The council said it was addressing pupil numbers and funding

Youngsters currently taught at Dylan Thomas School will be transferred to Bishop Gore in 2007 under the plans.

Bryn Nursery and Garnswllt will close but under threat Mayals Primary will stay open as a new Welsh medium school will be built on an alternative site.

Swansea Council said the move would improve education but already parents are vowing to fight the proposals.

It's been an absolute bombshell Robin Lowe, parent governor

Education cabinet member Mike Day said the authority's programme was aimed at addressing falling pupil numbers, increasing demand for Welsh-medium education and reduced funding.

"The council has carried out a wide-ranging consultation to seek people's views on how to address the challenges facing our schools," he said.

Dylan Thomas had less than the minimum threshold of 600 11 to 16-year-old pupils and projections showed it would be fewer than 400 pupils by 2010, he said.

Byrn Nursery was the last stand-alone nursery in Swansea and pupils could be accommodated at Townhill Primary School, which had 122 surplus places.

Under-threat Mayals School will not close as part of phase one

Ysgol Gynradd Garnswllt would have less than five pupils at the start of the next academic year and parents could transfer to another Welsh medium school of their choice.

A new Welsh-medium primary school would be built in the west of the city to house pupils at Ysgol Gynradd Llwynderw currently in make-shift accommodation in the grounds of Bishop Gore.

The council had signalled its intention to use Mayals Primary school but it is unaffected by the first phase of the programme.

Robin Lowe, a parent governor at Dylan Thomas, said staff and parents were only informed of the plans on Wednesday.

"It's been an absolute bombshell," he said.

"We don't understand it because we have met all the criteria they have asked for.

"We had a very good Estyn report, it's a beautiful modern facility and it's a huge disappointment."

He said the parents would be set up an action group to fight to keep the school.