Welsh language campaigners have called for clarity on Welsh Government rules following a fiasco at Ceredigion County Council over attempts to shut four “unviable” rural primary schools.

Cymdeithas yr Iaith have called on Education Secretary Lynne Neagle, to use the current review of the School Organization Code to “state clearly the presumption against closing rural schools”, and that local authorities “must start from the point of view of trying to maintain and strengthen them, only considering closing them if all other options fail.”

In a message to the secretary, the campaigners referred to the words of Ceredigion Council’s Chief Executive, Eifion Evans, during a meeting in early December, when it was agreed to treat statutory consultations on the proposal to close Ysgol Llangwyryfon, Ysgol Craig-yr-Wylfa, Ysgol Llanfihangel-y-Creuddyn, and Ysgol Syr John Rhys in Ponterwyd as informal ones, giving the four schools a stay of execution for at least a year.

Mr Evans told the meeting: “The code is extremely complex and extremely difficult.

“It's a headache for officials as much as it is for anyone else as to how to interpret it and use it.

“I hope that the review that is currently taking place down in Cardiff regarding this code is going to finally try to get some sort of clarity on what needs to be done."

Ffred Ffransis of Cymdeithas yr Iaith said: “The 2018 edition of the code states clearly enough that the introduction of a presumption duty against closing rural schools that are on the Government's official list.

“But many local authorities such as Ceredigion believe that they can start from the point of view of an intention to close a number of rural schools to save money, and then, just go through the empty steps of naming and ruling out alternative options with the same generic sentence.”