I realise many of you won't be interested in this, however the closure has affected me and many of my friends, and I felt like sharing the story.

Sources: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-south-east-wales-19962569

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-south-east-wales-19978369

The roads leading up to Cwmcarn High School are eerily quiet and empty.

Just when the air should be filled with the sounds of children in the playground there is only the hum of traffic from the A465 passing by.

At lunchtime, pavements would normally be filled with teenagers in a uniform of red, white and black, milling about, many off to the nearby village to buy snacks from stores and food outlets.

But there is only one to be seen: Nadia Yamamoto, 15, out riding her horse, Layla.
It was not a normal school day for Nadia. But neither was it for the other 900 pupils as their school closed suddenly without warning last Friday after asbestos was discovered following a structural investigation.

Pupils and parents have been left mystified and wondering what will happen next.

On Monday night, older pupils began receiving a link to homework on Twitter but that has not been helpful to all.

"I don't have a Twitter account," said Nadia. "I will have to set one up when I get home."


A teaching union has warned of the possible cost implications as it welcomed a move to make Welsh councils report on all schools' asbestos levels.

Education Minister Leighton Andrews issued the order after Cwmcarn High School in Caerphilly county closed unexpectedly due to asbestos concerns.

The NASUWT said it was glad the matter was being taken seriously.

But it warned of "massive issues" about raising funds to remove the material at a time of education cuts.

So basically, on top of shutting my school down and forcing me to do work on Twitter, and making education cuts across the country, they want more money to investigate all the schools in my local area for asbestos. I wouldn't mind so much if it was sorted before. Everybody in the school has known about the asbestos for years, so why do they have to mess us about now? Especially as it's my last year in school. I was aiming to do my GCSEs at the end of the year, but if this keeps up, my friends and I will be paying for a lot of resits...

My previous house had Asbestos. Nobody gave a shit when I was living there, and then as soon as I left there was this huge event made about it with red warning tape and everything.

>>2 Same with us. :-/ There seems to be a big fuss about it now, despite everybody knowing about it for years.

Lot's of people are making a big deal about asbestos in older houses. Aside from the only somewhat valid health concerns (asbestos is only dangerous when it gets airborn) it's a quick way of getting insurance/some government programs to pay for a renovation.

After all, they aren't doing because they want a completely new/remodeled house. They are doing it because of 'a potential waste and health hazard.

UPDATE: If you would please take a little time out of your lives to sign the petition to save my school from demolition, I would be extremely appreciative. Here's the link:
http://www.gopetition.com/petitions/save-cwmcarn-high-school/sign.html#se