Make new school Welsh medium

THE Welsh Government’s policy of having a million Welsh-speakers by 2050 will be put to the test in the Vale of Glamorgan next month.

It is anticipated that a decision will be taken on the language medium of the new school which will be built as part of the Waterfront development in Barry.

This will be an important litmus test of how local authorities and planners perceive their role in terms of delivering this policy and their overall commitment to promoting the Welsh language.

The Vale council’s track record in terms of supporting the growth of Welsh-medium education is strong but in recent years has stagnated.

RhAG vociferously calls on the council to designate the new Waterfront school as Welsh medium.

It offers a golden opportunity to relocate Ysgol Sant Baruc to a fit-for-purpose building and could allow all children in Barry to be within walking distance of a Welshlanguage primary school for the first time. This would also make a major contribution towards the 2030 Welsh Government target to increase Welsh-medium places by a third.

The Welsh language can and should be a central building block of new housing developments; this is a watershed moment for Barry.

Over to you, Vale of Glamorgan Council... Ceri McEvoy Rhieni dros Addysg Gymraeg / Parents for Welsh medium Education