‘Groundbreaking’ school offered Welsh teaching support

Elgan Hearn Local Democracy Reporter

Help with Welsh teaching expertise has been offered to a ‘groundbreaking’ school that will move from dual stream to being fully Welsh medium.

At a meeting of Powys County Council’s Cabinet on Tuesday, May 28 senior councillors unanimously agreed that Llanfair Caereinion’s Ysgol Bro Caereinion all through school will change from a dual stream to Welsh medium school.

In doing this Bro Caereinion will follow Machynlleth’s Ysgol Bro Hyddgen all through school.

Since September 2022, the reception class at Bro Hyddgen is taught in Welsh and this will eventually see all classes up to sixth form taught in the language.

Plaid Cymru group leader Cllr Elwyn Vaughan is also Ysgol Bro Hyddgen’ s chairman of governors.

Cllr Vaughan said: “I appreciate that some will oppose this but in reality, we need to look at the big picture and some of the concerns such as the lack of teachers is a real challenge.”

He explained that this issue had already been discussed by the Bro Hyddgen.

Cllr Vaughan said: “We believe it’s desirable for the schools to work together to share resources and teachers.”

“Strong feelings”

Looking at Bro Hyddgen’ s own journey towards becoming a Welsh medium school, Cllr Vaughan recalled the “strong feelings” which swirled around the town opposing the move.

Cllr Vaughan said:  “Once the decision was taken, we saw the community rally around and unify around the school which is at the heart of the community.”

He believed that bilingual language skills in youngsters need to be seen as a “strength and not a problem.”

Cllr Vaughan said: “For those parents with doubts, my appeal to you is work with the school, the council and those organisations that are willing to help support you through this process.”

Council leader, Liberal Cllr James Gibson-Watt said: “Thank you very much for your very helpful contribution and to particularly welcome the offer of co-operation of between Ysgol Bro Hyddgen and Bro Caereinion going forward.

Cabinet member for a safer Powys, Liberal Democrat Cllr Richard Church said:

“The supply of teachers is clearly a major issue, many of the young people who we are now going to be educated in Bro Caereinion are the Welsh medium teachers of the future.

“You can’t supply the teachers unless we’re offering the education to begin with, and we have to start somewhere in doing that.”