Multi-million pound plans to build and refurbish schools in Swansea Bay have been backed by the Welsh Government.
Announcing the latest package of school funding, part of a £1.4 billion investment across Wales, Education Minister Leighton Andrews said it would ensure pupils had the best learning environments to help drive up standards and meet changing needs.
The funding is part of the the Welsh Government's 21st Century Schools programme.
£51 million will be ploughed into Swansea's schools. As well as three new primary schools the cash will also pay for significant upgrades at other schools including Pentrehafod comprehensive.
The projects are all part of Swansea's Quality in Education (QEd) 2020 programme which is aimed at improving schools, raising standards and making better use of resources.
The proposals for three new schools would provide a single school replacement for Cwmbwrla and Manselton primary schools on a new site, a new school on a new site for Gowerton primary as well as a new primary school for Gorseinon.
Also proposed is a major upgrade for Pentrehafod Comprehensive and YGG Lon-las as well as a range of smaller-scale improvements at other schools including Pentre'r Graig, Glyncollen and Newton primary schools as part of the continuing county-wide QEd 2020 programme.
QEd 2020 has already seen range of improvements at schools across the city. Currently Cefn Hengoed Community School and Morriston Comprehensive School are benefiting from more than £35 million of improvements.
More than £90 million is on its way to help breath new life into many of Neath Port Talbot's schools.
Neath Port Talbot had applied for £92 million to help build: a three to 16 school on a new site to replace Glanafan, Cwrt Sart and Sandfields Comprehensive schools and Traethmelyn Primary schools which would close; a new three to 11 school on the existing Glanymor Primary school site, to replace Glanymor and Tirmorfa primary schools which will close; a new Welsh Medium secondary school on the site of the vacated Sandfields Comprehensive school and federate with a reconfigured 11 to 18 YG Ystalyfera; a new three to 16 faith school on the existing St Joseph's Comprehensive school site, to replace St Joseph's Infant, Junior and Comprehensive; the roll out of the NPT ICT Learning Gateway; and a new build 21st century three to 11 school (Phase 1) in the Coed Darcy urban village.
£87 million of new money will mean that a dozen schools in Carmarthenshire can be built or refurbished.
The Government funding when added to money from Carmarthenshire Council should allow £151 million to be spent on county schools by 2020.
In Llanelli it will allow the £14 million merger of Copperworks and Lakefield schools to create the long-planned new Seaside school, according to a copy of the council’s submission to the Government. Upgrades to secondary schools at Strade, Coedcae, St John Lloyd, and Llanelli Vocational Village are now also funded.
There will be £2.5million for the merger of Burry Port Infant and Junior Schools, £4.5 million for reconstructing Carreg Hirfaen and £6.5million for rebuilding Trimsaran.
Proposals for Ammanford have been backed which, according to the submission, involved the closure of Ammanford Nursery, Bro Banw and Gymraeg Rhydaman with two new primaries, one English and one Welsh, replacing them at a cost of £15million.
Mr Andrews said: "This announcement will ensure that we continue to provide the best learning environments for our pupils — helping us to drive up standards across our schools and meet the changing needs of learners
"Securing capital investment in these difficult economic times is essential, not only for better education outcomes, but for the continued support of our construction industry and the growth of our economy.
"We will now work together with our partners in local government to take this programme forwards and deliver the first wave of a long-term programme of investment."
South Wales Evening Post - Thursday, 8 December, 2011.
