Rally for Welsh language education announced in response to Senedd committee report

Stephen Price

A Welsh language campaign group has announced plans to hold a rally on the steps of the Senedd to support the ‘80% of children who will leave school without the ability to speak Welsh confidently’.

The rally has been organised in response to a new report by a Senedd committee which Cymdeithas yr Iaith Gymraeg say does not hold the Welsh Government to account for what they term as ‘weaknesses’ in their plans for the future of Welsh language education.

The Senedd’s Children, Young People and Education Committee published its first report on the Welsh Language and Education Bill today (Friday 13 December).

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

However, according to Cymdeithas yr Iaith, the Bill is not strong enough to succeed in its aims, and they have criticised the Committee’s report for not addressing those weaknesses.

Open letter

In an open letter to the Committee, Toni Schiavone, Chair of the Cymdeithas yr Iaith’s Education Group, explained: “Currently, 80% of our children and young people leave school without being able to speak Welsh confidently, as they have not received a Welsh-medium education.

“Our concern is that this situation will persist even after the Bill has been passed by our Senedd, as it is not nearly strong enough at the moment to bring about the radical change needed to give the Welsh language to all our children.”

The members of the Committee have been invited to the upcoming ‘Solidarity with the 80%: Welsh Language Education for All’ rally, which will take place outside the Senedd in Cardiff Bay on 15 February 2025.

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

Welsh ‘belongs to everyone’

Toni Schiavone added: “As our politicians are not willing to stand with the 80% of children and young people who are deprived of the Welsh language, we will hold a rally outside the Senedd on 15 February to show that the people of Wales stand with them.

“If the Welsh language really belongs to everyone, you will use your power as elected members of our Senedd in the coming months to influence it in order to realise the aspirations of the people of Wales and the rights of our children to speak our national language, and introduce amendments that will significantly change the once in a generation legislation so that it is truly transformative.”

In a recent opinion poll by YouGov, commissioned by the Cymdeithas yr Iaith, 59% of people questioned believed that schools should aim to educate all pupils to become confident Welsh speakers, with 29% disagreeing and 12% answering ‘don’t know’.

Excluding those who answered ‘don’t know’, the percentage in favour rose to 67%.

Senedd and Welsh Gov response

A Welsh Government spokesperson said: “We welcome the Committee’s view that the Senedd agrees the general principles of the Bill.

“We will consider the report’s recommendations carefully and respond in the debate on 14 January.”

Chair of the Senedd’s Children, Young People and Education Committee, Buffy Williams MS, said: “The Committee is grateful for Cymdeithas yr Iaith’s submission to the inquiry in the early stage of the Welsh Language and Education Bill (Wales) Bill’s journey through the Senedd, and for its continued interest in our work.

“The comments in this latest letter have been brought to the attention of the Members and will be included in Committee papers when the Committee next meets.”