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Question 1 – What are your views on whether Welsh in Education
Strategic Plans are contributing to the outcomes and targets set
out in the Welsh Government’s overarching Welsh Medium
Education Strategic Plan?
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The
requirement to produce a WESP prompted the resurrection of the FCC
Welsh Education Forum, which had been dormant for some years.
It has a wide-ranging and high profile membership: a full
range of LA officers, chaired by the Chief Officer and the
Executive Member, and including P/S Headteacher representatives
from both W and E medium sectors, F.E., Urdd Gobaith Cymru, Menter
Iaith, GwE, SYFFLAG (Welsh medium sector lobby group), as well as
FGA. The WESP, updated annually, is a comprehensive document
and has been acknowledged as such by WG. Strong on vision and
aspiration, it remains to be seen how far, and how fast, it can be
implemented. As a heavily anglicised border county,
Flintshire has one Welsh medium secondary school and 5 primaries,
all but one of which are currently undersubscribed. It is
unclear how far this is due to relatively low profile: as
with Catholic education, there tends to be an assumption that the
schools cater for adherents. However, research has revealed
that a significant proportion of parents (30%+) in the Deeside area
would opt for Welsh medium education if it were available within
two miles. A new satellite school (managed and governed, for
the time being, from the existing W medium school in Flint) was
opened in September 2014 in Shotton, and early take-up
(nursery/reception) is encouraging.
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If you believe that
WESPs are not contributing sufficiently, how do you think this
could be resolved?
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The obstacles are
practical and financial, as well as cultural; the WESP itself makes
a positive contribution.
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Question 2 – What
are your views on whether WESPs are (or have the potential) to
deliver the required change at a local authority level (for example
delivering provision to meet any increased demand for Welsh medium
education)?
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The
WESP provides a rationale for development. Further research
is needed to ascertain whether, and where, there is latent demand
(i.e. lack of awareness) for Welsh medium education.
Conversely, there is evidence that, in the east of the county
(effectively suburbs of Chester), pupils in the Catholic sector are
opting to transfer to the Chester High School specifically to avoid
the requirement to learn Welsh (2nd
language).
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If you believe that
WESPs are not, or don’t have the potential, to deliver
change, how do you think this could be resolved?
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Cultural change could
be fostered, but it cannot be rushed (still less imposed).
Positive promotion could increase take-up, but risks a backlash
– particularly as financial pressures are severe in both
sectors, making pupil numbers crucial to viability.
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Question 3 – What
are your views on the arrangements for target setting; monitoring;
reviewing; reporting; approving; and ensuring compliance with
delivering the requirements for WESPs (and the role of the local
authority and the Welsh Government in this regard)?
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WG
response to the annual revision tends to be slow.
Target-setting is of dubious value, e.g. to increase the numbers of
pupils in W medium who take GCSE’s through the medium of
Welsh (already 100%). Despite the strong commitment at LA
level, the WG policy remains a low priority for a council
threatened with financial meltdown.
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If you believe there
are problems in this area, how do you think they could be
resolved?
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A number of promotional
initiatives are in hand, with considerable success so far.
The advent of the Urdd Eisteddfod in Flint in 2016 will provide
excellent promotional opportunities, and plans are in hand to
maximise these.
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Question 4 – What
are your views on whether WESPs evidence the effective interaction
between the Welsh Government’s Welsh-medium education
strategy and other relevant policies and legislation*?
(*for example school transport policy; 21st Century Schools
programme; A living language: a language for living – Moving
forward policy statement; Flying Start; planning policy)
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Free
transport is provided statutorily to the nearest Welsh medium
school (unlike the Catholic sector – a contentious
issue). 21st Century Schools plans do not
currently involve the Welsh medium sector, given current
undersubscription; however, projected numbers may prompt a
requirement for a second secondary school in the early
2020s.
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If you believe there
are problems in this area, how do you think they could be
resolved?
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Question 5 – What
are your views on whether the outcomes of WESPs deliver equal
outcomes for all pupils, including for example, primary/secondary
pupils or children from low income households.
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There is no apparent detriment to any group.
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If you believe that the
outcome of WESPs do not deliver equal outcomes, how do you think
this could be resolved?
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Question 6 - If
you had to make one recommendation to the Welsh Government from all
the points you have made, what would that recommendation
be?
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WG has a role to play
in cultural change, but must seek to encourage change rather than
to dictate.
The most effective
protective measure (see below) would be to ban the absorption of W
medium schools into federation with E medium schools.
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Question 7 - Do
you have any other comments or issues you wish to raise that have
not been covered by the specific questions?
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Over 80% of pupils in W
medium schools in Flintshire come from English-speaking homes.
Consequently it is always an uphill struggle to ensure that the
natural means of communication in schools is Welsh, particularly
outside of formal lessons. Pressures on schools in both
sectors (size, viability, difficulty of recruitment particularly at
HT level) are prompting the LA to consider federation –
facilitated by recent WG legislative change in this area. It
cannot be too strongly stressed that any federation involving E and
W medium schools would have the effect of swamping the W sector,
and must be specifically excluded – even where physical
proximity might make this a superficially attractive option.
The W medium high school shares a site (and certain facilities e.g.
sports centre, playing fields) with its (much larger) E medium
neighbour. While excellent relations are maintained, a policy
of strict segregation of pupils is necessary to maintain the Welsh
ethos. One of the W primary schools occupies the same
building as an E medium school. The threat to federate
prompted the formation of SYFFLAG (Sir y Fflint Addysg Gymraeg) to
defend the interest of the sector, under direct threat at the
time. It is vital that W medium schools remain separate if
they are to stand any chance of promulgating the use of Welsh as
lingua franca in an anglicised area such as
Flintshire.
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