Call for trebling funding for Welsh for Adults

The funding for Welsh for Adults should be trebled. This is the claim made by Dyfodol i’r Iaith in the wake of the announcement that the funding is being cut by 7%. Dyfodol i’r Iaith is disturbed that the cuts to Welsh for Adults, which amount to £2.3 million – is more than the extra money given to the Mentrau Iaith and to a Welsh language economy project in Dyffryn Teifi. The Welsh for Adults programme needs to be central in revitalising Welsh as a community language, according to Dyfodol i’r Iaith. Heini Gruffudd, Chair of Dyfodol i’r Iaith, said “It is clear that the Government has not considered the essential role that Welsh for Adults has in targeting new parents and in training a Welsh speaking workforce.  To make a difference, a similar amount of money to the Basque Country needs to be spent, where they spend around £40 million a year.” Heini Gruffudd added, “most of our courses are not intensive, and we have no expansive programme of releasing people from work to learn the language.” “In less Welsh-speaking areas, a programme is needed to target parents who wish to change the language of the home, and to do this, parents need a period from work.  There is also a need to establish a chain of Canolfannau Cymraeg  – Welsh speaking Centres – to be new social centres for the language.” “In the Welsh-peaking areas, Welsh for Adults has a key role in teaching the language to incomers.” “In a period of decline of Welsh-speaking communities, the time is ripe for an adventurous expansion of the Welsh for Adults provision.” Dyfodol i’r Iaith welcomes the establishment of a National Welsh for Adults Centre, and calls for finance of £30 million for the Centre, instead of the present £10 million.  

Review of the National Curriculum

The Welsh Government has appointed Professor Graham Donaldson to conduct a thorough review of the National Curriculum in Wales. In its response Dyfodol i’r Iaith has called for every child and young person in Wales to have a better opportunity to be bilingual and for a transformation in teaching Welsh as a second language

 

The response can be read here Adolygu’r Cwricwlwm Ymchwiliad Donaldson Ymateb Dyfodol

Welsh for Adults

SPENDING ON WELSH FOR ADULTS NEEDS TO DOUBLE

Dyfodol i’r Iaith welcomes the new arrangements for teaching Welsh to Adults. The Welsh Government says the new central arrangements will start in September 2015. .

“Establishing a central system was one of the recommendations made by Dyfodol i’r Iaith to the group reviewing Welsh for Adults” said Heini Gruffudd, Chair of Dyfodol i’r Iaith. “By creating a National Organisation for Welsh for Adults the field can be led by experts”

But Dyfodol i’r Iaith is concerned that the new organisation will not have enough money to develop the field as it should.

“It is a great pity that as the government is re-organising it is also cutting the funding available for Welsh for Adults by 8%.  Spending in this area is a third of what it is in the Basque country, which is in a similar situation to ours. If we are serious about reviving the Welsh language across Wales we need to double the funding, not cut the funding” said Heini Gruffudd.

“It is only by sufficient spending that the Welsh language can be taught to adults thoroughly with enough teaching hours ac in plenty of local venues.”

“We welcome the emphasis on Welsh in families but we need an adequate system to develop an army of teachers in our schools and to teach the massive amount of people dealing with the public.”

In October 2012 Dyfodol presented nine recommendations including doubling the amount spent on Welsh for Adults.

Other recommendations included:

  • Offering teaching programmes of up to 1200 hours
  • Establishing a network of Welsh Centres
  • A programme of releasing workers from their jobs.