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Opinion

Uchelgais Plaid Cymru i greu siaradwyr Cymraeg hyderus – Plaid Cymru’s ambition to create confident Welsh speakers

02 Aug 2024 12 minute read
Welsh language in school.

Heledd Fychan AS a Cefin Campbell AS

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Cenedl heb iaith, cenedl heb galon, a dros y misoedd nesaf bydd gwir gyfle i sicrhau y bydd y genhedlaeth nesaf yn cael y rhodd o addysg yn ein hiaith genedlaethol. Yn ystod wythnos olaf y tymor Seneddol, yng nghanol ymddiswyddiadau di-ri gan Ysgrifenyddion Cabinet a Phrif Weinidog Llywodraeth Lafur Cymru, fe gyflwynwyd Bil y Gymraeg ac Addysg y Llywodraeth gerbron y Senedd.

Fel llefarwyr y Blaid ar faterion addysg a’r Gymraeg, rydym o’r farn y dylai pob plentyn gael yr hawl i addysg gyflawn drwy gyfrwng y Gymraeg gan mai dyma’r dull mwyaf effeithiol o greu siaradwyr Cymraeg hyderus a rhugl.

Er mwyn cyflawni hyn, mae angen i ni gynyddu’n sylweddol nifer y gweithlu sy’n medru addysgu drwy gyfrwng y Gymraeg er mwyn tyfu addysg Gymraeg dros y degawdau nesaf i gyrraedd miliwn o siaradwyr yr iaith erbyn 2050.

Ond cyn y gallwn drafod gwersi Cymraeg y dyfodol mae’n werth cofio am wersi’r gorffennol. Ni ellir anghofio effaith ymyrraeth y wladwriaeth Brydeinig ar gyflwr yr iaith Gymraeg. O Frad y Llyfrau Gleision i’r Welsh Not, tanseiliwyd statws a hyder siaradwyr Cymraeg.

Dim ond ers dyfodiad datganoli, rhyw chwarter canrif yn ôl, y rhoddwyd y grym i Lywodraeth Cymru ddeddfu ym meysydd addysg ac iaith Gymraeg am y tro cyntaf. Drwy ymgyrchoedd a datblygiadau polisi blaengar yr aethpwyd ati i geisio diogelu dyfodol yr iaith, ond mae llawer mwy i’w wneud.

Bum mlynedd ar hugain ers i’r Senedd ddechrau gweithredu yn y maes hwn, mae mwyafrif plant Cymru’n parhau i gael eu hamddifadu o’r cyfleoedd i ddod yn siaradwyr Cymraeg hyderus, ac yn wir dros y deng mlynedd diwethaf mae’r nifer o ysgolion cyfrwng Cymraeg wedi leihau ar draws Cymru. Fel y mae pob tystiolaeth yn dangos – y ffordd orau i blentyn gaffael y Gymraeg yw drwy gael eu trochi yn yr iaith, a hynny drwy addysg cyfrwng Cymraeg.

Beth sydd gennym yn y Bil hwn ydy dechrau’r daith tuag at wireddu hynny. Y Bil
Yn wreiddiol, roedd y Bil am gael ei gyflwyno fel rhan o’r Cytundeb Cydweithio rhwng Plaid Cymru a Llywodraeth Cymru, a bu’r Blaid drwy gydol y broses yn gweithio’n galed i wthio’r Llywodraeth i gyflwyno Bil radical a phellgyrhaeddol.

O ganlyniad i ddiddymu’r Cytundeb Cydweithio yn gynharach yn y flwyddyn, ni wnaeth Plaid Cymru gymeradwyo na chytuno i’r Bil fel y’i gyflwynwyd ar ei ffurf derfynol, a byddem wedi hoffi iddo fod yn fwy uchelgeisiol. Bellach, ein rôl ni fel plaid drwy’r broses graffu fydd cynnig gwelliannau i geisio cryfhau’r Bil ymhellach.

Wrth gwrs, mae yna nifer o elfennau yn y Bil rydym yn croesawu’n fawr megis yr ymrwymiad clir ar wyneb y Bil i ddarparu sail statudol ar gyfer y targed o sicrhau miliwn o siaradwyr Cymraeg erbyn 2050.

Gobeithio y gallwn hefyd ddangos drwy’r Bil fod y Gymraeg yn perthyn i bawb, drwy greu un continwwm iaith yn ein hysgolion a bod cydraddoldeb a thegwch yn
ganolog i’n system addysg, gan gynnwys dysgu gydol oes. Mae’r fframwaith a gyflwynir yn y Bil yn rhoi sylfaen i uchelgais uwch at y dyfodol hefyd os nad yw’r Bil yn cyrraedd y nod erbyn diwedd ei daith Seneddol.

Categorïau Iaith

Un o’n prif bryderon gyda’r Bil yn ei ffurf bresennol yw’r pwyslais ar gategorïau iaith gwahanol i ysgolion heb unrhyw gyfeiriad at amserlen benodol i symud ysgolion ar hyd y continwwm i fod yn ysgolion Cymraeg dros amser.

Mae’n bryderus gweld cyfeiriad at ysgolion dwy ffrwd neu ddwy iaith fel nod yn hytrach na phroses. Nifer fach o ysgolion sydd yn gweithredu’r model hwn ac nid oes tystiolaeth ddigonol i ddangos bod y model hwn yn llwyddiannus ai peidio.

Yn wir, mae cabinet Rhondda Cynon Taf yn ddiweddar wedi cytuno i newid Ysgol Gynradd Dolau o fod yn ysgol ddwy ffrwd i fod yn ysgol Saesneg tra’n adeiladu ysgol Gymraeg newydd.

Bwriad yr awdurdod yw cynyddu capasiti Saesneg a chynyddu capasiti Cymraeg yn
yr ardal. Sut yn y byd mae cynyddu capasati Saesneg yn help o ran ehangu addysg
Gymraeg yn yr ardal?

Ac onid yw hyn hefyd yn codi cwestiynau mawr ynglŷn a pham fod y niferodd yn dewis y ffrwd Gymraeg yn Ysgol Gynradd Dolau wedi newid o fod yn fwyafrif yn y Gymraeg i fod yn fwyafrif Saesneg dros y blynyddoedd diwethaf?

Rhaid inni ddeall yn well beth sy’n digwydd ar lawr gwlad cyn penderfynu bod model dwy iaith hefyd yn ddatrysiad o ran ehangu addysg Gymraeg, drwy ddysgu o brofiadau ysgolion dwy ffrwd.

Gweithlu

Wrth gwrs, nid oes modd cyflawni amcanion y Bil Addysg Gymraeg heb weithlu dwyieithog. Y gwir plaen yw – os na fydd digon o athrawon yn cael eu hyfforddi a’u recriwtio sy’n medru’r Gymraeg yna bydd y Bil yn methu.

Fel mae tystiolaeth y blynyddoedd diwethaf wedi dangos mae recriwtio a chadw athrawon yng Nghymru yn her, ond mae cynnal a chynyddu gweithlu Cymraeg eu hiaith hyd yn oed yn fwy o her.

Mae ystadegau diweddar yn dangos bod nifer yr athrawon cofrestredig sy’n siaradwyr Cymraeg a’r nifer sy’n gallu dysgu drwy gyfrwng y Gymraeg wedi disgyn rhwng 2019 a 2023.

Mae hyn yn fater o bryder mawr o safbwynt cyflawni nodau’r Bil. Gwyddom fod y sector addysg yn gwbl allweddol i gynyddu nifer y siaradwyr Cymraeg dros y blynyddoedd nesaf – ond sut mae’n bosibl i ni gyflawni hyn pan nad oes gennym weithlu digonol?

Casgliad

Mae’r Bil hwn yn cynnig cyfle euraidd i ni ddatblygu system addysg Gymraeg genedlaethol, effeithiol a llwyddiannus a fydd yn cyfrannu’n sylweddol tuag at greu miliwn o siaradwyr erbyn 2050. Ond ni fydd hyn yn bosibl oni bai bydd Llywodraeth Cymru’n cymryd yr her hon o ddifri a chynllunio ar gyfer datblygu mwy o addysg Gymraeg ym mhob cwr o’r wlad.

Byddai hefyd yn help petaent yn ffocysu ar waith polisi yn hytrach na checru ymysg ei gilydd fel a welwyd yn ddiweddar. Mae pobl Cymru yn haeddu gwell nahyn. Dyletswydd Plaid Cymru bydd craffu ar y Bil hwn yn fanwl i sicrhau bod y seiliau gorau posibl yn cael eu gosod yn eu lle i wireddu ei amcanion. Rydym yn benderfynol yn ein dyhead i sicrhau’r Ddeddf Addysg Gymraeg fwyaf uchelgeisiol a phellgyrhaeddol posib er mwyn sicrhau y bydd plant a phobl ifanc Cymru’r dyfodol yn dod yn siaradwyr Cymraeg rhugl a hyderus.

Gobeithio bydd pwy bynnag fydd yn cymryd yr awenau fel Gweinidogion â chyfrifoldeb am Addysg a’r Gymraeg yn y dyfodol yn rhannu yr un uchelgais.


Heledd Fychan MS and Cefin Campbell MS

Cenedl heb iaith, cenedl heb galon – A nation without language is a nation without a heart, and over the coming months there will be a real opportunity to ensure that the next generation will receive the gift of education in our national language.

During the final week of the Senedd term, amid countless resignations by Cabinet Secretaries and the First Minister of the Welsh Labour Government, the Government’s Welsh Language and Education Bill was brought before the Senedd.

As Plaid Cymru’s spokespersons on education and Welsh language issues, we believe that all children should have the right to a well-rounded education through the medium of Welsh as it is the most effective method of creating confident and fluent Welsh speakers.

To achieve this, we need to significantly increase the number in the workforce able to teach through the medium of Welsh in order to grow Welsh language education over the coming decades to reach one million speakers by 2050.

But before we can discuss the Welsh lessons of the future it is worth remembering the lessons of the past. The impact of British state intervention on the condition of the Welsh language cannot be forgotten.

From Brad y Llyfrau Gleision to the Welsh Not, the status and confidence of Welsh speakers was undermined. It is only since the advent of devolution, some quarter of a century ago, that the Welsh Government has been empowered to legislate in the areas of education and Welsh language for the first time. It has been through progressive campaigns and policy developments that we set out to safeguard the future of the language, but there is much more to be done.

Twenty-five years since the Senedd began to act in this area, the majority of Welsh children continue to be deprived of the opportunities to become confident Welsh speakers, and over the past 10 years the number of Welsh medium schools has decreased across Wales.

As all evidence shows – the best way for a child to acquire Welsh is by being immersed in the language, through Welsh medium education. What we have in this Bill is the beginning of the journey towards making that a reality.

The Bill

Originally, the Bill was to be introduced as part of the Co-operation Agreement between Plaid Cymru and the Welsh Government, and throughout the process Plaid Cymru worked hard to push the Government to introduce a radical and far-reaching Bill.

As a result of the Co-operation Agreement ending earlier in the year, Plaid Cymru did not approve of, or agree to the Bill as it was tabled in its final form, and we would have liked it to be more ambitious. It is now our role as a party through the scrutiny process to move amendments to try and further strengthen the Bill.

Of course, there are a number of elements in the Bill that we very much welcome such as the clear commitment on the face of the Bill to provide a statutory basis for the target of achieving one million Welsh speakers by 2050.

I hope that we can also show that Welsh belongs to everyone, by creating a single language continuum in our schools and that equality and fairness are central to our education system, including lifelong learning.

The framework put forward in the Bill also provides a foundation for higher ambition in the future if the Bill does not reach the highest of standards by the end of the legislative process.

Language Categories

One of our main concerns with the Bill in its current form is the emphasis on different language categories for schools with no reference to a specific timetable to move schools along the continuum to become Welsh schools over time.

It is concerning to see a reference to dual-stream or dual-language schools as a goal rather than a process. Few schools implement this model and there is insufficient evidence to show that this model is successful or not.

Indeed, Rhondda Cynon Taff’s cabinet has recently agreed to change Ysgol Gynradd Dolau from a dual-stream school to a English school whilst building a new Welsh language school. The authority intends to increase English capacity and increase Welsh capacity in the area.

How on earth does increasing English capacity help in expanding Welsh language education in the area? And doesn’t this also raise big questions about why the number choosing the Welsh stream at Ysgol Gynradd Dolau has changed from being majority in Welsh to being a majority English in recent years?

We must better understand what is happening on the ground before deciding that a dual-language model is also a solution in expanding Welsh language education, by learning from the experiences of dual-stream schools.

Workforce

Of course, the objectives of the Welsh Education Bill cannot be achieved without a bilingual workforce. The hard truth is – if not enough teachers are trained and recruited who can speak Welsh then the Bill will fail.

As evidence in recent years has shown, recruiting and retaining teachers in Wales is a challenge, but maintaining and increasing a Welsh-language workforce is even more of a challenge.

Recent statistics show that the number of registered teachers who are Welsh speakers and the number who can teach through the medium of Welsh has fallen between 2019 and 2023.

This is a matter of great concern in terms of achieving the aims of the Bill. We know that the education sector is absolutely key to increasing the number of Welsh speakers over the next few years – but how is it possible for us to achieve this when we do not have an adequate workforce?

Challenge

This Bill offers us a golden opportunity to develop a national, effective and successful Welsh language education system that will go a long way towards creating one million speakers by 2050.

But this will not be possible unless the Welsh Government takes this challenge
seriously and plans for the development of more Welsh language education across the country.

It would also help if they focused on policy work rather than bickering amongst
themselves as has been seen recently. The people of Wales deserve better than this. Plaid Cymru’s duty will be to scrutinise this Bill closely to ensure that the best possible foundations are laid in place to realise its objectives.

We are resolute in our aspiration to secure the most ambitious and far-reaching Welsh Language and Education Act possible to ensure that the children and young people of the future in Wales will become fluent and confident Welsh speakers.

We hope that whoever takes over as Ministers with responsibility for Education and the Welsh language in the future will share the same ambition.


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Rhufawn Jones
Rhufawn Jones
4 months ago

Os hoffech greu siaradwyr Cymraeg hyderus, yna heriwch y Blaid Lafur a’u cynlluniau i orfodi cynghorau sir i fabwysiadu cynlluniau datblygu lleol sy’n hyrwyddo mewnlifiad a gwladychu ar sail ideoleg. Fel arall ni fydd iaith cymunedol ar ôl gennym, dim ond llwyth o blant yn siaread Cymraeg wysg eu cefnau yn eu gwersi a Saesneg ar y buarthy ac ym mhob agwedd arall ar eu bywydau. Magwch ychydig o ruddin myn dyn.

Mr Williams
Mr Williams
4 months ago

It is a noble aim, and I really hope you are able to achieve it. But as someone who works in education, I can tell you that we need many more teachers, desperately. Too many are leaving the profession now for various reasons. I have also, over my many years teaching, seen Welsh speaking teachers turned down for jobs (sometimes, not because they are incapable, but because of the culture of box-ticking in education). This has sometimes resulted in them leaving Wales to find work. The teacher recruitment system needs an overhaul, so that there are teaching posts available for… Read more »

Annibendod
Annibendod
4 months ago

Mae’n nod gwiw. Serch hyn mae’n rhaid i mi ddweud hwn eto – yn yr ardaloedd di-gymreig, nid yw ysgolion cyfrwng Cymraeg yn cynyrchu siaradwyr Gymraeg yn y niferoedd y gobeithiwn. Fel dwedodd hen cydweithiwr i mi yn ddoeth iawn, rydyn ni’n cynhyrchu nifer fawr o bobl ifanc gyda gwybodaeth o’r Cymraeg. Wrth gwrs mae gan addysg cyfrwng Cymraeg cyfraniad holl bwysig i’w wneud ond paid disgwyl iddo fod yn bwled arian. Mae angen syfliad bychain mewn pwyslais fan hyn. Mae angen strategaeth holistaidd i adeiladu cymunedau o siaradwyr Cymraeg. Mae hynny’n cwmpasu addysg Cymraeg, cyfryngau Cymreig, gwasanaethau Cymreig a… Read more »

Padi Phillips
Padi Phillips
4 months ago
Reply to  Annibendod

Clywch, clywch! Mae Heledd Fychan yn gwybod sut yn union rwy’n teimlo dros diffyg darpariath yn y byd ‘go iawn’ o wasanaethau sydd ar gael trwy’r Gymraeg. Mae hi wedi bod yn 31 mlynedd er pasio’r Ddeddf Iaith 1993, ac 13 ers pasio’r Fesur Cymraeg 2011, ac rydym dal yn dinasyddion ail-radd os ydym yn dewis defnyddio gwasanaethau trwy’r Gymraeg. Mae’n loteri. Gyda Cyngor Sir Caerdydd, weithiau mae’r wasanaeth yn ardderchog, ond ar adegau mae’n hollol warthus ac bron yn sarhaus. Yn diweddar mi wnes i digwydd edrych ar rhestr o gymdeithasau tai Cymru i weld beth yw agwedd y… Read more »

Last edited 4 months ago by Padi Phillips
Annibendod
Annibendod
4 months ago
Reply to  Padi Phillips

Cytuno’n llwyr gyda ti Padi. Mi wyt ti yn lygad dy le. Sdim o’i le gyda dy Gymraeg. Pan fo bobl yn ei ddefnyddio, mae’n swynol i mi.

Padi Phillips
Padi Phillips
4 months ago
Reply to  Annibendod

Diolch am dy eiriau caredig Annibendod.

Jack
Jack
4 months ago

I disagree with most of this, starting with the first principle. Consider the nations of the USA and Australia. They are clearly defined nations with their own cultures and heritage – and they speak English. One does NOT need to have one’s own language to be an independent, proud nation. In Welsh terms consider the poetry of DylanThomas – it’s all in English. Again, one can be Welsh and English speaking. The further point for Australia and USA is that by having English as the national language its citizens can be employed worldwide as English is the international language.We in… Read more »

Caernarfongirl
Caernarfongirl
4 months ago
Reply to  Jack

Completely agree. There should always be a choice for parents of English or Welsh medium education for their children. I do not agree with all schools becoming Welsh medium because of some arbitrary target for Welsh speakers. Wales has done poorly in recent PISA tests; surely it is more important to raise educational standards in Wales and stop being fixated on the Welsh language.

Annibendod
Annibendod
4 months ago
Reply to  Caernarfongirl

Supporting Cymraeg and raising educational standards is not a binary choice. This is a very old urban myth that has been around since I started school fourty years ago – it was around when my grandfather was a boy in the 1930’s. It was nonsense then and it’s nonsense now.

Last edited 4 months ago by Annibendod
Annibendod
Annibendod
4 months ago
Reply to  Jack

I utterly disagree with this. You’ve completely missed the point and what’s more, you are captive to a destructive and false narrative that has done tremendous damage to our language and culture this past hundred years or so. I’ve lost count of the number of times I’ve heard this narrative – it’s apologetics for cultural chauvinism. The fact that Welsh people themselves turn against Cymraeg is nothing short of a disgrace.

CapM
CapM
4 months ago

Gwyneth Lewis’ words that are inscribed on the front of Canolfan y Mileniwm (Wales Millennium Center) say

CREU.GWIR.IN.THESE.STONES
FEL.GWDR.HORIZONS
O.FfWRNAIS.AWEN.SING

A monoglot English speaker will be able to appreciate ONE poem.
A bilingual English and Cymraeg speaker will be able to appreciate not two, but THREE poems.

Every argument against being bilingual has been debunked and debunked again.
The advantages of bilingualism have been proven and proven again.
Some people just can’t come to terms with reality.

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