Protest artwork displayed at Senedd ahead of vote on Welsh language education plans

Stephen Price

A Welsh language campaign group has protested on the steps of the Senedd, calling for Welsh-medium education for all ahead of a vote on the Welsh Language and Education Bill.

The artist Osian Grifford was commissioned to create the paper chain inspired artwork in the form of children to emphasise Cymdeithas yr Iaith Gymraeg’s position on Wales’ education system which they say “is currently depriving 80% of children of the Welsh language”.

The campaign group is pressing for change in order to ensure that, in future, the gift of the Welsh language is given to all children in Wales.

Debate

Senedd Members will debate and vote on the general principles of the Welsh Language and Education Bill in the Senedd today (Tuesday, 14 January).

The Bill’s intention is to provide a statutory basis for the Government’s target of one million Welsh speakers by 2050 and ensure that all children have a “fair opportunity” to leave school as confident Welsh speakers.

However, Cymdeithas yr Iaith maintain that the Bill will not succeed in its objectives, due to the lack of statutory targets for the percentage of children who will attend Welsh-medium education in future.

They also say that the Welsh Government has a “reluctance” to increase the amount of Welsh-medium teaching required in primarily English schools, decrying “the lack of financial commitments to up-skill the Welsh language ability of the education workforce”.

Artwork

To draw attention to the shortcomings of the Bill, campaigners placed a paper chain artwork outside the Senedd, showing ten children – eight in blue to represent the 80% of children in Wales who leave school without the ability to speak Welsh confidently, and two in red to represent the 20% who leave school able to speak Welsh confidently having attended Welsh-medium education.

Joseff Gnagbo, Chair of Cymdeithas yr Iaith, said: “The purpose of the artwork is to remind our politicians of their duty to the children of Wales and the failure of our education system to give the Welsh language to all of our children.

“Currently, 80% of our children are deprived of the right to speak our national language, and children from disadvantaged social backgrounds, ethnic minorities and from specific areas are the most deprived.

“The danger is that this Bill, due to its fundamental weaknesses, will still deprive a large part of the children of Wales of the language for decades to come.

“The politicians in this building often say that the Welsh language belongs to everyone. If so, they must take up the opportunities they will have to significantly strengthen the Bill and act on their rhetoric so that no child is left behind, and so that our language really does belong to everyone in Wales.”

The artwork will also be displayed at the organisation’s ‘Solidarity with the 80%: Welsh Education for All’ rally at the Senedd on Saturday 15 February where they will call for the Bill to be strengthened to ensure that all children leave school as confident Welsh speakers.

Among the speakers will be Mabli Siriol from Cymdeithas yr Iaith, the poet and writer Hammad Rind and the Vice-President for the Welsh Language at Cardiff University Students’ Union, Catrin Edith.

Welsh Government response

A Welsh Government spokesperson said: “Our Welsh Language and Education Bill aims, by 2050, to give all children in Wales, a fair opportunity to become independent and confident Welsh speakers by the time they reach the end of compulsory school age.

“This aim is regardless of their background and whichever language category school they attend.”

“The bill also reinforces the importance of growing the percentage of young people entering Welsh-medium education.”