Agenda item
QUESTION BY MRS JACQUELINE SEWARD TO COUNCILLOR GARETH JONES, EXECUTIVE BOARD MEMBER FOR EDUCATION & CHILDREN
“It is acknowledged that the Welsh Assembly led by the Labour Government has set out a vision to increase the Welsh language in Wales across various aspects of life. ?The Assembly has confirmed in writing that no targets have been given regarding the Welsh language so how this is implemented is at the discretion of each Local Authority.? For example, the Counties of South Wales such as Neath Port Talbot, Swansea, Cardiff each have a Welsh in Education Strategic Plan that aim to increase Welsh without using authoritarian approaches. We are not aware of any headline deliverables within any political manifesto to forcibly change the existing language choices at primary schools within the County without consideration for the preferences of choice of parents and the community being taken into account. Can you please advise under what mandate and promises made to the electorate by members is this initiative is being undertaken?”
Minutes:
“It is acknowledged that the Welsh Assembly led by the Labour Government has set out a vision to increase the Welsh language in Wales across various aspects of life. ?The Assembly has confirmed in writing that no targets have been given regarding the Welsh language so how this is implemented is at the discretion of each Local Authority.? For example, the Counties of South Wales such as Neath Port Talbot, Swansea, Cardiff each have a Welsh in Education Strategic Plan that aim to increase Welsh without using authoritarian approaches. We are not aware of any headline deliverables within any political manifesto to forcibly change the existing language choices at primary schools within the County without consideration for the preferences of choice of parents and the community being taken into account. Can you please advise under what mandate and promises made to the electorate by members is this initiative is being undertaken?”
Response by Councillor G.O. Jones, Executive Board Member for Education & Children:-
“Carmarthenshire County Council, like all other local authorities in Wales, has a statutory responsibility under Part 4 of the School Standards and Organisation (Wales) Act 2013 to prepare a Welsh in Education Strategic Plan (WESP) for its area with the explicit aim of improving planning of the provision of education through the medium of Welsh, for improving the standards of that education and of the teaching of Welsh. The Council is required to set targets for the aims.
In April 2014 the County Council formally adopted a comprehensive strategy for the development of the Welsh language in Carmarthenshire, endorsing the recommendations of a politically balanced group of elected members that had examined in depth the status of the Welsh language in the county in the wake of the 2011 census of the population. The strategy requires action on 73 points, 21 of which apply to the education service. All relevant recommendations and actions from the strategy have been incorporated within Carmarthenshire’s WESP. The language strategy received cross-party support from elected members when it was adopted at a meeting of the full County Council.
As is set out in the report to the Executive Board the proposal is consistent with national policy to expand Welsh medium education in order to develop increasing numbers of fully bilingual young people and to enable more children to benefit from the advantages of bilingualism, confirmed by evidence gathered through research internationally, also set out in the report.
The Welsh in Education Strategic Plan has been subject to public consultation during its preparation and subsequent review. Its contents have, therefore, been subject to a test of public opinion in line with statutory requirements.”
Mrs Seward asked the following supplementary question:-
“Do Plaid Cymru advocate iron fisted policies over democratic ones and is their goal to eradicate English medium schools from the county?”
Response by Councillor G.O. Jones, Executive Board Member for Education & Children:-
“I hear you mention Plaid Cymru there but it was a cross-party agreement and that was agreed at County Council as well by everybody.”
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