Press Release on behalf of the Trustees of the Diocese of Menevia
The Bishop of Menevia, Tom Burns, Chair of Trustees of the Diocese of Menevia stated yesterday that the Diocese will not be asking the Welsh Government to finance a renowned Sixth-Form Centre at the expense of other Catholic schools in the Neath-Port Talbot area of South Wales.
Heads and Chairs of Governing Bodies in all Catholic Schools in the Neath-Port Talbot area received a letter from Steve Phillips, Chief Executive of Neath Port Talbot, explaining that NPT will not support the retention of the sixth-form at St Joseph’s Catholic Comprehensive School and Sixth-Form Centre at the expense of other schools in the area, despite the Sixth-Form’s excellent reputation.
Bishop Tom said:
“The Trustees are aware that this will cause much anguish and disappointment to St Joseph’s Comprehensive staff, parents and pupils, and that despite the ‘specific difference’ in Catholic ethos and environment that St Joseph’s School and Sixth-Form has to offer, the Diocesan Trustees will not support an application to the Welsh Government for retention of the Sixth-Form, where that risks jeopardising other children between three and 16 years of age.
“The Diocese greatly regrets NPT’s proposal to remove the Sixth-Form, but, rather than put its other age-groups in jeopardy, the Diocese is determined to retain its Infant, Junior and Secondary schools for ages 3-11 in the Port Talbot area, which will benefit from a re-build or upgrading of their premises.”
dioceseofmenevia.org
Official website for the Diocese of Menevia
