Language Activists Demand Action on Welsh Medium Education

Cymdeithas yr Iaith (CYI) , The Welsh Language Society,  have long  been calling for the abolition of the concept of “Welsh as a Second Language”, and have instead called for reforms to ensure that every pupil is given the opportunity through the education system to be educated in the medium of  Welsh. The CYI action plan includes:

• Revise the new Curriculum for Wales to create a single continuum of Welsh learning… A single Welsh language qualification for all will then need to be introduced in order to achieve real change.
• Undertake an unprecedented level of planning and investment in the education workforce to ensure that Welsh becomes the norm as a medium of teaching throughout our education system.

" CYI is calling for support for rural communities in Wales “where Welsh remains the daily language of a large proportion of the population”. It says these communities need support because of the levels of migration from rural to urban areas.  In July 2020, CYI published its proposal document More than a Million: Welsh language citizenship for all. This document lays out CYI’s vision for achieving more than one million Welsh speakers in Wales. To increase the use of Welsh, CYI wants the government to create 1,000 Welsh language spaces. These spaces, such as sports clubs or workplaces, would operate with staff and participants using the Welsh language as they go about their everyday activities. These spaces would then help people there to improve their use of the language. CYI also sees a role for the media in strengthening the language. To this end, it wants broadcasting and communication powers devolved to the Senedd (Welsh parliament). This could help increase the presence of Welsh in local media. CYI says the government also needs to spend £9m per year for a digital initiative that would increase the presence of Welsh on online platforms."  - The Canary

The notion of Welsh medium education enjoys wide support amongst the electorate in Wales. Polls in recent years consistently show that  over 60% of the people surveyed agreed that schools “should teach all pupils to communicate effectively in Welsh” thus ensuring graduates enjoy a command of the Welsh tongue upon graduation.  Studies have shown that bilingually schooled students academically outperform monolingually schooled students.

Read The Full Article Here: https://www.thecanary.co/uk/analysis/2021/08/08/campaigners-demand-a-rad...