Issue - meetings

To present a draft of the amended policy.

DECISION

1.    To note the draft policy and note the observations.

2.    To welcome the fact that the draft policy was proceeding to consultation.

3.    That the Committee makes a request to the Scrutiny Forum to prioritise resources for the formation of a task and finish group, with the brief to examine the wording of the Draft Education Language Policy to consider whether suggestions need to be made to the Cabinet Member / Education Department, and report back to the committee at the 19 June 2025 meeting.

4.    Should the application to the Scrutiny Forum be successful, the Scrutiny Adviser to send an email to Committee members giving them the opportunity to put their names forward to be members of the Task and Finish Group.

The report was submitted by the Cabinet Member for Education, emphasising that this document was a draft policy and this stated the start of its development journey. It was noted that the current policy had been in place since 1984, and the reason that it had survived for such a long period of time was because of the evidence of its success. It was explained that the new document represented the evolution of the current policy, building on the successes of the past to create a policy that was suitable for Gwynedd's needs today. It was noted that it was now time to review the policy and offer changes, with the intention of further strengthening the Welsh language.

Views were expressed that the new model would strengthen the Welsh language and make it more prominent within our schools. It was noted that that also placed a challenge for the schools but the education department was ready to support the schools to fulfil this ambition. It was explained that there was no intention to depreciate the importance of English, but to ensure that the pupils had robust skills in both languages instead, and that they left school completely bilingual. Attention was drawn to the fact that this was what was needed for the future: individuals who could live and work through the medium of Welsh and English.

During the discussion, the following observations were made:- 

The view that the draft language policy was the most important document for the future of the Welsh language in Gwynedd was expressed, describing the impact that this policy could have as an unprecedented one for the children of the county and the wider community. The policy was praised for its clarity and for being concise, stating that the previous version was too long and open for misinterpretation. However, concerns were expressed about a number of elements:

1.    The lack of measurable ambition in the policy, without specific targets for percentage increase in the Welsh language provision over time.

2.    Excessive dependency on the Welsh Government Category 3, noting that most Gwynedd schools had already provided over 70% of its education provision through the medium of Welsh, and therefore they should aim higher.

3.    Lack of clarity in the wording of the policy, with terms such as "Every pupil is taught and assessed through the medium of Welsh until the end of Year 2" and "Welsh will be the pupils' main educational medium" being too open for interpretation. Stronger wording was suggested, such as "Welsh will be the pupils' medium of education, assessment and extra-curricular activities until the end of Year 2" and "Welsh will be the pupils' educational medium".

It was emphasised that there was a need to explain how English was taught cross-curricular and who decided on that, expressing concern that this could undermine the consistent use of the Welsh language. It was expressed that the policy should explain specifically who was deciding on the content of that provision. It was also noted  ...  view the full minutes text for item 7