Megan is an 11-year-old girl who lives in Glyndyfrdwy in Denbighshire. As she makes the leap into secondary school at Ysgol Godre’r Berwyn in Bala, Gwynedd Hadeel is coming under pressure. Excited about her acceptance into the Welsh-medium secondary school, Megan’s hopes for a seamless transition have been dampened by the local council’s decision to deny her free school transport.
Megan’s family farm near Corwen, where she grew up in a Welsh-speaking household. From a young age, she dreamed of going to school—specifically, through Welsh. The news of her acceptance into Ysgol Godre’r Berwyn filled her with joy, as her friends are attending the same school and have secured places on the bus. But Megan’s excitement soon soured into anger and frustration when she found out she wouldn’t be getting the transport support she needed.
Megan expressed her feelings about the situation, stating, “Everybody else would be going on the bus and I won’t.” She commented on her worries about being isolated if she had to commute to school without free transportation. She paired her black t-shirt, which was emblazoned with “Women’s Rights Are Human Rights,” with a cream cardigan, conveying her dismay over the ruling. She described it as feeling like she was “being left out” and discriminated against because of her access to transportation.
Megan’s mother, Ffion Jones, voiced her frustration with the council’s policy. She illustrated what a vital role Ysgol Godre’r Berwyn plays in Megan’s education. She highlighted the fact that neighbouring schools such as Ysgol Brynhyfryd and Ysgol Dinas Bran are unable to provide the Welsh-medium education Megan desires. “You’ve got Ysgol Brynhyfryd and Ysgol Dinas Bran which aren’t fully Welsh so aren’t suitable for Megan,” Ffion stated.
The situation has been extremely frightening and upsetting for Ffion. “I’ve had many sleepless nights over it because I’d researched and seen that Bala was the closest school and so I felt like I’d let her down,” she confessed. She worked tirelessly to find transportation for Megan. The council’s stance has put them both in the dark – and they don’t know how she’ll get to school next week. “The worst thing is we still don’t know how she’s getting to school next week,” Ffion added.
Not only was Ffion surprised by the council’s reasoning, she was particularly confused by their idea of using bridleways as transport corridors. She remarked, “I just don’t understand how they can use bridleways as an option. That shouldn’t be allowed really when they’re not used.” Her disbelief was evident when she reflected on the council’s approach, saying, “When I read that, I had to read it a couple of times because I thought surely, they can’t be real to think we use those routes in 2025. I find it bizarre.”
Megan is adamant about wanting to go on to secondary school through Welsh, after getting her start at a Welsh-medium primary. “Most of my family are Welsh and I went to a Welsh primary school, so I want to carry on in Welsh,” she explained. Some of her colleagues decided to attend different schools like Ysgol Morgan Llwyd and Dinas Bran. For people like Megan, those alternatives seem worlds away. I’d be surprised if most people in favour of the new catchments knew anyone who attends Ysgol Morgan Llwyd or Dinas Bran. Some of my friends were going to Brynhyfryd, but they [the schools] were more English than Welsh,” she explained.
Tragically, Tunie’s story and her family’s struggles to preserve their culture and language through education is a common tale. Megan is looking forward to an inspiring new chapter of her academic journey. She and her mother are just hoping for a settlement that will allow her to attend her school of choice without having to jump through hoops.
