10-12-07
Seven new Welsh medium schools - the fantastic achievement this year by those campaigning for Welsh medium education. These schools will be established in the counties of Bridgend, Cardiff, Caerphilly and Newport, whilst Welsh medium provision will be extended in Swansea and Monmouthshire. This is just a snapshot of the positive steps that local education authorities are taking in relation to Welsh medium education.
Rhieni Dros Addysg Gymraeg, or 'Parents for Welsh Medium Education', has been working closely with a number of local education authorities to bring about an increase in the number of places in Welsh medium education through the establishment of new Welsh medium schools.
RhAG works to ensure that LEAs develop reliable strategies that keep them aware of the increasing demand for Welsh medium education in their own areas. This demand is particularly evident in the more Anglicised areas including Newport and Wrexham.
By asking parents early in their child’s life about the education choices available within their communities, and by listening to the responses, LEAs can plan in advance and respond to the communities’ needs. Welsh medium education is the ideal way to start a child off early on their route to becoming a fully bilingual individual. At the same time as being supported within the education system, it is essential that the child's development is supported within the community so that he/she has the best possible chance of living their life through the medium of both Welsh and English.
Rheni Dros Addysg Gymraeg calls on the members of the Welsh Assembly Government to allocate adequate time for discussion to improve legislation as it affects education and to formulate a strategy for Welsh medium education and the Welsh language.
RhAG is a part of the "Celebrating Our Language" campaign which aims to draw attention to the need for a review of the legislation and to highlight the advantages of a thriving Welsh language.
National Development Officer for RhAG Elin Maher said, "As parents become more aware of the local choices available in education, an increasing number are choosing to educate their children through the medium of Welsh. It’s important that LEAs and the Welsh Assembly Government listen to the views of parents and provide Welsh medium education while at the same time ensuring that the language is supported and maintained within local communities. In joining the "Celebrate Our Language" campaign RhAG is clearly showing that the Welsh language needs a real and contemporary context in order to be nurtured within our communities as much as within our schools. ”
The primary demands of the Celebrate Our Language campaign are:
1. Positive steps by the Welsh Assembly Government during the next four years to ensure that all in Wales can use the Welsh language in all areas of their lives, including:
2. Official status for the Welsh language.
3. Statutory rights for every person in Wales to use the Welsh language in all aspects of life.
4. Safeguarding the Welsh language as a community language.
5. Appointing a Welsh Language Commissioner to protect these rights.
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