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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