IT is hard to imagine children uniting with their parents to save their school but that's what's happening in Gwent.

The dramatic drop in pupil numbers, particularly at primary level, has meant local education authorities embarking on radical reorganisations to address the problem of thousands of empty desks.

In Torfaen, education chiefs say the 1,624 surplus primary places will swell to over 2,500 in 2008. They say the problem is costing £360,000 in lost funding - rising to an estimated £500,000 in four years time.

Meanwhile, the LEA is earmarking Trevethin Community School in Pontyool for closure, blaming a fall in pupil numbers at the comprehensive to 400. The decision has caused uproar in the community.

On Friday 300 people brought the town to a standstill to protest against plans to send pupils to Abersychan and West Monmouth schools instead.

"Our children have a right to be educated in the community - we want the council to understand the depth of feeling," said Linda Foxwell, a mother and local campaigner.

Torfaen council says it can no longer deliver the national curriculum at Trevethin because there aren't enough pupils to attract adequate funding.

Newport, Monmouthshire and Blaenau Gwent are also facing up to the hard economics of the situation - too many schools, and spiralling maintenance costs.

Newport is considering the merger of schools in Malpas and Bettws, while Blaenau Gwent LEA tried and failed to merge two comprehensive schools after meeting huge opposition from parents.

There, the council has 781 surplus places at secondary level, and 549 at primary.

Following a primary school review, Torfaen council is poised to make some more tough decisions. It has identified four key areas with 19 schools between them.

Education chiefs will make a decision about the future at an open seminar this afternoon. Closures haven't been ruled out.

At Monmouthshire county council, 1,299 surplus primary school places were identified in 2003. Five primary schools in Abergavenny are now in line to merge and form two new schools - due to open in September, 2005.

Head of school improvement in Monmouthshire Malcolm Morris told the Argus he got parents on-side by promising to deliver even better schools.

He went out to meet parents at dozens of difficult public meetings. "When you are discussing anything to do with children it immediately becomes very sensitive," he said.

"What lots of parents were saying was 'This is a good school, it has a good report, why are you closing it?'

"That was the difficult part - closing good schools. We had to prove to all and sundry, including the Assembly, that we would then provide better schools, and solve the problem of surplus places."

Park Street Infants, Croesonnen Infants, Llwynu Infants, St Davids Junior, Harold Road Junior School in Abergavenny are being replaced by one new school, Deri View, plus a completely refurbished Harold Road, to be renamed Cantref.

The acting deputy head of Harold Road and NUT secretary for Monmouthshire, Andrew Haigh, is trying to reassure staff who are worried they may face redundancies as well as coming to terms with the closure of his school.

He said: "The union is working closely with the LEA throughout this rationalisation to ensure that wherever possible redundancies are avoided.

"Staff involved will be given prior consideration for all the new posts, though it could mean around 30 people are competing for 21 jobs.

"The hope is that any shortfall can be dealt with through people taking early retirement or being assisted to find jobs elsewhere. But, of course, it's a very delicate issue."

In Newport, worried parents, gearing up to fight closures, are demanding transparency. They say proposals to close or merge schools shouldn't be heard behind closed doors.

Last week Sian Bates, co-chairwoman of the Malpas Park Action Group, vowed to fight any closure of her local school.

She said: "The decision should be an open meeting. How can they make a decision regarding our children's future when we are not going to know before it is too late."