Issue - meetings

In accordance with the Notice of Motion received under Section 4.20 of the Constitution, Councillor Rhys Tudur will propose as follows:-

In order for the Council to be innovative in its method of monitoring the implementation of Welsh medium education and the progress in detail and effectively in our schools, the Education and Economy Scrutiny Committee is requested to give consideration to the appropriate means of collecting data and monitoring the Welsh language provision in all secondary schools against the baselines of the categories in which the schools are included.

In order for the Council to be innovative in its method of monitoring the implementation of Welsh medium education and progress in detail and effectively in our schools, I ask the Education and Economy Scrutiny Committee to consider the most appropriate way of gathering data and monitoring the Welsh-medium provision in every secondary school against the baselines of the categories in which the schools are included.

(A)      Submitted - the following notice of motion by Councillor Rhys Tudur in accordance with Section 4.20 of the Constitution, and it was seconded:-

In order for the Council to be innovative in its method of monitoring the implementation of Welsh medium education and progress in detail and effectively in our schools, I ask the Education and Economy Scrutiny Committee to consider the most appropriate way of gathering data and monitoring the Welsh-medium provision in every secondary school against the baselines of the categories in which the schools are included.

The member set out the context to his motion, noting that:-

·         This was not the original notice that he had wished to submit before the Council, and that his notice had been changed as suggested by the Monitoring Officer.

·         That his original notice asked the Full Council to gather data and monitor the Welsh-medium education provision against the baselines of the national categories, and although he accepted the counsel, that it was disappointing and surprising to him that it was not possible for a member to submit a notice asking the Council to gather data.

·         That the notice did not go straight for the aim as he had hoped, but instead, crawled slowly towards the aim by calling for the Education and Economy Scrutiny Committee to look at the data gathering method.  We should not be crawling towards the aim with the Welsh language, but instead we should be leaping and innovating.

·         That the significance of the proposal essentially was that the Welsh-medium education provision should be measured in line with the national categorisation.

·         As the baseline for Welsh-medium schools notes that 60% of the children undertake 70% of their education through the medium of Welsh, it is assumed that measuring how many children undertake 70% of their education through the medium of Welsh would be important to measure, along with the way in which the schools fit into the category's baselines. In the absence of that information, it was not known how the schools fit into the category and how they were improving.

·         That the Council's current measure in terms of Welsh-medium education provision was the Welsh in Education Strategic Plan (WESP) in terms of how many children undertook 5 or more GCSE subjects through the medium of Welsh.

·         That the Council, had not only failed in the objective of increasing the number that undertook 5 or more subjects through the medium of Welsh, but had also slipped over the years, and so the WESP had failed in terms of that aspect.

·         It was hoped that we will collect data thoroughly from now on in order to reach our objectives and innovate for the benefit of Welsh.

·         That the national guidelines had been in force since September 2022 and that it would be very sad should Cyngor Gwynedd of all people refuse to measure in line with this categorisation.

·         That he was calling on all his fellow members to support the notice as it would empower us with information,  ...  view the full minutes text for item 16