Target of 50% of children in Welsh-medium education

Following the first ministerial statement by the new Cabinet Secretary for Education and the Welsh Language, Anna Brychan MS, to Members of the Senedd today (16/06), Cymdeithas yr Iaith says that a radical programme is needed in order to achieve the target of reaching 50% of children in Welsh-medium education by 2050.

Owain Meirion, National Chair of Cymdeithas yr Iaith, said:

“We look forward to working closely with the Welsh Government to achieve the goal of 50% of children receiving Welsh-medium education by 2050. We need to see targets being met, investment in the workforce, and clear leadership. 

“Cymdeithas yr Iaith will not be satisfied until every child receives Welsh-medium education, but at the very least, in the short term, we must ensure that the target of reaching 50% is achieved rather than missed. Welsh-medium education at community level could help ensure that the graphs start moving in the right direction for the first time in decades, with a radical programme in support of the Welsh language and the people of Wales.” 

Anna Brychan MS published her statement of priorities for the education brief today, and will publish her statement of priorities for the Welsh language on 7 July. 

Owain Meirion added:

“We look forward to a dedicated and far-reaching announcement from the Minister on the Welsh language on 7 July. The new Minister must usher in a radical new chapter that takes the people of Wales’ right to the Welsh language seriously and delivers targets that make a real day-to-day difference to people in their communities. 

“This includes completing the work of introducing rights under the Welsh Language Measure and rapidly extending them to the rest of the private sector while ensuring they are enforced effectively, and implementing all the recommendations of the two expert commissions on Welsh-speaking communities.

“We will be holding the ‘Troi’r Llanw dros y Gymraeg’ (‘Turning the Tide for the Welsh Language’) rally in Porthmadog on the preceding Saturday to reinforce our policy demands and to press the Government to take immediate action in support of the Welsh language and our communities.” 

The ‘Troi’r Llanw dros y Gymraeg’ rally will be held at Y Traeth Stadium, Porthmadog, on 4 July at 12 noon.