The most controversial is the merger of Morfa Juniors and Infants

Eight schools are to be merged into four and another will be demolished and rebuilt.

Meetings were held last autumn to consult parents, teachers and governors over the proposals.

Now BBC News Online has learned the authority's education directors want to proceed with the changes.

A report will go before Carmarthenshire council's executive board within weeks and if approved will then be put to a meeting of the full council.

But it will be the Welsh assembly that will have the final say.

Perhaps there are not enough pupils to justify having two schools at the moment but there are a lot of houses being built here and who can say what will happen in the future Morfa school governor Connie Richards

The council says the mergers are aimed at providing 1,200 pupils with better facilities and is part of a huge investment in primary education in the county.

It says the schools that will close are old and run down and are no longer suitable for teaching youngsters.

Under the reorganisation, Copperworks school will merge with Lakefield, Llwynhendy Juniors with Ysgol Y Ynys, Felinfoel Junior School with Ysgol Y Babanod Infants, Morfa Junior School with Morfa Infants, and Bryn Primary School will be totally rebuilt.

The most controversial is the merger of the two schools in Morfa where parents have voiced their opposition.

Connie Richards, who is a governor at both, said she expected protests at the plans.

"People are dead against it," she said.

"We don't want to lose the infants' school.

Copperworks School will merge with Lakefield under the plans

"We don't want the little ones going to the same school as the 10 and 11-year-olds.

"At the moment the little ones have got their own little play area and their own little garden.

"Perhaps there are not enough pupils to justify having two schools at the moment but there are a lot of houses being built here and who can say what will happen in the future."

A spokeswoman for Carmarthenshire Council said the changes were part of a huge investment in primary education in the county.

In the Amman Valley a new school is now being built for 400 pupils to replace the three existing ones in the area, Garnant, Glanamman and Twyn.

And earlier this year, assembly education minister Jane Davidson approved plans for a new area community school at Llanboidy to replace the existing village school along with Cwmbach, Llangynin and Henllan Amgoed schools.

The spokeswoman said almost �5.5million was also being spent this year on improving other education facilities such as extensions to Penygaer, Stebonheath and Bynea primaries in Llanelli.

Nursery provision is being provided at Pen Y Bigyn Hall, a Family Learning Centre at Felinfoel and extensive refurbishment is taking place at Johnstown C.P. and Ysgol y Ddwylan.