To accept
the comments of the members of the Language Committee
Minutes:
The Area Education
Officer provided the background. It was
noted that Primary School children had been part of the Language Charter for
three years and the intention was to build upon this. The work of creating a strategy by 31
March 2017 was ongoing, and the strategy was to be implemented from 1 April
2017 onwards.
Carys Lake, Leader of the
Ysgol Eifionydd Language
Centre, was welcomed to the meeting and it was explained that she had been
working on a commission to create the strategy jointly with the Education
Department.
The Leader of the Ysgol Eifionydd Language Centre
presented the main objectives of the Secondary Language Strategy (draft) and
provided the local context to the work:
•
Trywydd Report
•
Welsh-Medium
Education Scrutiny Investigation Report
•
Alun Charles
Report
•
Strategic Plan
– Welsh in Education
•
Gwynedd
Language Strategy 2014-2017
•
The Council’s
Strategic Plan
It was noted that
all of the abovementioned reports stated that there was a need to ensure
progression of the work with the Welsh language from the Primary to the
Secondary.
In terms of the
national context and to meet the “Million Welsh Speakers by 2050" target
and ensure that the Welsh language thrives there was a need to get all
stakeholders involved in the plan e.g. all the staff.
The aim of the
Secondary Language Strategy was to promote social use of Welsh among children
and young people and to develop it as an effective medium for all aspects
of school life. It was noted that there were two elements to
this aim, namely the curriculum and social.
Experiences in lessons influenced the social element.
The next step would
be to give a presentation to a working group of representatives from amongst Headteachers who had met twice to discuss the draft
aims. The following eight aims were
agreed upon:
i.
Leadership and
expectations
ii.
Ethos
iii.
The voice and
ownership of young people
iv.
Training requirements
v.
The role of the
Language Department and the School (guidance from the Language Department and
getting young people to study subjects through the medium of Welsh)
vi.
Curricular experiences
vii.
Bridge learners (turn learners into Welsh-speakers to enable them to learn
through Welsh)
viii.
The School and the
Community (link the school with businesses and the community)
It was reported that
it was intended to use the above eight aims to set criteria to monitor paths of
progression. The criteria would ask for
evidence to prove achievement. It was
reported that work was ongoing in setting the criteria and the evidence
required and it was acknowledged that there was a need to be ambitious.
It was noted that
Gwynedd Council led in this field and that the rest of Wales looked at what was
happening here in Gwynedd for guidance on the way forward. Additionally, it was noted that Council
Officers met regularly with Welsh Government to discuss the way forward.
A member observed
that the schools were not familiar or were not able to identify the problem why
children and young people spoke English outside school. In response, it was reported that there was
a need to work with young people to spread the message socially. An observation was made that Sports Clubs
were a crucial part of the answer to getting children and young people to use
the Welsh Language socially. It was
noted that social media was a challenge and that the Welsh language had to be
made relevant to the work and lives of children and young people.
A member reported
that there was a need for every school to adopt an action plan.
The Leader of the Ysgol Eifionydd Language Centre
was thanked for the presentation and the work.
RESOLVED to note the contents of the
presentation and to incorporate the additional observations.