During a demonstration outside the Welsh Government stand at the Eisteddfod in Meifod on Friday 7th August, members of Cymdeithas yr Iaith have dumped an old car at the entrance to the stand with the words "Cymraeg Ail Iaith" ("Welsh as a second language") painted on it.
Cymdeithas claims that teaching Welsh as a "second language" is a total write-off beyond repair and is a failed educational experiment. Rather than trying to improve the tracking of Welsh as a second language, Cymdeithas are calling on the Government to accept that it is a write-off and to include instead in the new curriculum a single subject "Welsh" for every pupil with a continuum so that all can move up levels of fluency.
The language group has also called on the government to ensure that every pupil receives at least party of his or her education through the medium of Welsh so that all gain the ability to communicate and work in Welsh. The society has led the campaign "Addysg Gymraeg i Bawb" (Welsh-medium education for all") in response to the Census results which showed a dramatic decline in the number of Welsh-speakers.
Cymdeithas's stance has been supported by many experts in education who have warned that there should be no further delay before implementing the recommendations of the Prof Sioned Davies committee, commissioned by the Givernment, and which reported two years ago. In May this year the First Minister Carwyn Jones admitted publicly that the present system was not working and said "….we have not, after 20 years of compulsory Welsh in schools, created confident and fluent Welsh-speakers… I must ensure that we consider in what ways we can change the system so that Welsh is seen as a skill…"
Speaking after the protest, education spokesperson Ffred Ffransis said "The situation could hardly be clearer. The whole idea of teaching Welsh as if it is a pupil's "second" language is a total failure educationally and deprives the majority of our young people of their heritage and of a basic skill in a bilingual country. If "Welsh as a Second Language" was a car, it would be a total write-off!
"We must move to a system of treating Welsh as a skill for all, and ensure that no pupil is disadvantaged by being deprived of the ability to work and communicate in Welsh. We realise that Carwyn Jones cannot implement such a radical change overnight. But he could tomorrow make a Statement of Intent to move in this direction and set up a panel of experts to ensure and monitor annual progress.
"Nobody can deny that the present system is a failure in that 75% of Welsh pupils are deprived of a basic skill. The current system aims to teach all pupils Welsh but fails miserably in this aim. That is why ewe must have a new system."
The story in the press:
Welsh language activists dump car - Daily Post 7/08/15