LANGUAGE protesters yesterday took their campaign to safeguard small rural schools in Wales to the Urdd National Eisteddfod. More than 100 Cymdeithas yr Iaith (Welsh Language Society) members staged a peaceful protest at the Welsh Assembly's Wales Millennium Centre stand. Posters calling for schools to be kept open to protect rural communities were taped to walls by determined demonstrators. They were quickly removed by police officers and handed back to society chiefs. No one was arrested during the protest. It came after Cymdeithas yr Iaith were refused a meeting with Welsh Assembly education minister Jane Davidson. The campaign group's education spokesman Ffred Ffransis said: "She claims she can't do that in case it affects her impartiality when considering closure applications by local authorities. But she meets education officials on a regular basis. "We will keep on returning to this stand during the week. She can't avoid us forever," he added. The protest is part of a nationwide campaign to stop the closure of small schools in Wales. Mr Ffransis said any school with fewer than 90 pupils on the register could be closed under the current policy adopted by local authorities. It means 200 schools in Wales face the axe. He accused some authorities of drawing up lists of small schools likely to close by 2008. "Carmarthen council is already budgeting for millions of pounds in capital receipts through selling school buildings before it even starts consulting about their futures," he claimed "And Denbighshire council have already been forced into a rethink," he added.. The threat to schools in Denbighshire sparked a storm of protest resulting in education bosses committing themselves to a major consultation exercise. As part of yesterday's protest Cymdeithas members handed out copies of letters for Assembly ministers urging them to adopt a "positive new strategy for village schools". Mr Ffransis added: "The Assembly should give priority to the academic and social success of village schools and ensure children are educated within their local communities nurturing a sense of belong-ing." This week the Association of Small Schools will launch a petition calling for small schools to be safeguarded. After signatures are collected at Cardiff the campaign moves to agricultural shows, including the Royal Welsh and Angle-sey Show, as well as the National Eisteddfod, at the Faenol estate, in August. erylcrump@dailypost.co.uk | 
