Large drop in number of pupils studying Welsh at A-level since 2005, data shows

Independent

3 days ago

There has been a dramatic drop in the number of pupils studying Welsh at A-level, with almost a third fewer taking the subject than two decades ago.
More than 500 fewer students studied Welsh to a high level this year than in 2005, the latest data shows.
The drop has come despite the Welsh Government having set a target of one million Welsh speakers by 2050.
Around 538,000 people can speak the language in Wales.
Data examined by the PA news agency shows some 372 students took Welsh as a first or second language at A-level this year, down from 927 in 2005.
The lowest year on record was 2023, when just 353 pupils took the subject.
This year has been the lowest year for people taking Welsh as a first language, with 185 entries, compared with 260 in 2020.
Some 187 pupils took the subject as a second language, with 209 having taken it in 2020.
Efa Gruffudd Jones, the Welsh Language Commissioner – an officer appointed by the Welsh Government to oversee an independent body aiming to promote the use of the Welsh language – described the drop as a 'matter of concern'.
Speaking to PA, Ms Gruffudd Jones said she supported calls from the Coleg Cymraeg Cenedlaethol (Welsh National College) for Welsh to become a protected subject.
She said: '(This would) make sure that every educational institution post-16 offers the course.
'What I hear from people who get in touch with my office, if only you know three or four people want to study it, then schools don't offer the subject at all.
'I believe they need 12 before they decide to run the course. I don't think that's right.
'I think it should be offered at every educational institution post-16.'
Ms Gruffudd Jones also said the qualification itself is under review, and the content needs to be made more attractive and relevant to students.
She added: 'The other thing is that you can study many more courses through the medium of Welsh now than you used to be able to.
'You can study psychology, criminology, etc, through the medium of Welsh.
'Maybe people in the past who would have wanted to study through the medium of Welsh chose Welsh, but now they have a wider range of choice.'
The commissioner stressed that Welsh is not the only language to have seen a decline, with many European languages having seen a drop across the UK.
Total entries for French, German, and Spanish were down by 20% from 443 to 352 in Wales this year, with Ruth Cocks, director of British Council Wales, describing the drop in interest in international languages as a 'concerning story'.
Ms Gruffudd Jones said the reason for the move away from studying languages was unclear, but may be due to pupils being encouraged to study more Stem subjects.
'I understand that we need people with technical ability, but I would argue that you also need linguistic ability in order to communicate with people in workplaces, to articulate yourself well in future,' she said.
'I would argue that literature gives you some insight into the world.
'I don't think really that it should be either or.
'What's important is that it doesn't go any lower, and we continue to make efforts to attract people to learn Welsh to a high standard.'
The Welsh Government's aim to have one million Welsh speakers by 2050 was first set out in 2017.
Earlier this year, a new five-year plan was unveiled by the commissioner to help achieve the goal.
And the Welsh Language and Education (Wales) Bill, which aims to close the gap in Welsh speaking ability among pupils from different schools, passed in the Senedd.
Figures from the 2021 census showed a decline in the number of people who can speak Welsh compared with a decade earlier.
Around 538,000 people in Wales – roughly 17% of the population – said they could speak Welsh, compared with 562,000 in 2011, around 19% of the population.
Recent years have seen Welsh place names take prominence over English as the default, with Eryri replacing Snowdonia on official communications from the national park authority.
In response to the decline in A-level entries, a Welsh Government spokesperson said: 'We would like more learners to take Welsh as a subject.
'A consultation is taking place to look at creating new Welsh AS and A-levels, making them engaging and attractive to learners.
'We see the Welsh Language and Education (Wales) Act 2025 as a means to provide more children and young people with access to the language within the education sector than ever before.
'We want all young people to leave school with better Welsh skills, regardless of whether they do A-level Welsh or not.'