‘ONE voice for choice’ was the rallying cry following a public meeting about sixth form provision in Haverfordwest on Monday (March 2).

Around 500 people attended a meeting at Sir Thomas Picton School (STP) called after Pembrokeshire County Council announced proposals which would see both STP and Tasker Milward School lose their sixth forms and a new centre developed at Pembrokeshire College.

All those attending and more were encouraged to protest outside County Hall tomorrow morning (Thursday, March 5) from 8am when councillors attend their Full Council meeting.

It was time to make ‘voices heard’ was the message at the well attended meeting.

The proposals are to discontinue both schools and establish a new 11-16 English medium secondary school on the STP site and develop a new 3-16 Welsh medium/bilingual school on the Tasker’s site.

Parents and governors were joined by past, present and future pupils at the meeting to voice serious concerns that choice was being taken away from the young people of Haverfordwest and the surrounding area.

Paul Lucas, chairman of Tasker Milward School Governors spoke on behalf of both schools and he called on everyone involved with the schools now or who will be in the future to seriously consider what is on offer and make sure their voices are heard during the consultation process due to start on March 23.

He added that it would be an “injustice to the younger generation if that choice was removed”.

Mr Lucas highlighted the importance of a sixth form within a school’s ability to nurture children and identify strengths and weakness through their school career which resulted in better outcomes for pupils.

“The governors are prepared to accept a Welsh medium school in the town together with a new 21 Century school on this site, both sets of governors are pragmatic enough to know that change is necessary but are horrified at the thought sixth form opportunity to be lost from the new school and will continue to press for complete 1q1-19 provision on this site,” added Mr Lucas.

Many of the people address the meeting, including governors from both schools and head boys and girls highlighted that during the previous consultation carried out by the council all proposals referred to 11-19 education.

Serious questions were raised about how long discussions had been ongoing with Pembrokeshire College to provide an integrated centre and criticisms were made about the sudden introduction of the 11-16 proposal.

Former Haverfordwest Town Councillor Peter Lewis said that the consultation had come up with five options which all referred to an 11-19 school but now there was a “massive shift in emphasis”.

“We should not only tell them we want the sixth form but we want an explanation as to how this change has come about. What has been going one parallel to the public consultation with the college and the county council? There’s something wrong, there’s something rotten in the state of Denmark when you’ve got public consultation and private discussions going on,” he added.

Reference was also made to the new Pembroke school campus with questions raised about whether the loss of south county pupils from the college was being counteracted by shifting Haverfordwest pupils to the college.

County councillor Paul Miller, one of a number of local members in attendance including Cllrs David Bryan and Tom Tudor, attended sixth form at STP.

He said: “This whole reorganisation has been in planning for a long time, they’re not up front at County Hall as we know. It’s linked to the Pembroke campus; they’re going to lose people when that opens.

“This is a quid pro quo to increase numbers at the college.

“Choice is the key word for me, if this sixth form closes as does those at St Davids and Fishguard there’s no choice whatsoever and I don’t think that’s a better future for the children of this county.”

Current pupils also raised their own concerns including the potential loss of sports facilities and peripatetic music.

Tasker’s pupil Ben Richards, a trumpeter and pianist, said without music lessons, orchestras and ensembles many pupils would give up music or a least their progress would be curtailed.

Pupils have been proactive in the campaign to retain a sixth form, setting up Facebook groups ‘Haverfordwest Pupils Demand a Sixth-Form’ and ‘Save our Sixth Form Pembrokeshire’, holding joint assemblies and school council meetings as well as pushing for greater discussion.

STP head boy Paul Jenkins said: “Two months ago we were told we were not allowed a sixth form. We think staff and pupils in both schools deserve better than this.”

A public consultation is due to start on March 23 for six weeks and people are encouraged to let the council know their views. Responses made before or after the consultation will not be included the meeting was told.