Driving The Growth Of The Welsh Language Through Education

The City Council has confirmed its vision for Cardiff’s education system to act as a key driver to increasing the number of Welsh speakers in the city. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

Cardiff’s Welsh in Education Strategic Plan (WESP) 2017 – 2020, which outlines the strategic direction for the planning of Welsh-medium and Welsh-language education in the city, was approved by Cabinet at its meeting on Thursday, March 16. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

The aspirations in the plan are in line with the authority’s five year Welsh Language Strategy, also being considered at Cabinet, and support Welsh Government’s aim of a million Welsh speakers by 2050. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

All local authorities in Wales are required to submit a WESP and the new three-year plan will build on the previous strategy for 2014 – 2017 – a period which saw significant investment and increase in Welsh-medium education in the city including the opening of the third Welsh-medium high school, Bro Edern in Penylan; a new three form of entry school for Ysgol Treganna in Canton and additional capacity at Ysgol-Y-Wern. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

Last year also saw the establishment of a new two form of entry primary starter school for Butetown, Ysgol Hamadryad and a new nursery provision at Ysgol Glan Ceubal. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

The new plan is based around seven key outcomes to further develop the Council’s vision of creating a truly bilingual Cardiff and enhance the delivery of the growth and provision of Welsh-medium education throughout the city. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

Cabinet Member for Education, Cllr Sarah Merry, said: “The City Council’s Welsh in Education Strategic Plan is an integral part of the authority’s Bilingual Cardiff strategy. The two plans complement each other and we recognise that education is crucial to the achieving the aim of increasing the number of Welsh speakers in the city over the next five years. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

“We want to build on what’s already been achieved in Welsh-medium education in the city, ensuring children are able to develop their Welsh skills and creating the new Welsh speakers of the future. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

“We’re committed to promoting the language through high-quality teaching in both Welsh and English-medium schools, challenging children’s learning abilities and encouraging the wider use of the language outside the classroom through play, leisure and holiday care and youth opportunities as well as beyond school in Further and Higher Education, training and employment.” ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​