Addysg yn Llanuwchllyn Mae’n anodd i ni heddiw ddychmygu cyfnod pan nad oedd addysg ar gael am ddim i blant yr ardal. Ond dyna oedd y sefyllfa am ganrifoedd yn Llanuwchllyn, er bod gwahanol elusennau wedi rhoi rhywfaint o arian tuag at addysg plant tlawd, dim ond am gyfnod byr iawn y byddai’r plant hynny yn cael addysg. O gyfnod ysgol Gruffudd Jones, Llanddowror yn ysgubor Nantydeilie ymlaen roedd yr ysgolion yma yn cael eu cynnal mewn tai fel Prys Bach a Thalardd ac yna yn y capeli wedi i’r rheini gael eu hadeiladu. Roedd ysgol yn cael ei chynnal yn eglwys y plwyf hefyd rhwng 1729-30 i fechgyn tlawd. Yn 1841 yr adeiladwyd yr ysgol ffurfiol gyntaf yn yr ardal a hynny trwy gasglu arian i ddathlu pen-blwydd etifedd Wynnstay yn 21 oed:

Education in Llanuwchllyn Although it might be difficult to imagine, education was not freely available in the past. But that was the situation in Llanuwchllyn, and the whole of Wales for centuries. Although various charities had contributed towards the education of poor children, those children were only educated for very short periods of time. From the days of Gruffudd Jones, Llandowror’s school in the barn on Nantydeilie farm through the centuries these schools were held in houses such as Prys Bach and Talardd and then in the chapels when they were built. There was also a school in the parish church between 1729-30 for poor boys. It was in 1841 that the first school, built specifically for the purpose, was built in the area by means of a collection to commemorate the coming of age of the heir of the Wynnstay estate.

This, of course, confirms the connection between the Wynnstay estate and education in the area. Many of the estate’s tenants felt that they had no option but to send their children to this school, as WJ Gruffydd comments in his biography of Sir O M Edwards: ‘In brief, Owen was sent to Ysgol y Llan because his father was a tenant of Sir Watkin; he was afraid of losing his paltry smallholding if he would send his children to the British School. This instilled shame and bitterness in Owen Edwards throughout his life.’ The factor that made this decision even more surprising was that O M Edward’s uncle, his father’s brother, was the schoolmaster at the British School at the time. This school was held initially in the Calvinistic Methodist chapel. It was opened around 1840 and then in 1845 it was adopted by the British Society; within a few years the school was so successful that the Church School, Ysgol y Llan, was closed. When the Education Commission inspectors published their report in 1847, this is how they summarised the school. There were 78 children, paying 18 pence per quarter, but 12 of the poorest children were educated for free. The report states that the children’s understanding was mixed and poor, and none of them had a good enough mastery of English as the teacher mainly taught them through the medium of Welsh. This is how John James described the schoolmaster – ‘The master is a miller by trade. He spent three months, two years ago, at the Borough Road normal school, in order to be trained, and I believe the amount of his information is creditable to him. I expressed surprise that he should risk loss by entrusting the care of his business to servants, and, for a pittance which few masters of any ability would accept, devote his whole time to the school. He replied, “Well, sir, my wife looks after the mill; and I do love the children, and I do love my country”. I ascertained that the good man is in all probability losing, by devoting his time to the school, and that there is no doubt about the genuineness of his sentiments.’ But when the Commission’s Report in blue binding on Education in Wales was published, which became known as ‘Brad y Llyfrau Gleision (“The Treason of the Blue Books” due to its total disregard of the value of Welsh language education and its extreme criticism of morality in Wales,) its criticisms led to the re-opening of the Church School in 1851. The competition between the two schools continued, and by the 1860’s the British School was in dire need of a new building. This is how Megan Davies describes what happened next: ‘In 1866 an attempt was made to get financial support by the Government’s Education Department to build a British School for Nonconformists in the parish and the parents were expected to subscribe towards it. The Education Authority gave £483 and the parishoners managed to raise three hundred pounds. A contract was made in April 1868 with Evan Francis of Llanelltud to build the school within six months. An advertisement was posted to appoint a licensed teacher for the school. The school was opened...on 8 March 1869.’ Coincidentally, a new school was built to replace the Church School – the building opposite the old school, Arddol, as it is called today: At Sir Watkin, the landlord’s request, a New School was built across the road to the Old School, costing £650. It was opened on 9 April 1869, and a sermon delivered in the Church, and then Sir Watkin Williams Wynn gave a speech in the School he had paid for.’ Therefore, there was only a month between the opening of both schools. In 1870 the Education Act came into force and in Megan Davies’s words again: ...and it was decided that the governors of both schools should meet to draw up a joint education scheme for the whole parish. But the governors of the Church School were not willing to co-operate with the Nonconformists.

Ac mae hynny’n cadarnhau’r cysylltiad rhwng Stad Wynnstay ag addysg yn yr ardal. Teimlai nifer o denantiaid y Stad bod rheidrwydd arnynt anfon eu plant i’r ysgol yma, fel y mae WJ Gruffydd yn cadarnhau yn ei gofiant i Syr O M Edwards: ‘Yn fyr, aeth Owen i Ysgol y Llan am fod ei dad yn denant i Syr Watcyn; yr oedd arno ofn colli ei dipyn tyddyn ped anfonai ei blant i’r Ysgol Brydeinig. Bu gwybod am hyn yn gywilydd ac yn chwerwder yn ysbryd Owen Edwards ar hyd ei oes.’ Yr hyn oedd yn gwneud penderfyniad tad O M Edwards yn fwy rhyfeddol fyth oedd bod ei frawd Edward Edwards, mab Pengeulan, yn cadw ysgol yn y Llan. Yng nghapel y Methodistiaid y cynhelid yr ysgol honno. Agorwyd hi tua 1840 ac yna yn 1845 mabwysiadwyd yr ysgol gan y Gymdeithas Brydeinig, yn fuan iawn roedd yr ysgol mor llwyddiannus nes y bu’n rhaid cau Ysgol yr Eglwys. Pan ddaeth arolygwyr y Comisiwn Addysg i’r ardal ym 1847 fel hyn y disgrifiwyd y sefyllfa fel mae’n cael ei nodi yn nhraethawd Megan Davies yn Llên y Llannau 1988: Cafodd fod yn yr ysgol 78 o blant, tâl am yr addysg yn ddeunaw ceiniog y chwarter, ond yr oedd deuddeg o’r plant ieuengaf yn cael addysg am ddim. Dywed yr adroddiad fod gwybodaeth y disgyblion yn gymysg a bratiog, ac ni fedrai’r un ddigon o Saesneg, am fod yr athro’n eu dysgu gan mwyaf drwy’r Gymraeg. Dyma fel y dywed John James – ‘Melinydd yw’r athro, ac yr wyf yn credu bod swm ei wybodaeth yn gredyd iddo. Dywedais wrtho fy mod yn synnu ei fod yn peryglu ei fusnes drwy ei roi dan ofal gweision, a’i fod yn rhoi ei holl amser i’r ysgol am dâl mor druenus nad edrychai llawer o athrawon o unrhyw allu arno. Dyma ei ateb: ‘Well, Sir, my wife look after the mill, and I do love the children, and I do love my Country.’ Cefais fod y gŵr da yn siŵr o fod yn colli arian drwy roddi ei amser i’r ysgol, ac nid oes dim amheuaeth am gywirdeb ei deimladau.’ Ond pan gyhoeddwyd adroddiad y Comisiwn neu’r ‘Llyfrau Gleision’ enwog, roeddent yn feirniadol iawn o addysg yng Nghymru ac arweiniodd hynny at ail-agor Ysgol yr Eglwys yn 1851. Roedd y gystadleuaeth rhwng y ddwy ysgol yn parhau felly, ac erbyn yr 1860au roedd gwir angen adeilad newydd ar yr ysgol yn y Pandy. A dyma’r hanes yn ôl Megan Davies, eto: Yn 1866 ceisiwyd cael cefnogaeth ariannol Adran Addysg y Llywodraeth i adeiladu Ysgol Brydeinig i’r Ymneilltuwyr yn y plwy a disgwylid tanysgrifiadau gan y rhieni. Rhoddwyd £483 gan yr Awdurdod Addysg a llwyddodd y plwyfolion i godi dros dri chan punt. Gwnaed cytundeb yn Ebrill 1868 gydag Evan Francis o Lanelltyd i adeiladu’r ysgol o fewn chwe mis. Anfonwyd hysbyseb allan i gael athro trwyddedig i’r ysgol. Agorwyd yr ysgol…..ar yr 8fed o Fawrth 1869. Yn rhyfedd iawn, yn union yr un cyfnod, adeiladwyd ysgol newydd yn lle Ysgol yr Eglwys hefyd – sef yr adeilad gyferbyn a’r hen ysgol, Arddol, fel y’i gelwir heddiw: Ar gais y tirfeddiannwr Syr Watkin, dechreuwyd adeiladu Ysgol Newydd ar draws y ffordd i’r Hen Ysgol, ar gost o £650. Agorwyd hi ar y 9ed o Ebrill 1869, a chafwyd pregeth yn yr Eglwys, ac yna caed araith yn yr Ysgol gan Syr Watkin Williams Wynn, a dalodd amdani. Mis oedd, felly, rhwng agor y ddwy ysgol newydd. Ym 1870 daeth y Ddeddf Addysg i rym ac yng ngeiriau Megan Davies eto: .. a phenderfynwyd fod rheolwyr y ddwy ysgol i gyfarfod er mwyn tynnu allan gynllun addysg unol i’r holl blwy. Ond yr oedd rheolwyr Ysgol yr Eglwys yn amharod i gydweithio â’r Ymneilltuwyr.

Ysgolion Unedig Llanuwchllyn Dyna fu’r sefyllfa hyd 1890 pan ffurfiwyd Ysgolion Unedig Llanuwchllyn a phenderfynwyd bod y merched a’r babanod i fynd i’r Ysgol yn y Pandy a’r bechgyn i fynd i ysgol y Llan. Felly bu pethau hyd 1915 pan ddaeth y plant i gyd i’r adeilad yn y Pandy dan brifathrawiaeth Gwladys Bowen, merch y prifathro blaenorol, Thomas Bowen. Ar 14 Mehefin 1938 trosglwyddwyd yr ysgol i ofal yr Awdurdod Addysg Lleol a newid ei henw yn ‘Llanuwchllyn Council School’. Bu Gwladys Bowen yn brifathrawes o 1915 hyd 1953, ei holynydd oedd Ifor Owen. Dyma’r cyfnod pan benderfynodd y Pwyllgor Addysg adeiladu ysgol newydd i’r pentref, roedd y gwaith wedi dechrau ers 1952, ond ar 12 Hydref 1954, fel hyn y mae Ifor Owen yn cofnodi: “O’r diwedd daeth y dydd i ffarwelio â’r hen ysgol, hen Ysgol y Pandy, fel y gelwir hi. Yma y bu cenedlaethau o blant Llanuwchllyn yn derbyn addysg. Er mai gwael ac anniddos yw’r adeilad yn awr, nid heb dipyn o chwithdod y troir cefn arni.”

Llanuwchllyn United Schools This situation continued until 1890 when the Llanuwchllyn United Schools were established, and it was decided that the girls and infants should attend the old British School and the boys the old Church School. In 1915 all the children attended the old British School under the leadership of Gwladys Bowen, daughter of the previous headmaster, Thomas Bowen. On 14 June 1938, the school was transferred into the hands of the Local Education Authority and changed its name to ‘Llanuwchllyn Council School’. Gwladys Bowen was headmistress between 1915 and 1953, when she was succeeded by Ifor Owen. During this period, the Education Authority decided that they would build a new school for the area; the work had started in 1952, but on 12 October 1954, Ifor Owen noted in the logbook: ‘O’r diwedd daeth y dydd i ffarwelio â’r hen ysgol, hen Ysgol y Pandy, fel y gelwir hi. Yma y bu cenedlaethau o blant Llanuwchllyn yn derbyn addysg. Er mai gwael ac anniddos yw’r adeilad yn awr, nid heb dipyn o chwithdod y troir cefn arni.” (At last the day has arrived to bid farewell to the old school, the old Ysgol y Pandy, as it is called. This is where generations of Llanuwchllyn children have been educated. Although the building is now poor and leaky, it is with a great deal of sadness that we leave it.)

Neuadd Bentref Roedd yr adeilad yn wag felly, ond roedd symudiad ar droed ers tro i geisio cael Neuadd i’r pentref ac fe welodd yr ardalwyr eu cyfle. Yn 1957 bu trafodaeth yn y Cyngor Plwyf am drosi’r hen ysgol yn ganolfan gymdeithasol i’r ardal, ac ym 1958 prynwyd yr adeilad gan yr Awdurdod Addysg. Pwyllgor sy’n gyfrifol am y Neuadd ers y dyddiau hynny ac mae sicrhau bod digon o arian yn y coffrau wedi bod yn gyfrifoldeb mawr. Un dull o wneud hynny oedd cynnal Gŵyl Ddrama flynyddol ac mae’r Ŵyl honno wedi bod yn llwyddiannus iawn ar hyd y degawdau. Fel canolfan gymdeithasol mae’r Neuadd yn un brysur iawn gyda nifer o ddigwyddiadau wythnosol a misol yn cael eu cynnal ynddi, dyma ganolbwynt y pentref yn wir. Dyma restr o rai o’r digwyddiadau hynny: Gwersi Cymraeg Ysgol Feithrin Cylch Ti a Fi Ystafelloedd Newid y Clwb Pêl Droed Ymarferion Côr Godre’r Aran Ymarferion Eryrod Meirion Ffermwyr Ifanc Glannau Tegid Aelwyd Penllyn Sefydliad y Merched Merched y Wawr Cyngor Cymuned Ac yna yn flynyddol: Gŵyl Ddrama Sioe Amaethyddol a Garddwriaethol Eisteddfod Gŵyl Llanuwchllyn Yn y Neuadd mae nifer o furluniau trawiadol iawn o waith John Meirion Morris yn darlunio cefndir radicalaidd yr ardal a phwysigrwydd y diwylliant Cymreig. Fel yr ewch trwy’r drws i mewn i’r Neuadd mae darn arall o’i waith i goffau Ifor Owen, prifathro olaf yr ysgol yn yr adeilad yma a gŵr mawr ei ddylanwad yn yr ardal. • Ifor Owen • Cor Godre’r Aran • John Meirion Morris • Megan Davies – Addysg yn Llanuwchllyn Llên y Llannau 1988

A Village Hall The building was now empty, but the idea of establishing a village hall had been gaining momentum for some time and the local residents saw their opportunity. In 1957 discussions were held in the Parish Council regarding converting the school into a community centre for the area, and in 1958 it was bought from the Education Authority. A committee has been responsible for running the building since then and securing the finances to maintain the building has been a huge responsibility. An annual drama festival has been one method used to achieve this, and it has been very successful over the decades. As a community centre, the hall is extremely busy with several weekly and monthly meetings held here; this is indeed the focal point of the village. Here is a list of some of the activities held: Welsh Lessons Ysgol Feithrin Ti a Fi (a mother and toddler group) Changing Rooms for the local football club Côr Godre’r Aran rehearsals Eryrod Meirion rehearsals Glannau Tegid Young Farmers Aelwyd Penllyn Women’s Institute Merched y Wawr Community Council And then annually: Drama Festival Agricultural and Horticultural Show Eisteddfod Gŵyl Llanuwchllyn Inside the hall there are several very striking murals created by John Meirion Morris illustrating the area’s radical history and the importance of Welsh culture. As you enter the hall you will see another of his works to commemorate Ifor Owen, the last headmaster of the school in this building and an extremely influential figure in the area. • Ifor Owen • Cor Godre’r Aran • John Meirion Morris • Megan Davies – Addysg yn Llanuwchllyn Llên y Llannau 1988