Campaign groups have come together to highlight the tens of thousands of children who are deprived of the ability to speak Welsh every year because of the education system at the Urdd Eisteddfod today (1pm, Wednesday, 1st June).
According to the latest Welsh Government statistics, 26,581 seven year olds did not receive Welsh-medium education in 2014 and so lost the opportunity to be fluent in the language. Between 2004 and 2014, well over a quarter million children were deprived of Welsh medium education.
Because of the situation, language campaign group Cymdeithas yr Iaith Gymraeg are running a campaign to move towards Welsh-medium education for every pupil in the country. The group is calling on the Government to implement the recommendations of Professor Sioned Davies' report which called for the abolition of the idea of teaching Welsh as a second language and introducing a degree of Welsh-medium education for every pupil.
Rolant Wynne from teaching union UCAC, Nick Thomas from Syfflag a group campaiging for Welsh-medium education in Flintshire, and Toni Schiavone from Cymdeithas yr Iaith held up placards representing the 78% of seven year old children who don't have the chance to be fluent in Welsh.
Speaking from the Urdd Eisteddfod, Nick Thomas from the Syfflag campaign group commented:
"At one time, Flintshire led the way on developing Welsh-medium education and ensuring it was passed to the next generation. There used to be around a thousand children in Ysgol Maes Garmon in the eighties. Now it's far fewer than that, and there has been no growth in the primary sector either. The council must do more to satisfy the wishes of local people, who want their children to be fluent in the language."
Toni Schiavone, education spokesperson for Cymdeithas yr Iaith added:
"The education system as it stands means that the vast majority of our children and young people are denied the ability to speak Welsh. The Government is running a system which is going to lead to a decline in the language. The system needs radical change so that every pupil leaves school fluent in Welsh. That's what will be needed if the Welsh Government is going to meet its target of a million speakers.
"Brave steps forward need taking and urgently. We have written to the new Education Secretary Kirsty Williams to discuss these issues. Everyone's expectations need to raised of the Welsh language in education, by abolishing the concept of second language Welsh and establishing one continuum of learning for every pupil so that, over time, there is Welsh-medium education for all. Urgent work is needed to act on Professor Sioned Davies' report - and the First Minister's wish – of seeing that continuum set up."