WE have every sympathy with pupils, parents and staff at the Ebbw Vale primary school which is facing closure.

Garnlydan Primary School should accommodate 118 children but has seen pupil numbers drop from 81 to 32 in just four years.

We know that making a decision like this is never easy for those in charge.

They have to look at pupil numbers and see if keeping open a school that has lost so many pupils is still a viable option.

That doesn’t make the pain any easier for all those currently attending the school.

School closures cause upheaval and upset.

But they are viewed by some as a necessary evil when all other options have been explored.