Parents protest outside County Hall over calls for a new Welsh secondary school

Ted Peskett – Local democracy reporter

Parents who have to drive halfway across Cardiff to take their children to school are demanding to speak with the city council about the provision of Welsh medium education.

Campaigners who are calling for a new Welsh medium secondary school in Cardiff turned up to protest outside the city council’s main offices at County Hall on Thursday, November 21.

Parents and children brandishing clocks and placards that said ‘deffrwch’ – ‘wake up’ in Welsh – were again calling on the council to listen to their concerns nearly five months after turning up at the council headquarters to issue a letter calling for the establishment of a new school.

Many parents whose children were able to secure a place at Ysgol Gyfun Glantaf, one of Cardiff’s most oversubscribed schools this year, said they face a 20 to 30 minute car journey to the school. The school is one of three Welsh medium secondary schools in the city.

Speaking on behalf of the campaign group, Carl Morris said: “After a wait of over four months Cardiff Cardiff finally replied to our letter, and on the day immediately before our protest.

“I’d have hoped that the delay is not an indication of the council’s lack of concern for children and families in Butetown, Grangetown, Riverside, and surrounding areas.

“Unfortunately the content of the letter suggests otherwise. To refer to birth rates in the city is a distraction, and a weak excuse for inaction.

Concern

“The Welsh language belongs to everybody who lives in Wales, whatever their background or income level, and that includes the children of Cardiff.

“The real question is: what actions will Cardiff Council take to increase the percentage of children in the city in dedicated Welsh-medium education?

“It’s clear that there’s an urgent need for a Welsh-medium secondary school in the south of the city to be established, to give easy doorstep access to families, and address the structural inequalities and unfairness in the system.”

Intake

After parents gathered outside County hall in July, Cardiff Council said intakes to Welsh medium secondary schools were projected to reduce in 2025/26 and 2026/27 compared to the 2024/25 intake year.

It also said at the time that there was a projected “bulge” intake to Welsh medium secondary schools in 2027/28, but added that projected intakes would fall again and would remain at lower levels until 2031/32, reflecting low birth rates and lower intakes to primary education.

In a recent statement, the council said it remained dedicated to promoting the benefits of a bilingual education and would prioritise commitments in its Welsh in Education Strategic Plan (WESP) 2022-2031 that would make a fourth Welsh Medium Secondary school viable in the future.

Mr Morris added: “Following the protest, today the council has stated in the media that they will, in their words, ‘prioritise the Welsh in Education Strategic Plan to make the fourth Welsh-medium high school possible in future’.

“But they are entirely responsible for the situation we’re currently in.

“No amount of blaming external factors such as birth rates or anything else can excuse the fact that they have been woefully neglectful of their duties to increase the percentage of children in Welsh-medium education in Cardiff.

“Therefore, we have a message directly for Huw Thomas, Leader of the Council.

“What will his legacy be when it comes to Welsh-medium education?

“As things stand, he will be remembered as a leader who failed to ensure the growth of Welsh-medium education in Cardiff and failed to make Welsh-medium high school education a viable option for families in the south of Cardiff. He still has time and he must act.”

Birth rates

A Cardiff Council spokesperson, said: “In 2012 a third Welsh Medium secondary was established to support growth of the Welsh language in Cardiff and the number of learners in Welsh-medium secondary schools has increased over the period by 57%, from 2,328 to 3,650.

“Cardiff remains dedicated to promoting the benefits of a bilingual education and will prioritise the wide range of commitments set out in our Welsh in Education Strategic Plan (WESP) 2022-2031 that will make a fourth Welsh Medium Secondary school viable in the future.”

“There are sufficient places available in Cardiff’s three Welsh-Medium Secondary Schools to support any pupils who want to learn through Welsh until at least the 2031/32 intake year, with sufficient flexibility to expand capacity in the medium term should it be required, and to accommodate our targeted growth.

“The fall in birth rates by over 20% since 2012 is reflected throughout the country and means that the number of children entering primary education city-wide has fallen and surplus places are growing in all sectors.

“School funding is allocated based on pupil numbers so any expansion in either Welsh or English provision, must be carefully planned to ensure schools are able to operate effectively and sustainably.”