News

Could history be a thing of the past?

Published

12 years ago

December 5, 2013

THE WELSH Government’s Education Minister has launched a controversial new policy that could force schools to prioritise literacy and numeracy over all other subjects.

History, geography, and even science, could be side-lined as the Welsh Labour Government gets tough on alleged falling literacy and numeracy standards in our schools.

The new policy, known as the National Literacy and Numeracy Framework (LNF) is being introduced this term across both primary and secondary schools. The central idea of the framework is that ALL subjects across the curriculum will now be required to have embedded planning that takes account of literacy and numeracy skills.

Unlike in previous thinking, whereby teaching objectives were limited to those of the subject being taught, this would mean that additionally each subject teacher would also need to assess pupils’ achievements in literacy and numeracy, that some teachers feel is even being prioritised above the subject itself. One teacher, who wished to remain anonymous, said:

“This would mean that if I was teaching a lesson in history where I wanted my pupils to understand as to why the Holocaust happened, it would not be enough just to know they could explain this.

“Additionally, I would also have to plan for them to show me they were using literacy or numeracy skills as well, depending on how I could fit such an objective in. I think in such a lesson, surely, an understanding of such an awful and complex event is the objective, not for example as to whether they can spell Holocaust or not?”

The teacher added:

“The problem with this new framework is that it just adds more work to an already over-subscribed workload that teachers simply do not have the time to do.

“I got into teaching history to teach history, it is what I am qualified to do. You have to ask who is supposed to assess these additional numeracy or literacy objectives? Will it be me, who is not a specialist in these areas?”

More worryingly the teacher continued by stating:

“I attended a course for the LNF only a fortnight ago where I was told by the Course Leader that in the next five years it was possible that all primary teaching would be centred around literacy and numeracy, and all other subjects would be planned around these two core subjects.

“It is very worrying. It is all very well just teaching children to read and write, but if they do not have a much broader education and learn about the world, and people around them, then what will they have to write about?”

The Welsh Government responded to The Herald:

“The LNF has been designed to support teachers to embed literacy and numeracy across the curriculum. The LNF is made up of clear, precise expectation statements which will enable teachers and schools to judge with far more precision how learners are progressing and what specific support they require.

“If learners are not supported to develop excellent literacy and numeracy skills from the beginning of their education then they will not be able to access the subject specific knowledge within the National Curriculum Programmes of Study.

“We have issued guidance which explains that the LNF should be taught in subjects where there is a natural fit and there is no need to contrive ways to include literacy and numeracy into subjects where it simply doesn’t fit.

“We have also produced exemplar materials and classroom tasks which give teachers examples of how the LNF can be taught in a way that supports the wider curriculum and enhances the programmes of study for all of the subjects within the National Curriculum.

“We have seen many examples of schools that are teaching literacy and numeracy skills as part of the wide and varied curriculum which develops both learners’ skills and subject based knowledge in a joined up way”.

On the issue of teachers’ abilities to teach outside their subject areas, the Welsh Government went on: “The National Support Programme (NSP) offers tailor made support to schools in implementing the LNF, this could include developing the literacy and numeracy skills of teachers. The NSP also disseminates good practice examples of how schools can deliver the LNF in a meaningful and interesting way.”

Over the next year the Education Department will be anxious to see whether such a policy can start to achieve its aims. Parents and teachers will hope it does not detract from the importance of the learning of other subjects, essential to a holistic education for our country’s young people.

Crime

Police search cemetery after suspect flees Milford Haven domestic incident

Published

2 hours ago

April 22, 2026

Tom Sinclair

Heavy police presence, including dogs and drones, followed search for 23-year-old man

POLICE were seen in large numbers at a Pembrokeshire cemetery on Monday (April 20) as officers searched for a man who had fled following a domestic incident in Milford Haven the previous day.

Dyfed-Powys Police said they received a report of a domestic incident in Waterloo Square, Milford Haven, at around 10:00am on Sunday (April 19).

Officers attended, but during efforts to arrest a 23-year-old man, he fled the scene.

The Herald understands the search then moved to the Milford Haven Cemetery area on Monday, where a significant police presence was reported, including dog units, drones and several police vans.

The man was later arrested on suspicion of a domestic-related offence and escaping lawful custody.

He has since been released on bail while enquiries continue.

News

Plaid Cymru Senedd election candidates emphasize call for Scarlets’ survival

Published

5 hours ago

April 22, 2026

Tom Sinclair

CEFIN CAMPBELL and Mari Arthur, Plaid Cymru’s candidates in Sir Gaerfyrddin for the Senedd election next month have reiterated their call to the Welsh Rugby Union (WRU) for the Scarlets to be protected in any future plans for the future of professional rugby in Wales.

This comes after WRU’s Extraordinary General Meeting (EGM) last week in Cardiff, after more than 50 member clubs demanded accountability.

Plaid Cymru representatives in Carmarthenshire have long argued for the survival of professional rugby in the region, pointing to the Scarlets’ £17 million contribution to the local economy and the 400 full and part-time jobs that are supported by the club. The club also boasts an impressive pedigree, having produced 34% of Welsh internationals in the past decade alone.

Cefin Campbell and Adam Price, currently seeking re-election as Plaid Cymru candidates to the Senedd for Sir Gaerfyrddin, as well as Plaid Cymru MP for Caerfyrddin Ann Davies, submitted a formal response to the WRU’s consultation last year, declaring that dissolving the Scarlets would not solve WRU’s historic mismanagement of professional rugby in Wales.

Lifelong Scarlets supporter and Plaid Cymru’s lead candidate in Sir Gaerfyrddin, Cefin Campbell, said:

“Like thousands across west Wales, this club is in my DNA. I am an ardent supporter of the Scarlets and share supporters’ disillusionment at the confusion and vague plans presented by the WRU.

“Watching them play Cardiff over the weekend, the thought of losing this club – which has produced so many greats for the national team such as Phil Bennett, Delme Thomas, Ray Gravell, Stephen Jones and Ken Owens to name a few – weighed heavily on my mind. The economic and social impact on the region would also be immense.

“I’m also a fan of club rugby in all its forms. The Ospreys are our neighbours and rivals and that rivalry is part of what makes the game here so special. The WRU should not be forcing west Wales to choose between its clubs. That is not a solution.”

Mari Arthur, also a Plaid Cymru candidate in the election in May, said: “I’m so proud that we as Plaid Cymru representatives in the area have led the way in defending the Scarlets over months and years of speculation over their future. We have made it absolutely clear to the WRU that we are fundamentally opposed to any plan that puts the future of the Scarlets at risk. Unfortunately, that threat still hovers over our club.

“The Scarlets are central to the identity and economy of this region and are a cornerstone of the game in Wales. We call on the WRU’s incoming leadership to start again: to pause this plan, engage with the alternatives, and protect the long-term future of the Scarlets.”

News

Cardigan distillery wins gold for debut Welsh whisky

Published

6 hours ago

April 22, 2026

Tom Sinclair

In the Welsh Wind celebrates major success at the World Whiskies Awards 2026 with Brychan, its first blended Welsh malt whisky

CARDIGAN distillery In the Welsh Wind is celebrating after its debut blended Welsh malt whisky, Brychan, struck gold at the World Whiskies Awards 2026.

The whisky was also named category and country winner for Best Welsh Blended Malt 2026, marking a major achievement for the west Wales distillery.

The award is significant not only for the company, but also for Welsh whisky more widely, with Brychan described as the first blend of single malt Welsh whiskies to come to market in Wales.

Produced near Cardigan on the Cambrian Coast, Brychan is a small-batch release made from a carefully selected blend of Welsh single malt whiskies aged in bourbon, port and red wine casks. Just 10 casks were chosen for the launch.

Ellen Wakelam, co-founder and director of In the Welsh Wind, said: “We are delighted and immensely proud to have won these awards. For us, Brychan is the culmination of many years of dedication to whisky-making here in west Wales.

“To have our first blended malt recognised at this level and to be judged as gold award-winning standard is incredibly exciting and rewarding for us as a craft distillery and for Welsh whisky as a whole. Brychan, however, is just the beginning.”

She said the aim when creating Brychan was to produce a distinctive blend that would be greater than the sum of its parts.

Made in collaboration with other Welsh distilleries, Brychan is the first in a planned series of blended Welsh malt whiskies from In the Welsh Wind.

Its character comes from a combination of bourbon casks, which add depth and warmth, port casks for richness, and red wine casks to bring a softer red-fruit note.

The distillery said the result is a whisky with complexity, balance and broad appeal, designed to suit both seasoned enthusiasts and those new to Welsh whisky.

In the Welsh Wind is planning to release two more blended Welsh malt whiskies later this year.

Brychan is priced at £45 and is available from the distillery’s online shop and at its distillery shop in Tanygroes.