Latest news with #WelshMediumEducation
BBC News
01-07-2025
- Politics
- BBC News
London Welsh school's future uncertain as first minister has doubts
Doubts have been raised by the first minister of Wales over the future of a Welsh-medium school which has been part-funded by ministers based in had been fears that the £90,000 grant the Welsh government gives the fee-paying Ysgol Gymraeg Llundain - the London Welsh School - every year would be scrapped next Tuesday, Eluned Morgan announced that funding has been secured for the whole of the next academic year, but she expressed concern over the number of pupils said the school was on "very shaky ground". Opposition members called for the Welsh government to do more to support the school. Parents pay £4,300 a year for their children to attend the school in Hanwell, West London, and the city's Welsh chapels also contribute first minister said the Welsh government had given the school £1.1m over more than a in first minister's questions, Morgan said: "Next year, there will only be 10 pupils, and, of course, we do have a responsibility as a government to ensure that we provide the best possible value for money in terms of public money."So, whilst we do, of course, appreciate the great efforts that they have made... I do think we have to be realistic, and the fact is, when you only have 10 pupils, you do have to ask questions on sustainability."Independent MS Rhys ab Owen said the school needs a "long-term" assurance."Following the challenging Covid years, the number of pupils is again increasing. Now is the time to invest," he said."It holds a series of Welsh language and cultural events, such as a nursery, an Urdd aelwyd, folk dancing lessons, a choir, and they are ambassadors for us at important events in London."Tom Giffard, Welsh Conservative Welsh language spokesperson, said there is a "responsibility on the Welsh government to ensure that more children and parents choose Ysgol Gymraeg Llundain" in future."Our priority is pupils in Wales," Morgan replied. "That's where we're going to focus our efforts." Labour Cardiff North MS Julie Morgan said she was "very concerned" at the future of the school, which she said she was involved in previously as an MP."But, I am assured by the people running the school that they have planned numbers that will increase, and that they will be getting back up to the same numbers as they've had in the past," she "can really substitute having an actual school where children can learn Welsh in London", she replied that the cabinet secretary for the Welsh language, Mark Drakeford, met school officials on Monday and confirmed additional funding for the full 2025-26 academic year."I think there was recognition that you can't stop people halfway through the term," she said. "But, I do think we have to be honest, the school is on very shaky ground from September."
BBC News
02-06-2025
- Business
- BBC News
Pembrokeshire deputy council leader survives no confidence vote
A deputy leader in a council has survived a vote of no confidence after a row about Welsh medium education in the Miller, deputy leader of Pembrokeshire council, previously said that parents "couldn't give a toss" if their children went to a Welsh-language school in a town in south-west councillors supported the motion by Independent group leader, Huw Murphy, with 28 voting against and 11 leader Jon Harvey accused Cllr Murphy of "political opportunism at its worse." Former council leader Jamie Adams said Miller gave the impression that he "knew better than everybody else" and called on him to apologise for the language used during the cabinet response, Miller said it was "sensible to collect data" about the school choices made by parents, adding that Murphy was creating also said Pembrokeshire had delivered the largest percentage growth in Welsh medium education of all the group leader Di Clements criticised the decision to hold the meeting in the first said the councillors would have been better off "finding ways of dealing with the huge financial black hole" rather than seeing who "has the biggest ego in the chamber." It comes after the Welsh government passed a major new bill to boost the number of pupils studying in Welsh Language and Education (Wales) Bill aims to close the gap in Welsh speaking ability among pupils from different Language Secretary Mark Drakeford described the bill as "historic" adding that schools do not currently get enough from the investment made to teach Welsh in English-medium bill aims to make progress towards the 2050 target of a million Welsh speakers by strengthening the role of the language in education.
BBC News
21-05-2025
- Politics
- BBC News
Pembrokeshire: Parents won't be asked why they chose Welsh
Parents will not be asked why they choose Welsh medium education for their children after a council responded to concerns from the Welsh language commissioner and opposition members of Pembrokeshire council voted to amend the controversial proposal, with the specific reference to the Welsh language being removed. Education officers will instead explore the demand for school places based on language provision, learning outcomes, transport, facilities and additional learning leader Paul Miller, who made the original proposal and the revised amendment accused the opposition leader Huw Murphy of "creating division in Pembrokeshire". He also claimed the Mr Murphy had tried to portray the administration as "anti-Welsh."The new proposal was passed unanimously by six cabinet members on virtual meeting was not attended by three cabinet members, including the councillor responsible for education, Guy Woodham, and Plaid Cymru's Rhys Sinnett. Fellow cabinet member, Jacob Williams, attacked the Welsh language commissioner, Efa Gruffudd Jones, claiming that she had "jumped the gun". He said she should be "embarrassed" about a letter to the council claiming the amendment could send "negative" messages to parents who were considering Welsh medium education for their also suggested she had not demonstrated that she was an "impartial authority."But a former head of the Welsh language board, Meirion Prys Jones, said it was "entirely appropriate" that the Welsh language commissioner had intervened in the row. "The role of the Welsh language commissioner is to look at local authorities, central government and decide whether they're actually implementing their own plans in terms of developing Welsh medium education," he said. "It would be strange really if the commissioner didn't comment and didn't write to the local authority saying, 'what are you doing here, this doesn't look to be in line with government policy'.Council leader Jon Harvey said the amended proposal was "not unreasonable" and that the authority wouldn't "do anything that wasn't legal"."This seems to have has been blown up to be a situation where we as a cabinet, are being perceived as anti Welsh or anti Welsh language, and that is certainly not the case," he said. "We have invested heavily in Welsh language provision. We are all very supportive of that. "All we are asking for is the director of education to explore whether we can get a little more data on the subject."
