A shake-up of Welsh language education cleared the first hurdle in the Senedd despite concerns about staff shortages, teachers’ workloads and the cost to schools.
Senedd members unanimously agreed the general principles of the Welsh language bill, which was part of the now-collapsed cooperation deal between ministers and Plaid Cymru.
Mark Drakeford told the Senedd the reforms aim to improve how Welsh is taught, ensuring all pupils become confident Welsh speakers by the end of compulsory school age.
The finance and Welsh language secretary said: “The majority of children in Wales receive their education through the medium of English.
“It has been mandatory for them to learn Welsh for decades now. But we know that we haven’t succeeded in providing the same quality of experiences to them.”
The bill, which would cost an estimated £103.2m in the years to 2034/35, would set a 10 per cent minimum level for the amount of Welsh provision in primarily English-language schools.
It would also:
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put targets including a million Welsh speakers by 2050 on a legal footing;
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embed a standard way to describe language ability based on the CEFR;
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establish new categories of school;
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create a chain of accountability with duties on schools, councils and ministers; and
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set up a National Welsh Language Learning Institute.
Leading a debate on January 14, Prof Drakeford said: “If the bill is to succeed then we must ensure there is capacity within the education system to implement it.”
He pointed to the education secretary’s announcement of a strategic workforce plan, which will include the teaching of Welsh and teaching through the medium of Welsh.
Buffy Williams, chair of the education committee, said: “It is rare for a government target … to capture a wider imagination but a million Welsh speakers by 2050 has.
“Yet, the last census result shows a decrease in the number of people saying they’re Welsh speakers. It is clear action is needed to put this decline into reverse.”
She called for clarity on proposed new categories of school: primarily Welsh; dual language; and primarily English, partly Welsh: and the targets for each.