'Historic' bill to boost Welsh learners passed in Senedd
A bill which aims to ensure all pupils in Wales finish school as "independent Welsh language users" has been passed in the Senedd.The Welsh Language and Education (Wales) Bill aims to close the gap in Welsh speaking ability among pupils from different schools.It also aims to make progress towards the 2050 target of a million Welsh speakers by strengthening the role of the language in education.Welsh Language Secretary Mark Drakeford described the bill as "historic" and said currently "we don't get enough from the investment we give to teaching Welsh in English-medium schools".
The legislation sets out three language categories for maintained schools with a minimum amount of Welsh language education to be provided by schools in each category.The three are "primarily Welsh language" (minimum 80%), "dual language" (50%), and "primarily English language, partly Welsh" (10%).Speaking in the Senedd on Tuesday evening, Drakeford said the bill "will give every child the opportunity to become an independent, confident Welsh speaker by the time they finish compulsory education, a bill that will open doors for our pupils, a bill that provides new job opportunities, provides access to the rich culture of the Welsh language, and allows people to enjoy using the language in their everyday lives".
'Persuade more parents'
Speaking on the Dros Ginio programme, on BBC Radio Cymru, Drakeford said "we don't get enough from the investment we give to teach Welsh in English-medium schools, we don't get enough for the child, for the teachers, or for Wales as a whole". "What we do in the bill is to change the whole system. "There will be a duty on the government to set targets, there will be a duty on local authorities to say how they are going to help schools ensure children can speak Welsh and there will be duties on schools as well, and through the institute [National Institute for Learning Welsh] we are going to give more help to schools and teachers to help children in our schools, after a decade of learning Welsh, to become Welsh speakers."Cymdeithas yr Iaith (the Welsh Language Society) have said "the aim should be Welsh-medium education for all and we are disappointed that politicians have not pursued this path."But Drakeford rejected that idea, telling the BBC "it is not up to the government to make decisions like that on behalf of parents"."I want to persuade more parents to use education through the medium of the Welsh language, but at the end of the day it is the choice of the parents and the child."
Conservative Tom Giffard said his party have been in favour of the objectives of this bill because "If more people want access to Welsh-medium education, then it's important that there is provision available to ensure that they're able do that".Plaid Cymru's Cefin Campbell said his party "believes that every child should have the right to receive the precious gift of bilingualism through the education system and, as we all know, a complete education through the medium of Welsh is the most effective way to create confident and fluent Welsh speakers".The legislation also seeks to ensure that steps are taken to provide intensive Welsh language immersion education throughout Wales, helping learners of all ages develop their skills.Education Secretary Lynne Neagle said "our approach to late language immersion is unique. This bill builds on the excellent work already happening in across Wales, ensuring all children can learn, use and benefit from Welsh".About 23% of pupils are educated in Welsh and the government's ambition is to increase that to 30% by 2030-31 and 40% by 2050.
The former chief executive of the Welsh Language Board (abolished in 2012), Meirion Prys Jones, told the BBC that he welcomes the bill because it was "important, timely, and it ties in with the target of one million Welsh speakers"."It puts in place structures that we haven't had since the Senedd was established."But he warned "there has been a complete lack of progress for ten years in the percentage of children receiving education through the medium of Welsh", which is around 23%."So at the moment the systems to persuade parents to choose Welsh-medium education are not working."He warned "it is possible that not much will change. We need something that drives this forward. We need a clearer strategy".
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
BBC News
3 hours ago
- BBC News
Aberdeenshire Council set to pause mothballing of four nurseries
Aberdeenshire Council is set to recommend pausing the mothballing of four rural local authority informed parents in April that Ballogie, Crossroads, Glass and Sandhaven nurseries would close at the end of this leader Gillian Owen said the council could potentially review its guidance so that it included a consultation process with parents.A meeting of the full council planned for Monday is expected to be asked to approve a review. Mothballing means closing a premises, but keeping it in a condition ready for future use. Last month, Aberdeenshire's education committee noted a decision to mothball the the Scottish government then wrote to the authority to highlight the need to consult parents in such Owen said on Friday: "We acknowledge the strong feelings concerning the four settings and appreciate the concerns of parents who highly value their local early learning facilities."We are trying to balance the needs of children and families, with a challenging financial position - but it is critical we do this in the right way." 'Unusual step' Ms Owen said the council's administration would recommend that planning for all future mothballing activity be paused while the guidance was said: "Whilst we have been engaging with parents, we need to consult at a much earlier stage to inform the decision-making process, and we will explore how to integrate this into the procedure."We are taking the unusual step of announcing our intention prior to the meeting in the hope that we remove further anxiety for the people who have made requests to speak."Aberdeenshire Council said its mothballing guidance had been used successfully for many years to support changes in education in response to local circumstances.
Business News Wales
4 hours ago
- Business News Wales
The Future of Onshore Wind in Wales Unlocking Potential and Building for the Future
Onshore wind in Wales is one of the most exciting and promising areas of renewable energy development, and it's rapidly climbing the political and economic agenda. A few years ago, the Welsh Government conducted a deep dive into renewable energy, which set out a clear and ambitious commitment to supporting and growing the onshore wind sector. That strategic focus has created real momentum, and at Natural Resources Wales (NRW), we are playing a pivotal role in making that ambition a reality. NRW holds a unique position in this space. We have multiple roles, as consentors and regulators, as well as commercial land managers. We manage around 8% of Wales' landmass on behalf of the Welsh Government and much of that land is particularly well-suited for wind energy development due to its topography and exposure. This means that NRW is not only guiding and supporting onshore wind projects through the planning and consenting process – we are also actively contributing to the delivery of these projects on our own land. We've had a long-standing build programme on NRW-managed land, and we are continuing to invest in and grow that pipeline. The Welsh Government's establishment of Trydan Gwyrdd Cymru, its own renewable energy developer marks a significant step forward in this area. Trydan Gwyrdd Cymru will work alongside the private sector to deliver onshore wind projects, creating a balanced approach where both public and private sector expertise is brought together to accelerate delivery. Crucially, the goal is not just to generate renewable energy, but to ensure that the economic benefits stay in Wales. The Welsh Government's strategy is to build long-term capacity within Wales, ensuring that profits, jobs, and supply chain opportunities flow back into local communities. This is about creating a sustainable energy future that benefits the people of Wales directly – not just in terms of clean energy, but also through economic growth and job creation. The pipeline for onshore wind development is already growing. Multiple sites have already gone through the approval process, and many more are progressing through the early stages of planning and design. But there are challenges, and one of the biggest is grid capacity. The availability and strength of grid infrastructure will inevitably influence where and how quickly onshore wind projects can be delivered. This is an area where strategic planning and investment will be needed to ensure that the infrastructure is in place to support the scale of development that is being targeted. NRW is already working to support this process. We are gearing up to process an increasing volume of onshore wind applications, ensuring that our consenting teams have the resources, expertise, and capacity to manage the growing demand. But beyond consenting individual projects, we are also focused on the bigger picture, helping to design and approve the supporting infrastructure that will allow renewable energy to be integrated into the grid efficiently and reliably. It's encouraging to see that support for onshore wind is coming from all stakeholders, government, industry, regulators, and local communities. This alignment is critical to success. Developing onshore wind at scale will require coordinated action across planning, infrastructure, and delivery – and the fact that Wales is moving forward with a shared sense of purpose gives me real confidence that we can succeed. At NRW, we are fully committed to supporting this journey. We recognise the urgency of the climate challenge, but we also see the enormous opportunities that come with building a clean energy economy. Onshore wind is a cornerstone of that future and by working together, investing strategically, and planning smartly, we can ensure that Wales leads the way in delivering renewable energy that benefits both people and the nature.
Business News Wales
4 hours ago
- Business News Wales
Planning Reform Is Vital for Wales' Housing Future
The two governments in Westminster and Cardiff Bay have often taken very different approaches to housing and planning. While the Labour Government in England has pressed ahead with ambitious planning reforms, the Welsh Government has, until now, largely avoided such changes. Could this be about to change? There appears to be a growing recognition in Cardiff Bay that planning reforms will be needed to deliver the Welsh Government's target of 20,000 social rented homes as well as its broader housing ambitions. For instance, the First Minister, Eluned Morgan, has made speeding up planning a top priority, and a consultation earlier this year outlined plans to increase Local Planning Authority (LPA) performance and resources. The recently released Affordable Housing Taskforce report is the latest sign of a positive shift in sentiment and sets out a series of ambitious proposals for reforms to both national planning policy and the planning process. Many of the recommendations bear similarities to measures already underway in England through the Planning and Infrastructure Bill and revisions to the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF). Will the Welsh Government seize the opportunities the Taskforce has set out? Affordable Housing Taskforce Chaired by backbench Member of the Senedd (MS) Lee Waters, the Taskforce aimed to identify both short- and long-term barriers to Affordable Housing delivery. HBF submitted written evidence and met with Waters to provide input. The context of the Taskforce's work is extremely challenging. Housing supply levels in Wales are falling year-on-year, and in 2023-24 just 4,771 new homes were completed – the second-lowest year on record and far below the peak of over 9,000 new homes in 2006-07. The home building industry is a major player in Affordable Housing provision, delivering 45% of all new affordable homes between 2021 and 2023 via Section 106 (S106) agreements – and so making a significant contribution to the Welsh Government's 20,000 social homes target. This is an important and often overlooked point, as with the delivery of affordable units so closely tied to private development, any fall in market housing delivery inevitably reduces the number of S106 Affordable Homes coming forward. Constraints on housing delivery previously identified To unlock housing delivery across all tenures, we have consistently highlighted several key constraints on development in Wales: • Time-expired Local Development Plans (LDPs) which contain unviable and undeliverable housing allocations.• Delays relating to statutory consultee responses and SuDS Approval Bodies (SABs).• Under-resourced Local Planning Authorities (LPAs). • No requirement for councils to calculate a housing land supply since Technical Advice Notice 1 (TAN1) was revoked in 2020, making it very difficult to progress sites which are not allocated in LDPs. Taskforce recommendations The Taskforce's recommendations reflect many of these concerns. For instance, it recommended that land identified as suitable for housing in LDPs should have a presumption towards development. If implemented, this could be transformational and help stop allocated sites from being delayed or even refused once an application is submitted. However, there must be accompanying incentives for LDPs to be kept up to date in the first place to ensure an adequate supply of deliverable allocated sites. Many of the Taskforce's other recommendations are squarely aimed at addressing the key causes of planning delays, such as proposing that LPAs no longer wait for statutory consultees past their response deadlines and establishing multidisciplinary 'development teams' within councils to resolve delays – reflecting England's 'New Homes Accelerator' teams and statutory consultee reviews. The Taskforce also called for greater delegated powers for planning officers on smaller schemes, raising the major development threshold to 50 dwellings, and introducing a national scheme of delegation, all of which could significantly accelerate housing delivery and support SME home builders. What next? Of course, while many of the Taskforce's recommendations reflect those included in England's Planning and Infrastructure Bill, Wales' approach to housing is and will rightly continue to be distinct from that in England. For instance, it is extremely positive that the Help to Buy Wales scheme remains in place, providing vital support for first-time buyers and confidence for industry, while no such support scheme is in place in England. Furthermore, the Welsh Government's policy priority continues to be Affordable Housing, whereas in England, there is a greater focus on a general uplift in supply of all housing tenures. However, despite these differences, both governments now recognise the urgent need to deliver more homes and speed up planning. But how many of the Taskforce's recommendations will the Welsh Government implement – and when? It is positive that the Cabinet Secretary for Housing, Jayne Bryant, has accepted the recommendations that fall to her and has set up an implementation group to oversee them (although the recommendations related to planning fall under a different minister). Some recommendations could be implemented relatively quickly, while on the other hand, many of the more systemic recommendations, such as a presumption towards development for land identified in the LDP, would require new legislation and consultation, and so are unlikely to be implemented soon. As a result, with the next Senedd election due in May 2026 and the possibility of a Reform or Plaid Cymru-led government, some of the more ambitious recommendations are at risk of being delayed or shelved. What role can HBF play in these debates? Looking ahead to next year's Senedd elections, HBF is actively seeking responses from home builders on what changes the next Welsh Government can make to planning and housing policy to further support the industry, and we will continue to push for changes to boost housing delivery of all tenures in the years ahead.
