Welsh-medium education

In 1939, the first Welsh-medium primary school was established independently of the state by the Urdd in Aberystwyth.[1] Ysgol Glan Clwyd was the first designated bilingual secondary school in Wales, which opened in 1956.[2] Ysgol Gyfun Rhydfelen (now Ysgol Garth Olwg) became the first Welsh medium secondary school in South Wales in 1962.[3]

By April 2021, there were 440 Welsh medium schools with 110,142 pupils (23%) educated in Welsh medium schools.[4] In 2020/21 there were 78,081 pupils taught via Welsh medium; 23,491 were in a form of bilingual education (which varies) and 7,905 were in dual stream education.[5]

The Welsh Government's current target is to increase the proportion of each school year group receiving Welsh-medium education to 30 percent by 2031, and then 40 percent by 2050.[6] In March 2023, the Welsh governent introduced a White paper for a new Welsh Language Education Bill that included:

• 1 million Welsh speakers target
• Creating a single Welsh language skills continuum
• Statutory system of categorising maintained schools via language-medium
• Improve Welsh language provision in maintained schools (not Welsh-medium)
• Minister requirement for a statutory National Plan for learning Welsh reviewed every Senedd term
• Reform how local authorities plan Welsh language provision in schools (to meet targets)
• Requirements for local authorities to promote Welsh-medium education[7]

Mudiad Meithrin (Nursery Movement), formerly Mudiad Ysgolion Meithrin (Nursery Schools Movement) has established play groups and nurseries throughout Wales which allow children to learn Welsh through immersion. It is the main Welsh-medium education and care provider in Wales for the early years. There were 12,773 children in cylchoedd meithrin (Mudiad Meithrin playgroups) and day nurseries in 2018–2019.[8]

Na Naíscoileanna Gaelacha (Irish Infant Schools Organisation) was established in 1974 with continued input from Cylchoedd Meithrin.[9] Alongside Ikastola in the Basque Country (autonomous community), the Welsh Meithrin inspired the Diwan movement in Brittany.[10]

In the primary school sector, the numbers of children in Welsh-medium schools (or in the Welsh-medium stream of dual stream schools) has grown steadily in recent years. Welsh Government statistics show that in 2019, 22.8 per cent of 7 year old learners were assessed through the medium of Welsh (first language).[11]

Information taken from Schools in Wales (accessed 23 July 2010) Update for last three years taken from School Census Results, 2012 (accessed 17 May 2013)

The percentage of children in Welsh-medium secondary schools is slightly less than in primary schools, but has also grown, although it appears to have stabilised in the 2010s. Including Middle School pupils from 2012/2013.

Welsh Government statistics show that in 2019, 18.5% per cent of pupils in year 9 were assessed in Welsh (first language).[11]

There aren't many private schools that teach Welsh as a second language and there are no designated Welsh medium private schools in Wales.[12]

Information taken from Schools in Wales (accessed 23 July 2010) Update for last three years taken from School Census Results, 2012 (accessed 17 May 2013)

During 2015/2016, 7.8 per cent of learning activities in the Further Education sector included some element of Welsh, with 0.29 per cent of activities offered through Welsh only. The subjects with the highest number of learning activities with some element of Welsh were Retail and Commercial Enterprise (18.1 per cent); Agriculture, Horticulture and Animal Care (17.7 per cent) and Business, Administration and Law (14.2 per cent).[13]

In 2014-15, the number of higher education students with at least some learning through the medium of Welsh reached an all-time high with 6,355 students, or 5.1 per cent of all students at Welsh universities.[14] Of these 6,355 students, 53 per cent were taught entirely through the medium of Welsh and 47 per cent were taught part of their course in Welsh.[15] By 2020-21, the number of students at Higher Education Institutions with some learning through Welsh was 6,940, equating to 5% of all enrolments at Higher Education Institutions in Wales.[16]

In 2020-21, the University of Wales, Trinity Saint David had both the highest number of students (3,510) and the highest proportion of its students (24 per cent) receiving at least some teaching through the medium of Welsh. Glyndŵr University and the University of South Wales had the lowest proportion of its students (0 per cent) receiving at least some teaching through the medium of Welsh.

Enrolments at Bangor University and the University of Wales, Trinity Saint David accounted for over two thirds (69 per cent) of all enrolments with at least some teaching through the medium of Welsh.

10,345 university students in Wales were fluent Welsh speakers in 2020-21, with a further 10,485 speakers recording themselves as Welsh speakers but not fluent. Of all universities in Wales, Cardiff University had the highest number of fluent Welsh-speaking students, amounting to 1,670 students. According to the latest data collected in 2020-21, Bangor University had the highest percentage of fluent Welsh-speaking students of all universities in Wales (38 per cent), followed by Aberystwyth University (30 per cent) and Swansea University (17 per cent).[17]

• Education in Wales
• Welsh-speaking population
• Welsh language
• Gaelscoil: Irish-medium education

• Mudiad Meithrin: early years Welsh-medium education