Category Archives: Education

DYFODOL CALL FOR THE PROTECTION OF WELSH AS AN ACADEMIC SUBJECT

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Dyfodol i’r Iaith has expressed concern over the proposals to undermine the value of Welsh as an academic subject within Bangor and Cardiff Universities.

In the wake of pressure to make savings, proposals have been submitted to merge the School of Welsh with other language departments within Cardiff and to cut one post at professorial level in Bangor. Dyfodol has contacted the Vice-Chancellors of both Universities, asking them to reject these proposals for the sake of the language’s standing as a subject and an official national medium.

Eifion Lloyd-Jones on behalf of Dyfodol said; “These short-term proposals will send out a damaging long-term message regarding these institutions’ historical commitment to the Welsh language.”

“We must protect the independence and uniqueness of Welsh as an academic subject within our nation’s Universities and consider at the same time the significance of such proposals to the status and value of the language in a wider context – as our national, creative and community language.”

“We would stress the importance that these key institutions acknowledge and engage with their contribution to the future success of the Welsh language.”

 

NEW CURRICULUM AIMS AN ARROW AT THE HEART OF WELSH LANGUAGE EDUCATION

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Dyfodol i’r Iaith has reacted angrily to a clause within the Government’s new curriculum White Paper. This clause states that all funded education, including playgroups, must teach English as a compulsory element of the curriculum. This runs contrary to the current provision, which allows English to be introduced gradually from the age of 7.

 

“This clause aims an arrow at the very heart of Welsh-medium education,” said Heini Gruffudd, Dyfodol’s Chair. “This foundation phase is critical to learning. We must insist that the Welsh language be given a special space during this phase if we are to see our children learn and become fluent in the language. I cannot think of any precedence for such a proposal; indeed, the White Paper itself states that English is not a subject that requires such statutory status.”

 

“Yet another folly of course is that that the Government is undoing the attempts to support the Welsh language and undermining its own aim to create a million Welsh speakers. We cannot accept such a ridiculous proposal. This is an incomparable retrograde move, and one which undermines some of the most fundamental principles of Welsh-medium education.”

 

DYFODOL INSISTS THAT CHILCARE SCHEME SUPPORTS THE WELSH LANGUAGE

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Dyfodol i’r Iaith has written to the Education Minister Kirsty Williams to insist that the new scheme to provide 30 hours of childcare supports the Government’s own aim of creating a million Welsh speakers by 2050.

Heini Gruffudd, Dyfodol’s Chair said:

“Although this is a positive move in theory, the scheme must place sufficient emphasis on Welsh-language provision, particularly in the context of the Government’s own target to increase the number of Welsh speakers.

Offering English medium care to most pre-school children will undermine Welsh education and runs contrary to the aim of creating a million Welsh-speakers. We insist on certainty from the Minister that this does not become yet another example of one Government department overlooking the aims of other departments.”