Harpists demonstrate against Council cut

Over 30 young harpists and their parents demonstated this morning outside Ceredigion Council's headquarters in Aberaeron against the decision of the Council's Lib Dem Cabinet Member for Education to scrap peripatetic harp teaching throughout the County. If carried through, the decision has long-term implications for the tradition of the harp in Ceredigion, the county that produced Catrin Finch.

What is particularly concerning is that the decision seems to have been made entirely opportunistically. When it was discovered that the current harp teacher was having to leave a decision was simply taken not to replace her. The scrapping of the service had not been planned at all and there has been no consultation with the schools or parents affected. There has been no guidance for children currently using the service, nor for the schools who have bought harps at considerable expense. This is surely not a proper way to run an education service.

Many schools will be writing to the Council to protest, as will Ceredigion's Assembly Member Elin Jones.