Category Archives: Cynllunio Ieithyddol

DYFODOL I’R IAITH CALLS FOR AN ESSENTIAL FOCUS ON LANGUAGE PLANNING

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Dyfodol i’r Iaith look forward to discussing with the Welsh Government any changes to the role of the Welsh Language Commissioner and the possibility of establishing an internal Language Agency within the Government.

Dyfodol wish to see, under whatever possible circumstances, priority being given to four essential elements of language planning:

* The home; increasing the number of Welsh-speaking homes from 7% to 10% within 5 years, with Welsh-medium childcare supporting this aim as part of the local community.
* The community; creating a programme to promote Welsh-speaking communities, including creating different models for Welsh language centres.
* Welsh in the workplace; establishing quotas for increasing the number of workers, starting with the Welsh language within local government.
* Education; ensuring a rapid growth in Welsh language education.

Dyfodol yr Iaith wish to see a preliminary sum of £5 million being devoted to developing policies and activities within these areas.

Dyfodol yr Iaith also calls for organisations which have already been influential, such as the Coleg Cymraeg Cenedlaethol and Welsh for Adults, to continue to work creatively and effectively.

NEW CURRICULUM AIMS AN ARROW AT THE HEART OF WELSH LANGUAGE EDUCATION

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Dyfodol i’r Iaith has reacted angrily to a clause within the Government’s new curriculum White Paper. This clause states that all funded education, including playgroups, must teach English as a compulsory element of the curriculum. This runs contrary to the current provision, which allows English to be introduced gradually from the age of 7.

 

“This clause aims an arrow at the very heart of Welsh-medium education,” said Heini Gruffudd, Dyfodol’s Chair. “This foundation phase is critical to learning. We must insist that the Welsh language be given a special space during this phase if we are to see our children learn and become fluent in the language. I cannot think of any precedence for such a proposal; indeed, the White Paper itself states that English is not a subject that requires such statutory status.”

 

“Yet another folly of course is that that the Government is undoing the attempts to support the Welsh language and undermining its own aim to create a million Welsh speakers. We cannot accept such a ridiculous proposal. This is an incomparable retrograde move, and one which undermines some of the most fundamental principles of Welsh-medium education.”

 

DYFODOL INSISTS THAT CHILCARE SCHEME SUPPORTS THE WELSH LANGUAGE

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Dyfodol i’r Iaith has written to the Education Minister Kirsty Williams to insist that the new scheme to provide 30 hours of childcare supports the Government’s own aim of creating a million Welsh speakers by 2050.

Heini Gruffudd, Dyfodol’s Chair said:

“Although this is a positive move in theory, the scheme must place sufficient emphasis on Welsh-language provision, particularly in the context of the Government’s own target to increase the number of Welsh speakers.

Offering English medium care to most pre-school children will undermine Welsh education and runs contrary to the aim of creating a million Welsh-speakers. We insist on certainty from the Minister that this does not become yet another example of one Government department overlooking the aims of other departments.”