jac has spent in a building that can't meet his needs, but at least now there's hope he'll experience some of his school years in a setting that truly supports him," they said."That said, the new school must be built immediately - any more delays would be totally unacceptable."School head Ceri Hopkins said she looked forward to working with the council on an innovative school design. "Our courageous and creative curriculum is designed to break glass ceilings and inspire aspiration in every learner," she said."The new setting will support this by meeting all learning, physical and medical needs," she added. Council leader Darren Price said it was a "really positive day" for education in Llanelli, while admitting "the last few months had been difficult".He declined to say when the new school would be open."We need to put forward the business case to Welsh government and get that financial sign off." "All the statutory hurdles will get done as soon as possible," he added. "You don't build a school overnight." He added the process will take time, but would be done "as soon as possible"."Any new school plans will require financial backing from the Welsh government, which is expected to fund the majority of the Welsh government declined to provide a timeline for funding approval, but a spokesperson said it was "up to the local authority to manage the timescales of moving through each stage of the business case process".
Leader Live
7 minutes ago
- Leader Live
It is not my job to dictate what you can create, says Swinney on eve of festival
He addressed invited guests at the headquarters of the Edinburgh International Festival as the capital's festival season is set to begin. Mr Swinney told the audience on Thursday he would be a protector of freedom of speech in his time in the top job. 'I also know that freedom of expressing is under greater and greater attack, both at home and abroad,' he said. 'I want to ensure that Scotland, the birthplace of the Enlightenment, remains a country of robust debate and inquiry. 'I firmly believe that art and culture must be able to challenge us, to ask us tough questions, and to force us to look at things from different perspectives. 'And, yes, it must, at times, be allowed to shock and offend us, but it can also heal us. 'Let me be absolutely clear – as First Minister, I will always protect freedom of speech in our country. 'It's not the First Minister's job to tell you what to create, nor would I ever seek to do so.' Mr Swinney added that his and his Government's role is to assist artists in any way they can. The First Minister went on to make a plea to the crowd and to wider society – with a particular nod to tech firms – to look at how the arts can be better supported financially as the Government looks to boost funding to £100 million annually in the coming years. 'I'm asking that from crowdfunding to patronage, to philanthropy to local authority support and much more, we all ask ourselves how can we do more to support the arts from the grassroots up?' he said. 'How can we better support emerging artists that don't necessarily fit the current mould? 'And how, in particular, can Scotland's emerging businesses in new sectors become the new generation of patrons of the arts and culture in Scotland? 'How do we incentivise a new guard of custodians and investors in Scotland's creative economy?' Speaking to journalists after his speech, Mr Swinney said he is open to discussions about new legislation to support the cultural sector. He said there is a sense that local authorities 'might not have a particularly explicit statutory duty to support artistic and cultural activity', suggesting this area 'might need to be strengthened'.
The Herald Scotland
8 minutes ago
- The Herald Scotland
It is not my job to dictate what you can create, says Swinney on eve of festival
Mr Swinney told the audience on Thursday he would be a protector of freedom of speech in his time in the top job. 'I also know that freedom of expressing is under greater and greater attack, both at home and abroad,' he said. 'I want to ensure that Scotland, the birthplace of the Enlightenment, remains a country of robust debate and inquiry. John Swinney spoke at the Edinburgh International Festival Hub (Jane Barlow/PA) 'I firmly believe that art and culture must be able to challenge us, to ask us tough questions, and to force us to look at things from different perspectives. 'And, yes, it must, at times, be allowed to shock and offend us, but it can also heal us. 'Let me be absolutely clear – as First Minister, I will always protect freedom of speech in our country. 'It's not the First Minister's job to tell you what to create, nor would I ever seek to do so.' Mr Swinney added that his and his Government's role is to assist artists in any way they can. The First Minister went on to make a plea to the crowd and to wider society – with a particular nod to tech firms – to look at how the arts can be better supported financially as the Government looks to boost funding to £100 million annually in the coming years. The First Minister attended an event on the eve of the start of Edinburgh's festival season (Jane Barlow/PA) 'I'm asking that from crowdfunding to patronage, to philanthropy to local authority support and much more, we all ask ourselves how can we do more to support the arts from the grassroots up?' he said. 'How can we better support emerging artists that don't necessarily fit the current mould? 'And how, in particular, can Scotland's emerging businesses in new sectors become the new generation of patrons of the arts and culture in Scotland? 'How do we incentivise a new guard of custodians and investors in Scotland's creative economy?' Speaking to journalists after his speech, Mr Swinney said he is open to discussions about new legislation to support the cultural sector. He said there is a sense that local authorities 'might not have a particularly explicit statutory duty to support artistic and cultural activity', suggesting this area 'might need to be strengthened'.
