Bilingualism in schools needs to be championed, says committee inquiry
30 September 2010
More action is needed to ensure that pupils have the opportunity to learn and practise Welsh in our schools, according to a National Assembly for Wales inquiry.
The cross-party Enterprise and Learning Committee has today (30 Sept) released its report examining the teaching and acquisition of Welsh as a second language.
The group’s inquiry was prompted by the findings of successive Estyn reports, which highlighted serious weaknesses in the teaching of Welsh as a second language. The 2008/9 Estyn report found that in English-medium primary and secondary schools there are too few opportunities for learners to use Welsh in other subjects, in extra-curricular activities and in informal situations.
The group of Assembly Members visited a number of examples of good practice, which included Treorchy Comprehensive School and the Geiriau Bach project in Trinity College Carmarthen, as part of the inquiry and was impressed by both the ethos and methods of improving Welsh-language learning.
Other recommendations by the Assembly Members include the establishment of Welsh as a core subject at GCSE level and for the Government to introduce a new post-16 language course with greater focus on using Welsh as a vocational skill.
The report noted changing attitudes in favour of Welsh-language learning and also wants to see a clearer definition of bilingual schools to ensure consistency across Wales.
Chair of the Enterprise and Learning Committee, Gareth Jones AM, said: “Many of the findings in this inquiry paint a positive picture of Welsh-language learning.
“The Committee is pleased to see how innovative programmes are promoting Welsh learning in certain parts of the country and we feel these programmes deserve expansion.
“Under our proposals schools would be given support and advice to ensure that all education policies are compatible with bilingual provision and my colleagues urge the Welsh Government to examine this possibility.
“While our inquiry detected examples of good practice in the sector, we are nevertheless concerned that our findings closely match a similar report released by the National Assembly eight years ago.
“We hope the Welsh Government’s new Welsh-Medium Education Strategy will address these outstanding issues to ensure that Wales is on course to have a truly bilingual society.”
Enterprise and Learning Committee