Quick note: I haven’t editorialised the title, it’s what the auto generator things did. So likely the BBC have done their thing of changing it after publishing
Kids are still gonna speak English, but more will be able to speak Welsh fluently. Look it is frankly ridiculous that we have part of our political class who oppose this, there’s very few nations that actively fight against teaching people their own language!
Is the thinking behind this that most pupils in Gwynedd should be proficient in Welsh by the time they reach secondary and should therefore be at no disadvantage being taught in the language?
I don’t really mind schemes like this so long as pupils aren’t put at a disadvantage by being taught in a language they’re not fully fluent in, whether that’s English or Welsh.
Edit: having read [a bit more about](https://democracy.gwynedd.llyw.cymru/documents/s44375/) the draft proposals, I’ve changed my mind. This is a bad policy change which attacks bilingualism in Gwynedd’s schools. As the Education and Economy Scrutiny Committee puts it:
>The main significant amendments proposed to the existing Language Policy is to remove bilingualism and bilingual teaching. The policy notes clearly that Welsh will be the principal language of the education.
I do not think this will benefit pupils. Instead, the council should be looking to adopt the proposals such as those suggested by Bangor University in its [exploratory study into Welsh-language STEM provision](https://www.bangor.ac.uk/sites/default/files/2021-09/WEB%20VERSION%20Report%20Welsh%20Medium%20Stem%202021%20Final%20Version%20V1.pdf). The study essentially supports bilingualism and pupil choice while also advocating for greater support for Welsh-medium and bilingual education. This recognises the reality that higher education in STEM subjects is predominantly conducted in English and that current pupils will need the tools to navigate this system.
I don’t really have a problem with this as prioritising Welsh Language education is basically giving kids a free language to learn. Plus it’s Gwynedd so most people there can already speak Welsh anyway so it just helps people who don’t to catch up. However, one line is a bit odd:
>The council said the proposals would “remove bilingualism and bilingual teaching”
Bilingualism is good. One of the best arguments in favour of the Welsh language is that it encourages bilingualism. Framing it as if it’s a problem is the sort of thing that Reform and their ilk do, so it’s weird to hear it coming from the other side.
Great news!
So I grew up in, and did all of my schooling in, Gwynedd. I was under the impression this was already the case anyway… Chances are there’s going to be little to no actual practical change as a result of this, but it’s nice to have this as legislation.
As a side note, immigrant pupils that don’t speak Welsh to a sufficient level (not exclusively from England) are sent to specialist school’s for a year to continue learning and get their Welsh up to snuff before joining their local school (at least they did in Meirionnydd). Teachers will also intermittently explain concepts in English if any pupils are struggling during a lesson, so non-fluent Welsh speakers aren’t really left behind.
Enter stage left a bunch of ignorants who understand nothing about the situation, and have no stake in this whatsoever getting totally outraged over what is in effect absolutely nothing.
Yes let’s give away the best advantage welsh people have. The ability to speak english fluently, lets Welsh people compete equally against the English for jobs.
It’s like saying let’s put our pride before common sense…and keep deepening the wage inequality between England and Wales.
My kids and nieces and nephews were schooled in Ceredigion. They have had a strict no-English to be spoken in primary schools rule for years. The only problem I have is that children were punished if they were heard to speak English during break times etc. They were denied swimming trips, free time, things like that. I don’t agree with that. It’s the Welsh Not in reverse.
Biggest issue I have here is in the Sciences and Math. I am a Welsh speaker, but these lessons should be taught in English. Whether we like it or not it is the Lingua Franca of the planet and the Sciences across the world are very often taught in English, our students need to be able to properly comprehend scientific language at the universal standard. Its a matter of being pragmatic and giving Welsh pupils the best chance of competing globally.
The thing is, as article says, this is to boost Welsh language proficiency and use amongst the youth. Issue I still have is we really don’t see that change in census data (article says it is falling in Gwynedd), and I worry this sort of thing will just reduce competency in academic English while not really boosting the number of fluent Welsh speakers outside of school/college settings.
Goodbye Wales……
When you consider that as a language it only started being compulsory to be taught to primary kids and secondary kids in the 90s.
Then there’s the fact for quite a period of time it was outright banned with kids being given a caning and the Welsh knot if they spoke Welsh at school.
This is good to hear, although might be harder on parents looking to help their kids with schoolwork if their own Welsh is not exactly up to scratch
12 comments
Quick note: I haven’t editorialised the title, it’s what the auto generator things did. So likely the BBC have done their thing of changing it after publishing
Kids are still gonna speak English, but more will be able to speak Welsh fluently. Look it is frankly ridiculous that we have part of our political class who oppose this, there’s very few nations that actively fight against teaching people their own language!
Is the thinking behind this that most pupils in Gwynedd should be proficient in Welsh by the time they reach secondary and should therefore be at no disadvantage being taught in the language?
I don’t really mind schemes like this so long as pupils aren’t put at a disadvantage by being taught in a language they’re not fully fluent in, whether that’s English or Welsh.
Edit: having read [a bit more about](https://democracy.gwynedd.llyw.cymru/documents/s44375/) the draft proposals, I’ve changed my mind. This is a bad policy change which attacks bilingualism in Gwynedd’s schools. As the Education and Economy Scrutiny Committee puts it:
>The main significant amendments proposed to the existing Language Policy is to remove bilingualism and bilingual teaching. The policy notes clearly that Welsh will be the principal language of the education.
I do not think this will benefit pupils. Instead, the council should be looking to adopt the proposals such as those suggested by Bangor University in its [exploratory study into Welsh-language STEM provision](https://www.bangor.ac.uk/sites/default/files/2021-09/WEB%20VERSION%20Report%20Welsh%20Medium%20Stem%202021%20Final%20Version%20V1.pdf). The study essentially supports bilingualism and pupil choice while also advocating for greater support for Welsh-medium and bilingual education. This recognises the reality that higher education in STEM subjects is predominantly conducted in English and that current pupils will need the tools to navigate this system.
I don’t really have a problem with this as prioritising Welsh Language education is basically giving kids a free language to learn. Plus it’s Gwynedd so most people there can already speak Welsh anyway so it just helps people who don’t to catch up. However, one line is a bit odd:
>The council said the proposals would “remove bilingualism and bilingual teaching”
Bilingualism is good. One of the best arguments in favour of the Welsh language is that it encourages bilingualism. Framing it as if it’s a problem is the sort of thing that Reform and their ilk do, so it’s weird to hear it coming from the other side.
Great news!
So I grew up in, and did all of my schooling in, Gwynedd. I was under the impression this was already the case anyway… Chances are there’s going to be little to no actual practical change as a result of this, but it’s nice to have this as legislation.
As a side note, immigrant pupils that don’t speak Welsh to a sufficient level (not exclusively from England) are sent to specialist school’s for a year to continue learning and get their Welsh up to snuff before joining their local school (at least they did in Meirionnydd). Teachers will also intermittently explain concepts in English if any pupils are struggling during a lesson, so non-fluent Welsh speakers aren’t really left behind.
Enter stage left a bunch of ignorants who understand nothing about the situation, and have no stake in this whatsoever getting totally outraged over what is in effect absolutely nothing.
Yes let’s give away the best advantage welsh people have. The ability to speak english fluently, lets Welsh people compete equally against the English for jobs.
It’s like saying let’s put our pride before common sense…and keep deepening the wage inequality between England and Wales.
My kids and nieces and nephews were schooled in Ceredigion. They have had a strict no-English to be spoken in primary schools rule for years. The only problem I have is that children were punished if they were heard to speak English during break times etc. They were denied swimming trips, free time, things like that. I don’t agree with that. It’s the Welsh Not in reverse.
Biggest issue I have here is in the Sciences and Math. I am a Welsh speaker, but these lessons should be taught in English. Whether we like it or not it is the Lingua Franca of the planet and the Sciences across the world are very often taught in English, our students need to be able to properly comprehend scientific language at the universal standard. Its a matter of being pragmatic and giving Welsh pupils the best chance of competing globally.
The thing is, as article says, this is to boost Welsh language proficiency and use amongst the youth. Issue I still have is we really don’t see that change in census data (article says it is falling in Gwynedd), and I worry this sort of thing will just reduce competency in academic English while not really boosting the number of fluent Welsh speakers outside of school/college settings.
Goodbye Wales……
When you consider that as a language it only started being compulsory to be taught to primary kids and secondary kids in the 90s.
Then there’s the fact for quite a period of time it was outright banned with kids being given a caning and the Welsh knot if they spoke Welsh at school.
This is good to hear, although might be harder on parents looking to help their kids with schoolwork if their own Welsh is not exactly up to scratch
Comments are closed.