What is the future for Welsh as a school subject?

A discussion on the future of the Welsh language as an A Level subject took place at the Eisteddfod this week, after data showed an ‘extremely worrying’ decline in the number of students studying Welsh as a second language.

On Tuesday 5 August in the Societies Pavillion at Eisteddfod Genedlaethol Wrecsam, the Coleg Cymraeg Cenedlaethol held the lively discussion around new data which shows that fewer study Welsh up to A Levels, and far fewer study Welsh as a Second Language to the same level*.

In addition, fewer English and bilingual medium schools offer A Levels in Welsh as a Second Language**.

Many schools require a minimum number of learners in order to offer the subject, which has resulted in some students not having the option to study Welsh as a subject. Alison Lloyd is a Welsh second language teacher in an English-medium school and has experienced challenges in trying to maintain the provision. 

Alison said: “As Welsh second language teachers, we work incredibly hard with secondary school pupils who have to study the subject for GCSEs, to ensure that we try to foster positive attitudes and reinforce the purpose of learning the Welsh language, as well as encouraging pupils to reach a high standard for their exams.

“Then, when pupils who have enjoyed learning the language choose to study it for A Level, funding or staffing constraints at the school mean that the course cannot run. What kind of message does this give in terms of the importance of the language? How does this help meet the government’s target by 2050? Where will the Welsh teachers of the future come from?

“The only way forward is to support schools to offer A Levels, regardless of the number of students who choose to continue with studying the subject for A Levels.”

Manifesto

In response to the crisis, in its manifesto for the 2026 Election the Coleg calls on the next Welsh Government to give special status to the Welsh language as a subject in order to protect it at all levels in the tertiary sector. The Coleg believes that all learners who wish to study Welsh as a subject should have the opportunity to study the subject up to A Level and degree.

The low numbers, and consequently, the lack of adequate funding to be able to run the course are not just a problem for schools that teach Welsh as a Second Language. Manon James, is a parent with a child hoping to study Welsh as a first language in year 12 in September at a Welsh-medium secondary school.

Manon said: “There is uncertainty as to whether the school will offer the subject in September. We understood that only a handful had shown interest, that the rest had pulled out and that six were needed to be able to study the subject.”

The event at the Eisteddfod provided an opportunity to discuss the challenges and possible solutions in the company of Dr Ioan Matthews, Chief Executive of the Coleg; Efa Gruffudd Jones, Welsh Language Commissioner; Dr Dylan Foster Evans, Head of Welsh, Cardiff University’s School of Welsh; Stephen Rule, ‘Doctor Cymraeg’, who is a Welsh teacher at Ysgol Maelor, Wrexham; and Eleri Gwyn, Assistant Headteacher at Ysgol Dyffryn Conwy, Llanrwst.

“Extremely worrying”

Dr Ioan Matthews, who will chair the discussion, said: “The fall in numbers studying Welsh as a subject in the tertiary sector over the last decade is extremely worrying and maintaining second language provision in English-medium schools is particularly challenging.

“Ultimately, this will contribute to the bilingual education workforce shortage and therefore militate against the aim of the Welsh and Education Act of ensuring that all learners leave statutory education speaking Welsh.

“The next Government must ensure that every young person has the opportunity to master the Welsh language by giving the Welsh language a special status as a subject. This would be a clear statement of the prestige and status of our national language, it would ensure that enough workers in key areas have the high skills needed and it would mean that academic research on the Welsh language continues to be a vibrant discipline that enriches our understanding of Welsh and Wales.

“We look forward to the event at the Eisteddfod in order not only to recognise the challenges, but also to discuss the ideas and solutions that the next Government needs to commit to.”

The event took place at 13:00 on Tuesday, 5 August in the Societies Pavillion at the Wrexham National Eisteddfod 2025.

The Coleg will be hosting a number of various events throughout the week at the Eisteddfod. The Coleg’s website  can be accessed to read its programme of events. 

*Table 1: number of learners studying A Level Welsh or Welsh Second Language

Source: StatsWales 

**Table 2: number of centres offering A Level Welsh and Welsh Second Language

Source: WJEC