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Governors want to scrap teaching pupils through the medium of English at a school.

Last week Ysgol Bro Hyddgen decided in principle to scrap the English stream for reception pupils aged 4-5 because of a lack of demand and the cost after only four out of 26 wanted to enrol.

Presently the school has around 600 pupils aged 4-18 on two separate sites - a primary and secondary - with work expected to start soon on a new £23m replacement super school on the secondary site.

In a letter from assistant head Haf ap Robert last week parents were told it was “the governors’ decision to ensure the children of Machynlleth have equal opportunity to the advantages of bilingual education.

“This means that from September every child in the Reception Year will be taught through the medium of Welsh.”

The school and Powys council will support non-Welsh speaking parents by informing them of classes to learn and improve their Welsh.

However, mum-of-three Aimee Roberts, whose two eldest boys are already being taught at the school through the medium of Welsh, with a third to start in September, said the letter had come “out of the blue” and without consultation.

(Image: Daily Post Wales)

She said they had chosen to send their children to the school knowing that if they struggled with Welsh they would have the choice of changing over to the English stream.

Former teacher Llinos Griffith, who taught in Welsh at Ysgol Gynradd Machynlleth, said: “With the continuing staff cuts at the school, is this a way of slowly phasing out the English stream and saving money at the school?”

Huw Morgan, chairman of governors, said: “We sympathise with parents who were hoping to send their children to the English stream and who have been told the school is to end the English stream in September for children aged 4-5.”

He said, however, that the English stream would otherwise continue.

(Image: Daily Post Wales)

Mr Morgan said: “The reason the governors took the decision in principle was that at present only three had signed up for it (English stream) with 20-30 in the Welsh stream.

“There are only a handful of pupils in the English stream and with money being so scarce and teachers losing their jobs, it is very difficult to run the English stream.

"The numbers enrolling in the English stream are very small and unsustainable.”

They are so small that different age groups now have to join together to make up a class.

He said: “You need a class of 20 or otherwise it’s only a handful in a room.”

In a typical year, he said, 5-6 pupils enrol for the English stream with 40 in the Welsh stream.

Mr Morgan said: “In the long-term, I can see the school having a bilingual stream.”

He added that the school was looking forward positively towards the future and that it would be “fantastic” if Powys set up a language ‘immersion’ centre for children and parents moving to Wales from England or elsewhere as there are in Gwynedd and Ceredigion.

The final enrollment figures will be available on Friday and a governors meeting will be held next week.

A Powys Council spokesman said the school has to react to the numbers and that it was a management decision for the school itself.

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