🏫 **Low School Attendance in Carmarthenshire: What’s Being Done?**
Carmarthenshire is hitting the headlines with its unexpectedly low school attendance rates, the lowest in all of Wales! 📉 At a recent council meeting, officials revealed that secondary schools in the area have attendance rates of just 88%, while primary schools are slightly better at 92.7%. Not far off the national average, but it places them 22nd out of 22 counties. 🚸
Owain Lloyd, the Director of Education, admits this is a top priority and acknowledges some progress, but emphasises the need for consistency countywide. Factors like additional learning needs, behavioural issues, and a growing number of home-educated children (694 as of the end of last school year) complicate matters. 📚
There’s a rising trend of home education, particularly in west Wales, with some parents feeling the school curriculum isn’t engaging enough. One parent, Deborah Elias, finds the negativity around home education “quite frustrating” but insists it’s beneficial for her daughter. 👩🏫
The council is also tackling other challenges, including financial deficits and decreasing pupil numbers. Plans to revamp local schools are underway, with three major projects aiming for completion in the next five years:
1. **Ysgol Heol Goffa**, a new 150-pupil special school in Llanelli, costing around £35 million.
2. **Ysgol Gwenllian** in Kidwelly, accommodating 210 pupils, plus a nursery, at an estimated £15 million.
3. **Ysgol Dewi Sant**, a proposed Welsh medium primary in Llanelli, with a £25 million price tag, currently under feasibility study. 🛠️
Stay tuned for more updates as the council navigates these significant changes and challenges! 📢✨