Plan for compulsory English in nurseries dropped by WG

THE Welsh Government has backtracked on plans to make learning English compulsory in Welshmedium nurseries, after uproar from parents, teachers and language campaigners.

Critics warned the proposals, unveiled in the new curriculum White Paper last week, threatened the future of the language and the Welsh Government’s own ambitions for one million Welsh speakers by 2050.

Mudiad Meithrin, the voluntary movement specialising in early years Welsh language education set up in 1971, was among those criticising the proposal, saying “no policy has ever been so detrimental to the learning and acquisition of Welsh by children in the early years” since.

The White Paper recommends putting “a duty on all schools and Funded Nursery Settings to teach Welsh as a compulsory element of the new curriculum for Wales for three to 16 year-olds.” Currently, English is introduced from the age of seven in Welsh medium schools.

After mounting criticism this would jeopardise the successful policy of Welsh language immersion, the Welsh Government says it wants to clarify the position. It said that the White Paper statement “does not reflect our intention” and would have “unintended consequences” for Welshmedium schools and nurseries.

“To be absolutely clear, our proposal is the new curriculum will still enable schools and settings, such as cylchoedd meithrin, to fully immerse children in the Welsh language,” the Welsh Government said.

Welsh language teaching union UCAC welcomed the u-turn.

But Plaid Cymru shadow education secretary and Arfon AM Siân Gwenllian said: “The fact such a clause has been included in the first place raises serious questions about the credibility and integrity of this Government’s Education Department and its Education Minister.”