‘Cymru’s World Cup language legacy? put every school on path to teaching in Welsh’
Language campaigners have called on the First Minister to use the legacy of the World Cup to ensure that all children leave school fluent in Welsh.
Cymdeithas yr Iaith says the foundations need to be laid now to start transforming the education system, so that all schools are teaching through the medium of Welsh by 2050.
The Government is currently preparing its Welsh Language Education Act, which Cymdeithas has called a once-in-a-generation opportunity to ensure that all young people in future leave school able to speak Welsh.
The group says one education system is needed for the whole of Wales, where everyone, from all backgrounds, learns through the Welsh language.
In a letter to Mark Drakeford, the newly elected national Chair of Cymdeithas yr Iaith, Robat Idris, discusses the passion for the language following Cymru’s campaign in the World Cup, as well as the feeling expressed by many, that the current education system has failed them by not ensuring they leave school able and confident in their Welsh language skills.
Robat Idris said: “Although Cymru’s World Cup campaign has ended, this period will have had a long-term impact on the nation in many ways. But what will the World Cup’s legacy be for our national language?
“The Government under your leadership has the opportunity and responsibility through the Welsh Language Education Act to ensure that the legacy of the World Cup for future generations will be to give every young person the ability to speak Welsh by placing every school in the country on a path towards Welsh-medium education.
“This is a once-in-a-generation opportunity to address the social injustice of the current divide, by setting a long-term goal that will have far-reaching effects in terms of the confidence of future generations to use the Welsh language and ensure that no-one is left behind as the language thrives.”
Draft Act
Cymdeithas yr Iaith has drawn up a draft of its own Welsh Language Education Act, which was launched at the end of the summer.
The Act sets a clear goal that the entire education system will be in Welsh by 2050, with the intention that all schools move gradually along a path to teaching through the medium of Welsh over the next 25 years.
The Act can be found here in Welsh and here in English.
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Yes, and to go along with it… Teaching children that its the Welsh who are the British, and the English who are the converts. They in turn will Right the Wrongs of England passing only themselves of as British to the rest of the World.
Don’t necessarily think the two are connected.
But yes. Let’s do it
Rwy’n cytuno’n llwyr. Gadewch i ni ei wneud – I totally agree- Let’s do it !
I know the term British relates to the Brythonic natives but I feel as though we should stick to Cymru and not associate with the word because it’s too tainted and conjures images of the Union Jack, England and the idea that somehow Wales is a part of England. Let’s be the native Cymry of this land.
Syniad da. After all, it’s what many countries have done. Perhaps start by gradually turning nursery schools into Cylchoedd Meithrin?