Backlash after councillor calls for cost-cutting rural schools axe

'HE LACKS UNDERSTANDING FOR THE AREA HE IS REPRESENTING'

- By RICHARD EVANS

AN ABERGELE councillor has been slammed for proposing to shut rural schools with small numbers of pupils.

This week, Cllr Paul Luckock doubled down on his view that rural schools with less than 120 pupils should close, arguing children should attend centralised schools instead.

As reported in yesterday's Daily Post, the Abergele member pointed to the fact that some rural schools were receiving nearly £14,000 per pupil compared to those on the coast receiving less than £4,000 a head.

And Cllr Luckock even named Ysgol Ysbyty Ifan as a school where it was "not rational" to keep it open, due to the fact it only has 14 pupils.