Dyfodol i’r Iaith has welcomed the Welsh Language Commissioner’s recent briefing note on Welsh Medium Childcare and Early Years Education as a revealing  document, which raises challenging questions.

The document outlines the challenges and opportunities for the provision of childcare and pre-school education in the context of the Welsh Government’s aim to create a million Welsh speakers by 2050. Heini Gruffudd, Dyfodol’s Chair said:

“The Government needs to face the workforce training needs to establish a strong foundation for Welsh medium pre-school care and education, and this document clearly shows how much needs to be done. It paints a perilous picture for some areas, and we would hope that this will raise discussion on a local and national level.”

Dyfodol i’r Iaith have called for the Welsh language to be an essential requirement for Additional Learning Needs Leader posts in Wales. These posts, within the four Education Consortia, have been advertised in the Guardian, with the ability to speak Welsh noted as being only ‘desirable’.

Dyfodol stated, “It is extremely disappointing that the Regional Education Consortia in Wales cannot see the need for Additional Learning Needs Leaders to be able to speak Welsh.

Over the past few years, the language has had insufficient attention within the field of additional learning needs. It is time to change this, so that children who attend Welsh language schools are treated equally in terms of language skills and educational development.

Although two of the consortia note that that the ability to speak Welsh is ‘highly desirable’, for these posts, this is not good enough. Those who are appointed need to have a thorough knowledge of the language situation in Wales. Being able to discuss this area through the medium of Welsh is an essential part of this, as is a thorough knowledge of the needs of Welsh-speaking and bilingual pupils.”

The development of Welsh language education will be halted until 2024, leaving the Welsh Government with no hope of reaching its target of having 30% of pupils in Welsh language education by 2030. This is Dyfdol i’r Iaith fear as Local Authorities present their funding applications by the end of July.

Funding applications for the development of schools should be submitted soon, with authorities presenting their applications by the end of July, for decision by the autumn. This funding is for the second round of the 21^st Century Schools programme, which will allocate money for the development of schools from 2019-2024. £600 million is available from the Government, and local authorities are expected to match this sum.

Dyfodol i’r Iaith is concerned that this funding will be allocated before many of the local authorities’ Welsh Language Education Plans have been accepted by the Welsh Government. Another cause for concern is that this does not allow the local authorities time to consider the implications of the Government’s Welsh Language Strategy, which was published a week ago,

Heini Gruffudd, Dyfodol i’r Iaith’s Chair, said, “There is reason to fear that there has been a lack of co-ordination between Government departments. It seems clear to us that local authorities are making plans without their Welsh Language Plans being accepted, and, clearly, without the opportunity to consider the Government’s Welsh Language Strategy.”

“Thus, funding applications will be submitted without priority being given to Welsh language education. In the first round 21^st Century Schools funding, some councils spent next to nothing on Welsh language education. This situation could recur again.”

“We call on the Government to delay the second round of the 21^st Century Schools     funding process, and stress that this process be linked to the authorities’ Welsh Education Plans and the Government’s Welsh Language Scheme.”