Campaigners say new Welsh Language Minister must usher in ‘radical new chapter’

Stephen Price

As the new Minister for Education and the Welsh Language, Anna Brychan MS, prepares to make her first ministerial statement to Senedd Members later today, language campaigners say that expectations among the people of Wales are high and that the Welsh language needs a “radical new chapter”, one that respects language rights and delivers meaningful action to meet key targets.

The Minister is expected to deliver a statement on “Priorities for Education and the Welsh Language” to Senedd Members in the Siambr at around 3:40 pm this afternoon.

Owain Meirion, National Chair of Cymdeithas yr Iaith, said: “As she begins in the role, the Minister inherits significant powers and ready-made plans won through campaigns over recent years – from the power to introduce new language rights straight away for customers of electricity, gas and telecommunications companies; to the power to ensure that every young person in future will leave school able to use Welsh confidently through the Welsh Language and Education Act passed last year; to plans to turn the tide on the factors driving the decline of our Welsh-speaking communities.”

Notably, the new Government’s manifesto included commitments to “[Act] on the recommendations of the Commission for Welsh-speaking Communities,” “legislate for new protections for areas of higher linguistic density, working with local authorities to determine how and where these areas should be designated,” and “respond to the Commission’s second report and its recommendations on areas with medium and lower densities of Welsh speakers by the end of 2026, setting out a clear plan that brings together actions on all of the Commission’s recommendations.”

The manifesto also pledges: “We will strengthen the rights of Welsh speakers by working to extend Welsh Language Standards to UK Government bodies and agencies operating in Wales, and to the private sector, including communications, utilities, banks, car parks and supermarkets.”

“A Plaid Cymru government will ensure every child has the right to become a confident Welsh speaker”, “will grow the number and proportion of children and young people receiving Welsh-medium education, as a central part of reaching at least one million Welsh speakers by 2050,” and “ensure Initial Teacher Education in Wales includes mandatory Welsh-language training, with the long-term goal that all teachers are able to teach through the medium of Welsh.

“A living language”

The Minister’s statement comes at a critical moment for the Welsh language. Just last week, the Senedd’s independent Research Service published an analysis of the progress made so far in education towards reaching one million Welsh speakers by 2050.

According to the analysis, plans to increase the number of teachers able to teach in Welsh are ‘faltering’, and of the 42 schools that the Welsh Government committed in 2021 would become Welsh-medium schools by 2031, only 8 have gone through a consultation process so far.

Two detailed reports from the previous government’s Commission for Welsh-speaking Communities are still awaiting implementation, and the work of introducing rights under the Welsh Language Measure 2011 are still not complete.

Owain Meirion added: “While she inherits significant powers, ready-made plans and widespread public support for the Welsh language, Anna Brychan also inherits a trajectory that is heading in completely the wrong direction in terms of the target of one million Welsh speakers.

“The Minister inherits a situation in which previous governments were content to talk the talk, but less willing to walk the walk on steps to halt the decline in the position of Welsh over recent decades and secure a positive future for the language, while at the same time working behind the scenes with the Welsh Language Commissioner to weaken the enforcement of our language rights.

“The people of this country have waited too long to see all our young people being able to become fluent in our national language, to gain full rights to use Welsh in every aspect of their lives, and to secure thriving communities where Welsh is a living language.

“The new Minister must deliver a radical new chapter that takes the people of Wales’ right to Welsh seriously and achieves targets that will make a real day-to-day difference in communities.

“What is needed is more investment, more resources, genuine ambition, and much faster action using the full extent of the powers available to the Government.

“The Minister must also make clear her expectation that the Welsh Language Commissioner returns to her primary role of implementing and enforcing the rights established by the Welsh Language Measure.

“We look forward to working constructively with the new Minister to ensure that this Government is the one that turns the tide for the Welsh language – by ensuring access to Welsh-medium education for all, supported by the workforce needed to deliver it, completing the work of introducing rights under the Welsh Language Measure and rapidly extending them to the rest of the private sector while ensuring they are enforced effectively, and implementing all the recommendations of the two expert commissions on Welsh-speaking communities.”