Families protest outside the committee meeting

Pembrokeshire County Council's education committee deemed the two Welsh medium schools - with fewer than 30 pupils - too expensive to run and that youngsters would have a better education in the area schools.

A final decision will have to be taken by the full council.

The campaign to keep open Moylegrove's 130-year-old Ysgol Trewyddel has been backed by Preseli AM Richard Edwards, the Archbishop of Wales Dr Rowan Williams and the BBC journalist John Humphrys.

Education committee members endorsed the closure recommendations despite the meeting in Haverfordwest on Thursday being lobbied by parents and governors.

The recommendations were made by Education Director Gerson Davies, who as a child attended Dinas School.

Unfilled places

Unless the appeal to the assembly is successful, Ysgol Trewyddel is expected to close at the end of August 2003.

Up to seven small primary schools in the county face an uncertain future following the local education authority's decision to consider closing those with fewer than 57 pupils to create larger area schools.

An education committee report in January showed that the three smallest schools in the county had a cost per pupil which was considerably more than the average for schools in Pembrokeshire.

An Audit Commission report three years ago said Pembrokeshire had 2,800 unfilled places in its schools and could save up to �370,000 per year by cutting its capacity by 2,000 pupil places.