Back to School
I went back to my old primary school, Cwm Ifor, last week during the National Assembly’s recess to help pupils with their learning, spending three days at the primary school in my ward, Penyrheol.
I helped children with their reading and maths and was even on dinner duty assisting nursery class pupils with their lunch-boxes and opening their packs of sandwiches.
I sat with individual children helping them with reading, writing and maths and writing down the progress they were making.
As chair of the governors I’m very proud of the school and I was delighted to spend three days volunteering.
The school is always looking for people willing to work with young pupils who need help to improve their learning skills, including reading.
I had all sorts of requests, ranging from children coming up to me and asking me to work with them to another wanting me to tie his laces. It was very enjoyable and very rewarding when you see progress being made.
The £6m Cwm Ifor school opened last year replacing the out-dated 1950s building and it has already made such a huge difference.
Pay Scandal
I was very interested to read the response to a Freedom of Information request made by a resident of the county borough concerning the top officers’ pay hike.
The resident asked the council whether the Labour and Plaid Cymru groups were aware of the reports on pay rises for senior officers before the Senior Remuneration Committee met last September.
The council’s official replied that the Labour Cabinet was aware which means that 10 Labour councillors knew what was being planned before the meeting– and failed to block the rises.
I have noticed comments made by Labour activists who are attempting to re-write history and somehow try and pass the blame for this debacle –which continues to cause such public outrage – on Plaid Cymru.
Observer readers may be interested to know that there are 50 Labour members out of 73 on this authority so we all know where the power lies. Time for Labour to stop digging, perhaps?
It’ll be interesting to see the verdict of the people of Risca East on the pay scandal when they go to the polls on May 2.
Lindsay Whittle
Plaid Cymru AM South Wales East
Can Cllr Whittle inform the humble rate payer which way the Plaid councillor on the panel voted. Labour have rightly faced criticism for this pay award but did the Plaid rep vote for or against? Again I dont expect an answer to this question as I am a mere voter.
Why on earth don't the Plaid Cymru Party come out and end this confusion by saying what they knew and when. How did their man on the renumeration committee vote? The people deserve an answer but they are refusing to tell us.
Any chance of Mr Whittle giving us some info about what he's doing in Cardiff Bay?