The Church in Wales is gearing up for a legal showdown with Pembrokeshire Council over plans to strip a village school of its church status. The church has vowed to fight back, accusing the council of religious discrimination. Ysgol Cilgerran, a Welsh-speaking rural school, currently holds the status of a Church in Wales Voluntary Controlled Primary School. But the council voted to remove this status, despite 97% of feedback opposing it!
A letter from the Diocese of St Davids hints at legal action if the council doesn’t change course. Key concerns include public misinformation and potential discrimination against faith-based schooling. The church warns it won’t offer the school site for a non-church school, making the council’s plan unviable.
This news follows the council’s fire-damaged Manorbier School closure earlier this year, which the Church in Wales blasted as “utterly unconscionable.” They see this move as part of a wider assault on Christian education in Pembrokeshire, a region rich in spiritual heritage.
On the flip side, Wales Humanists welcome the proposal, believing it better reflects local beliefs and promotes inclusivity in education. According to the 2021 Census, almost half of Pembrokeshire’s population identifies as non-religious. With these shifting demographics, the Humanists argue it’s time to rethink the religious character of taxpayer-funded schools to ensure they serve the entire community.
As tensions rise, the community eagerly watches how this will unfold. Will the Church in Wales prevail, or is a shift towards secular education imminent in Pembrokeshire? Watch this space!