Consultation considers switching five schools to Welsh medium
Bruce Sinclair, local democracy reporter
Five Ceredigion schools could soon change to Welsh medium language at the Foundation Phase following an agreement on a consultation to consider the proposals.
This follows the council’s Cabinet decision – subject to the council’s call-in processes – to approve the next stages of the Action Plan for Welsh in Education Strategic Plan 2022-2023.
The Welsh in Education Strategic Plan 2022-32 includes seven outcomes to strengthen the Welsh language.
One of those is to create more opportunities for children of all ages to receive a predominantly Welsh medium education.
During yesterday’s (May 2) meeting of Ceredigion County Council’s Cabinet it was agreed to begin a consultation to change the medium of language in the Foundation Phase at in Comins Coch, Llwyn yr Eos, Padarn Sant, Plascrug and New Quay schools.
The consultation is expected to be published in September.
A final decision is expected in 2024, Cabinet members heard.
Best start
Cabinet Member for Schools, Lifelong Learning and Skills Councillor Wyn Thomas said: “By presenting and implementing the Welsh in Education Strategic Plan, we want to give children the best start in life and enable people of all ages to learn, which is one of the council’s corporate objectives over the next five years.
“The proposal also wants to support Ceredigion County Council’s desire to strengthen the position of the Welsh language through its language strategy, and to support the Welsh Government’s aim to create a million Welsh speakers by 2050.
“Therefore, the aim is to educate pupils to be fully bilingual by the time they leave primary school, and enable them to participate fully in the bilingual community which they are a part of.”
Council Leader Bryan Davies said the legacy of these changes would be reflected in future censuses.
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One can only wonder why it has taken so long to get to this point. This sort of decision should have been made by the Senedd long ago. We do need our young people to be Welsh speaking by the time they are going to secondary school. However, it will be interesting to see how Ceredigion Council handle this. Plas Crug school is right next door to Ysgol Gymraeg, (primary) which is nearly adjacent to Plas Crug Leisure Centre which abuts Ysgol Penweddig (secondary). Afternoon collection time is nearly always gridlock for the single street that serves them all. There… Read more »