Welsh language education bill clears first hurdle

Cardiff: So, the Welsh language education bill just made it through its first hurdle in the Senedd. There were some worries about staff shortages and the costs involved, but everyone seemed to agree on the need for change.

All the members gave a thumbs up to the general principles of the bill. This is part of a deal that fell through between the ministers and Plaid Cymru, but it’s still moving forward.

Mark Drakeford, the First Minister, shared that the goal is to make sure every student becomes a confident Welsh speaker by the time they finish school. He pointed out that most kids in Wales learn in English, but they’ve been required to learn Welsh for ages now.

He admitted that they haven’t really nailed it when it comes to providing a good experience for those learning Welsh. The bill is expected to cost around £103.2 million by 2034/35 and aims to set a minimum of 10% Welsh language teaching in mainly English-speaking schools.

There are some ambitious targets too, like hitting a million Welsh speakers by 2050. They want to create a standard way to measure language skills and set up new types of schools focused on Welsh education.

Drakeford emphasized that for this bill to work, the education system needs to have the capacity to support it. He mentioned a new workforce plan that will include teaching Welsh and teaching through Welsh.

Buffy Williams, who heads the education committee, noted that while it’s not common for government targets to inspire people, the idea of a million Welsh speakers by 2050 has really caught attention. However, the last census showed fewer people identifying as Welsh speakers, so action is definitely needed.

She also asked for more details on the new school categories they’re proposing, which include primarily Welsh, dual language, and primarily English with some Welsh.