Campaigners set out long-term goal for all schools in Wales to teach through the medium of Welsh
Language campaigners have called on the Welsh Government to commit to the long-term goal of ensuring all school in Wales transition to teach through the medium of Welsh.
The organisation Cymdeithas yr Iaith is calling for every school to move to become a Welsh-medium school, through the inclusion of a statutory goal to that end in the government’s upcoming Welsh Language Education Act.
Injustice
Robat Idris, national chair of Cymdeithas yr Iaith, said: “We have a situation at the moment which means the majority of our young people leave school without being able to speak Welsh.
“We want to see the injustice of the current situation being rectified by setting a long-term goal that all pupils will receive Welsh-medium education in the future and build towards that over time.
“The Government is currently preparing for a Welsh Language Education Act, so this is a very practical step that Mark Drakeford and the Education Minister Jeremy Miles can take to ensure that all future generations have the same opportunity to become fluent in Welsh”.
Inaction
Cymdeithas yr Iaith has accused the Welsh government of inaction on the language, following the publication of the 2021 Census results in December.
As part of its goal of a million speakers by 2050, the Government had set a target of 600,000 Welsh speakers by 2021, but according to the census, number fell to 538,000.
Mr Idris added: “Looking at the Government’s own targets for increasing the number of Welsh speakers, it’s clear they’re nowhere near where they should be, but it also seems the Government is indifferent to that and unwilling to face the reality that much more substantial action is needed to reverse the current decline.
“It’s good to set an ambition, but we need action that matches that ambition. At the beginning of a new year, we call on the First Minister and his Government to take their responsibility for the language seriously and to take practical steps to ensure the revival that we all want to see.”
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How wonderful to read such earthy common sense for a change. To be brought up in Wales is a very great privilege that should be appreciated for the genius that the Cymry give to the world, as they export so much Scientific and Artistic talent outside their borders. It’s through Cymraeg that the culture is properly disseminated. English is death to us and we should ditch it asap to preserve our genius.
It’s good to hear such sound common sense. Culture is spread through the language. If you don’t know the language you are not in the culture. I was locked out of my culture because I didn’t know Cymraeg until recently, so I ve lived the difference!
A non-Welsh speaking Cymro is certainly missing out on essential elements of Welsh culture, but is every bit as Welsh as a Cymraeg speaker. Having said that, a totally bilingual Cymru should definitely be the ultimate goal. Start by making every nursery school a Cylch Meithrin.