Dyfodol i’r Iaith has called for the Welsh Government to take specific steps to encourage Wales’ pupils to study in Welsh Universities, rather than encouraging them to study in England.

Following the publishing of figures that suggest that fewer students now study through the medium of Welsh, Dyfodol i’r Iaith wants to see the Government giving financial support only to students studying in Wales, if the University courses are available in the country.

Dyfodol i’r Iaith also wants to see the Seren Network, which targets talented pupils in Wales, concentrating on encouraging students to study in Wales.

Heini Gruffudd, Chair of Dyfodol i’r Iaith, said, “The Government has an ambitious target for increasing the number of Welsh speakers, but some of its policies are dismantling this target.  We have been throwing money at universities in England by sending our students there, and that means that none of these students will study through the medium of Welsh.

Mr Gruffudd added, “Recently the Seren Network has been targeted talented pupils in an attempt to get them to study in the Russell Group of Universities, of which only Cardiff is in Wales.  This is an insult to other Welsh Universities, and the Policy will lead to a decrease in the number of students studying through the medium of Welsh.”

“Wales, as far as I know, is the only country in the world which wants to see most of its students study in another country for their first degree.”