Call for trebling funding for Welsh for Adults

The funding for Welsh for Adults should be trebled. This is the claim made by Dyfodol i’r Iaith in the wake of the announcement that the funding is being cut by 7%. Dyfodol i’r Iaith is disturbed that the cuts to Welsh for Adults, which amount to £2.3 million – is more than the extra money given to the Mentrau Iaith and to a Welsh language economy project in Dyffryn Teifi. The Welsh for Adults programme needs to be central in revitalising Welsh as a community language, according to Dyfodol i’r Iaith. Heini Gruffudd, Chair of Dyfodol i’r Iaith, said “It is clear that the Government has not considered the essential role that Welsh for Adults has in targeting new parents and in training a Welsh speaking workforce.  To make a difference, a similar amount of money to the Basque Country needs to be spent, where they spend around £40 million a year.” Heini Gruffudd added, “most of our courses are not intensive, and we have no expansive programme of releasing people from work to learn the language.” “In less Welsh-speaking areas, a programme is needed to target parents who wish to change the language of the home, and to do this, parents need a period from work.  There is also a need to establish a chain of Canolfannau Cymraeg  – Welsh speaking Centres – to be new social centres for the language.” “In the Welsh-peaking areas, Welsh for Adults has a key role in teaching the language to incomers.” “In a period of decline of Welsh-speaking communities, the time is ripe for an adventurous expansion of the Welsh for Adults provision.” Dyfodol i’r Iaith welcomes the establishment of a National Welsh for Adults Centre, and calls for finance of £30 million for the Centre, instead of the present £10 million.  

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