Parents in Swansea are fighting plans to merge their daughters' school with Wales' only failing school.

Swansea County Council has announced plans to join the all-girls comprehensive, Mynyddbach, with the all-boys Penlan, which was classed as "failing" by education inspectors earlier this year.

Parents of pupils at Mynyddbach say a move to Penlan could only damage their children's education.

The Mynyddbach parents say they accept the merger has to happen so that resources can be best used, but not on Penlan's site.

Success

"I feel that if the schools merge in Penlan, they (Mynyddbach girls) will have the stigma of a bad school," said Jackie Dyer, chairman of Mynyddbach Parent Teachers Association.

The girls school's headmaster, Glyn Davies, was awarded an OBE in recognition of his success in turning the performance of his school around. He is part of the campaign to change the council's mind.

"If you want success, you build on success and we think the current reputation of Mynyddbach both locally and nationally is a good one," said Mr Davies.

"We would hope that by siting the school at Mynyddbach we can build on that success."

Opposition

The education authority says that Penlan is the best site for the merged school, because of its better facilities.

Penlan's headmaster, John Guy, believes parents at Mynyddbach have no need to be concerned.

"This will be a new school, with a new name, a new headmaster and enhanced facilities," he said.

"It will be a vibrant community consisting of girls and boys with staff that they know."

Swansea's council is attempting a major reorganisation of education provision, but their ideas are being met with opposition at every turn.

The argument over the merger looks like just one of several battles between the education authority and Swansea's parent teacher organisations to be fought out over the next twelve months.