CONTROVERSIAL plans to abolish secondary school sixth- form education have been scrapped.

At a Caerphilly borough council cabinet meeting it was revealed that the sixth form at Cwmcarn High School will not now face the threat of closure as proposed by the local authority.

Bill Beales, head teacher at Cwmcarn High, said: "This is great news and it's very positive.

"This is very reassuring for parents because they were insecure about whether we may lose the sixth form in two years' time.

"It now means we can plan for the future." The council had wanted to transfer post-16 education to colleges, claiming the move would do much to raise the skills base of the area.

But in a remarkable change of heart which came amid significant local opposition to the scheme, and after funding body ELWa gave the local authority an extra £173,000 for sixth-form funding, the proposed reform has been scrapped.

The extra money means the sixth-form funding shortfall in the county borough has been reduced to £98,000 and only Bedwellty Comprehensive School, in Aberbargoed, (which takes pupils from the Blackwood area) will now close.

Council leader Lindsay Whittle said the consultation exercise over the last few months had generated more debate than anything else in his 27 years as a councillor.

He added: "Schools, LEA and other partners, operating on an area basis, should work together to ensure that the best possible range of provision is made available to young people by joint working between schools.

"This is to be the subject of detailed discussions with head teachers, governing bodies and others across the county borough.

"The issue of under-achievement in post-16 settings should be the subject of further discussion and consultation leading to a set of criteria for general application in the future."

But not everyone was satisfied with the decision. Megan Horton, vice-chairwoman of governors at Bedwellty Comprehensive School, said: "I am absolutely furious. They have kicked us in the teeth."

PICTURED: Cwmcarn sixth formers Michelle Richards (left) and Sara Lewis and head boy Alex Heare (left) and Gareth Davies.