COUNCIL education bosses have been slammed for failing to answer questions on school closures.
Both Denbighshire County Council's life long learning director Hywyn Williams and head of modernising education Jackie Walley were criticised for failing to answer concerns on costs and the criteria used to determine which village schools may close.
The council's Modernising Education agenda, looks at closing or merging seven primary schools in the Edeyrnion area : Ysgol Betws Gwerfil Goch, Ysgol Bro Elwern, Ysgol Caer Drewyn, Ysgol Carrog, Ysgol Glyndyfrdwy, Ysgol Llandrillo and Ysgol Maes Hyfryd.
Businessman David Cowan, who owns a guesthouse in Corwen spent over two weeks looking into educational statistics, guidelines, policies, procedures and rules.
"Two hours with Jackie Walley and her assistant, Hedd Vaughan Evans, 15 plus calls to the Welsh Assembly and countless hours on the internet - I’ve learned a whole new language," said Mr Cowan, whose partner was a former governor and parent at Ysgol Carrog.
"Director Hywyn Williams said at the Carrog meeting that there was severe pressure on his education budget.
"Yet money from the Welsh Assembly for education continues to increase.
"The provisional 2011/12 grant settlement includes an extra one to three per cent for 'educational needs' although, alas, the total settlement is down 1.7 per cent."
Mr Cowan said it was clear that Denbighshire County Council has 'educational problems to solve'.
"But I am beginning to wonder what all the fuss is about," he said.
"The seven small Edeyrnion schools seem to be the least of the council’s problems.
"Denbighshire funds £36,777,299 for primary schools in the county.
"It funds £1,838,000 for the seven Edeyrnion schools - which represent 4.9 per cent of the primary schools funding.
"If Denbighshire saved 20 per cent of the Edeyrnion schools’ budgets, with a slash-and-burn policy on smaller schools, the amount saved would be less than one per cent of the county’s primary schools budget.
"So this school closure review is clearly not about money: it’s all about education bureaucrats forcing their beliefs on councillors, parents and children alike," he added.
Mr Cowan believes that Denbighshire education officers want two area school in Edeyrnion: one based at Ysgol Caer Drewyn and the other at Ysgol Maes Hyfryd in Cynwyd.
"But having settled on this bog-standard solution they realised they couldn’t possibly raise the many millions required to deliver it,” he argued.
"Following discussion at cabinet level a real dog’s breakfast of a solution was proposed for consultation: retain the two preferred schools, for development, and publish a set of convoluted subjective 'objectives' which can’t be met without closing some of the other five schools.
Mr Cowan said if Mr Williams or Ms Walley answer the questions asked, then more work on the planned consultation workshops would be 'worthwhile'.
"If not, then we all know the pattern of behaviour that follows in the higher officer echelons of Denbighshire County Council," he added.
“If you don’t agree with them, or keep quiet, they just ignore you.
"I think they call it 'local democracy!”
Last night Ms Walley hit back saying: "The key driver for reviewing schools in the Edeyrnion area has always been to ensure that we are able to sustain and safeguard standards of education within the area for years to come.
"In order to do this there are a number of risks that we need to address.
"Headteacher recruitment is a real issue for us and if we are unable to recruit permanent headteachers in the future this could have implications on the standard of education across the area.
"We have to consider requests by two schools in the area to increase their bilingual nature and consider what the impact of such a change could have on neighbouring schools.
"We need to address the high levels of surplus places that exist over the seven schools so that we are in a stronger position to attract capital funding from the Welsh Assembly to maintain and improve our school buildings and facilities.
"This is a challenging financial climate for local authorities and any proposals that we consider will need to reflect this position.
"No decision has been made other than to engage with parents and local communities about the issues we face in sustaining and safeguarding education in the Edeyrnion area and we will listen to any view presented or options put forward throughout this initial consultation period,” she added.