Cymraeg

‘Bias’ against teaching of Welsh in Pembrokeshire schools

Published

1 month ago

May 19, 2025

Bruce Sinclair - Local Democracy Reporter

A SPECIAL meeting of senior Pembrokeshire councillors is to consider a ‘call-in’ on a Cabinet decision which has led to claims of “a bias against the provision of Welsh Language education”.

The Welsh in Education Strategic Plan (WESP) is a ten-year plan, mandatory for all local authorities in Wales, that outlines how Welsh medium education will be developed within the authority.

The WESP aims to increase the proportion of school year groups taught through the medium of Welsh and focuses on Year 1 learners. The plans also aim to contribute to the Welsh Government’s goal of having 1 million Welsh speakers by 2050, as part of the “Cymraeg 2050” initiative.

Pembrokeshire County council’s schools and learning overview and scrutiny committee met on May 14 to consider a ‘call-in’ by Independent Group leader Cllr Huw Murphy of a cabinet decision on April 28, specifically an amendment by Deputy Leader Cllr Paul Miller to its previous recommendation to note a report.

The scrutiny committee voted for Cabinet to consider removing an amendment: “That the Director of Education be tasked with exploring how demand for Welsh language can be better captured.

“In particular this work should focus on disaggregating demand for Welsh Medium Education from other school choice considerations such as perceptions of learning outcomes, facility quality etc,” replacing it with: “That the progress being made against the objectives set out in the Welsh in Education Strategic Plan, and Welsh Government’s feedback to the Council’s 2023/24 Annual Report, be noted.”

Cllr Murphy’s lengthy ‘call-in’ said: “Some comments made by Cabinet appeared to display a degree of bias against the provision of Welsh Language education.”

He quoted Cllr Miller from that meeting, in relation to Welsh medium Ysgol Caer Ellen: “…basically we’ve opened Caer Ellen and loads of people went there and therefore by definition they must want a Welsh Language education.

“I’m not sure how true that is, might be partly true, might be completely true but also it might not be. I know quite a few parents in that particular area obviously given my constituency in Neyland West and all of them that I know who send their children to Caer Ellen honestly couldn’t give a toss whether it was Welsh or English, they’re looking for a good school and so what they’ve got is a good school in Caer Ellen, great facilities, and so they’re sending their kids there.”

Cllr Murphy went on to say: “Councillor Miller then continues and commented ‘honestly the fact its Welsh medium has got nothing to do with anything so how do we differentiate those looking for a good school’ and re-asserts this point where it appears that Cllr Miller by his comments does not think parents select Caer Ellen on the basis of providing Welsh education, rather that it’s a ‘good school’ and requests data be collected to ascertain from parents why they choose Welsh Language education.”

Cllr Murphy also raised concerns that some members of the Cabinet “had little idea of the workings” of Fforwm Cymraeg, a committee which examines in greater detail the provision of Welsh language education in Pembrokeshire.

Dealing with the data collection proposal, Cllr Murphy said there is no provision in the Schools Admission Code to enable PCC to collect the data, adding that “to try and collect this data would be a clear indication that some Cabinet members do not believe parental choice in electing Welsh Language education when the evidence is clear that within Pembrokeshire the demand for Welsh education is growing and the majority of schools at or near capacity are those providing Welsh medium education such as Caer Ellen, Hafan y Mor, Bro Ingli, etc”.

At the May 14 meeting, Cllr Murphy said he had reported the matter to the Welsh Language Commissioner, who had shared his concerns, and was “aghast what Pembrokeshire County Council recommended.”

Cllr Miller responded saying there was no evidence members displayed a limited knowledge of WESP, and allegations that his comments displayed a degree of bias were “entirely without merit,” standing by his words.

“It must be the case it is at least possible some parents are choosing Welsh medium schools other than because of the medium of Welsh. It’s currently unknown; surely it’s right the council seeks to understand the impact of other forces.”

On his “perhaps relaxed language” he said he was reflecting the views of some of his constituents, saying Cllr Murphy was “trying to make something out of nothing,” in “a naked attempt to create outrage, trying to paint some in this council as anti-Welsh”.

He added: “Cllr Murphy should be deeply ashamed of his actions over the last week in trying to create artificial division in the county of Pembrokeshire,” suggesting he was attempting to draw a wedge “between the people of Pembrokeshire that speak Welsh and those that don’t,” adding: “If he honestly believes he can draw political benefit I suggest time will show him he is sorely mistaken.

“This administration will continue to make decisions based on sound evidence for the benefit of all it represents.”

Cllr Murphy told members he had received “petulant emails” from Cllr Miller after he contacted the language commissioner, adding of Cllr Miller: “If he’s proud of what the Welsh Language Commissioner has written he needs to have a real serious period of reflection.”

Cllr Murphy’s call succeeded by seven votes to five, with the May 21 extraordinary meeting of Pembrokeshire County Council’s Cabinet now considering the matter.

Cymraeg

New research finds strong trends towards Welsh language place names

Published

1 day ago

June 18, 2025

Tom Sinclair

RESEARCH on how property, street, and business names are changing across Wales shows a clear shift towards using Welsh language place names.

The report commissioned by the Welsh Government collected a wide range of valuable evidence, including:

Local authorities received three times more applications for Welsh language street names than English language names between 2018-2023.
Most changes to property names do not involve a change in the language of the property name.
When they do change language, properties are at least three more likely to be renamed from English to Welsh than from Welsh to English.
In all regions of Wales, more house names are changed from English to Welsh than Welsh to English.
People report that Welsh house names give them “a sense of pride, place or nostalgia”.
Welsh Language Secretary Mark Drakeford said: “Place names help tell the story of who we are as a nation, and this new research helps us understand our linguistic landscape. I’m encouraged to see more people embracing Welsh property names, regardless of their background.”

The research focused primarily on property names, business names, and street names, with the need for further investigation into names for topographical features in the natural environment also highlighted.

As part of the Welsh Government’s wider work to promote and celebrate Cymraeg and our culture, it has established a network of Cultural Ambassadors to support the language in their communities. The Cultural Ambassadors will be able to draw upon the List of Historic Place Names of Wales, which includes over 700,000 names and is funded by the Welsh Government.

Mark Drakeford said: “I’m proud to launch the gold level of our cultural ambassadors course, where people can learn more about the language and our culture online. The course includes modules on a range of topics including place names. If you want to support the Welsh language in your area, or know somebody who would be an ideal ambassador, then go for it.”

Cymraeg

Welsh Language Commissioner publishes bold manifesto ahead of 2026 election

Published

1 day ago

June 18, 2025

Tom Sinclair

Parties urged to adopt key Welsh language priorities

THE WELSH LANGUAGE COMMISSIONER, Efa Gruffudd Jones, has published an ambitious manifesto setting out five key priorities for the future of the Welsh language—calling on all political parties to adopt the proposals ahead of the Senedd Cymru elections in 2026.

While acknowledging the financial pressures faced by public bodies, the Commissioner has identified areas where meaningful progress can still be made in strengthening the use of the Welsh language during the next Senedd term.

The proposals include extending statutory Welsh language duties to more public services, creating a new specialist unit to promote the use of Welsh in the workplace, and ensuring mandatory language training for all education professionals.

“My ambition as Commissioner goes beyond a narrow interpretation of my statutory role,” said Ms Gruffudd Jones. “This manifesto calls for action and leadership from the Welsh Government—regardless of its political makeup—and for wider support to enable key partners, including my own office, to help make a lasting difference.”

She emphasised the critical timing of the manifesto, with the forthcoming implementation of the Welsh Language and Education Bill and the recommendations of the Commission for Welsh-speaking Communities set to shape the language landscape in Wales.

“I am fully aware of the pressures on our public bodies. That is why we are focusing on five clear, practical priorities which follow the path outlined in our strategic plan. I am confident these areas can deliver measurable improvements in the use of the Welsh language.”

The Commissioner’s office now intends to meet with political parties to present the proposals in more detail and press for their inclusion in party manifestos ahead of the election.

The five priorities are:

Language duties – Extend Welsh language standards to more public services to increase the availability of Welsh-medium provision.
Community language planning – Strengthen the promotion standards to support coordinated, place-based language planning in Welsh-speaking communities.
Workplaces – Create a dedicated unit within the Commissioner’s office to support and increase the use of Welsh in the workplace.
Health and clinical care – Improve access to Welsh-language clinical care through targeted investment and policy intervention.
Education workforce – Introduce a five-year compulsory Welsh language training framework for all teachers and education staff in Wales.

The full manifesto is available to view via the attached document. Please note the embargo details contained within.

Cymraeg

Young Celtic creatives unite through innovative exchange

Published

2 days ago

June 17, 2025

Tom Sinclair

WELSH, Cornish, Scottish Gaelic and Irish language speakers have come together for a pioneering cultural exchange celebrating their shared linguistic heritage.

The Celtic Exchange programme, developed by the British-Irish Council, brought together young creative professionals to learn new media skills and co-create multilingual content, while exploring the cultural threads that bind the Celtic nations.

Participants travelled through the Western Isles, meeting filmmakers, content creators and musicians who use ancient languages as the foundation for modern creative expression. Along the way, they discovered surprising similarities between their languages and cultures, building lasting friendships and professional networks.

Ifan Prys of Rondo Media, who took part in the exchange, said: “The trip was a unique opportunity to meet other Celtic language content creators, to share ideas, and to strengthen networks between our linguistic communities.
The programme was full of varied and rich activities. We had the opportunity to network with MG ALBA, BBC Alba, and local producers, discussing opportunities, challenges and shared ambitions.
The chance to learn, share and be inspired alongside people from diverse linguistic backgrounds was invaluable. It reinforced the importance of working creatively in our own languages.”

Participants produced original multilingual content during the trip, which premiered at the 2025 Celtic Media Festival in Newquay, Cornwall.

Bethan Campbell from Boom Cymru also joined the programme. She said: “The trip to Scotland was a very special experience, full of valuable and diverse activities.
I really enjoyed every moment and made treasured memories. The highlight was spending time with the other young people and making new friends from every corner of Britain. Sharing our stories and hopes for the future was truly inspiring.
Collaborating with such passionate and creative people reminded us all of the importance of creating content in our own languages.
Thank you from the bottom of my heart to everyone who made it happen – experiences like this are rare, and I feel incredibly lucky.”

Welsh Language Secretary Mark Drakeford said: “The Celtic Exchange programme celebrates our living languages and helps young people build creative careers using their indigenous tongues, wherever they choose to live and work.
We’re proud to work with partners across the nations to grow our languages, strengthen cultural connections and support opportunities in creative industries rooted in our shared heritage.”