Welsh medium education

[tomcat]

Re: Welsh medium education

Sure but my next door neighbour whose kids go to the Welsh school told me a lot of the parents don’t want their kids mixing with “foreign” kids in educational settings as they believe it holds them back or whatever excuse they can come up with, some of which I cannot repeat. 95% of the parents don’t speak Welsh anyway, so their not welshies really. And a very good mate of mine told me the council get more funding for Welsh speaking places, he’s very high up in the education dept.

Most kids taught in a Welsh medium school end up at a major disadvantage when later attending an English medium uni. I have many lecturer friends who have highlighted this a major issue, more so in science based subjects. Why not learn a modern European language? Much more useful.

[SLUDGE FACTORY]

Re: Welsh medium education

It's great to hear welsh spoken , I am certain the language is stronger than it has been for many many years . Welsh is not going to vanish .

I do worry when the Welsh govt puts targets such as 20 percent etc speaking Welsh as first language within 5 years or whatever

We surely have enough Welsh medium schools now ?

We know that the language was nearly wiped out 100 plus years ago .....thankfully that's not going to happen now

I am not interested in learning Welsh but it sounds great 👍

[dembethewarrior]

Re: Welsh medium education

Most kids taught in a Welsh medium school end up at a major disadvantage when later attending an English medium uni. I have many lecturer friends who have highlighted this a major issue, more so in science based subjects. Why not learn a modern European language? Much more useful.

This is something I noticed as a teenager, after going to Welsh primary then English comp.

It is definitely an issue

[goats]

Re: Welsh medium education

Most kids taught in a Welsh medium school end up at a major disadvantage when later attending an English medium uni. I have many lecturer friends who have highlighted this a major issue, more so in science based subjects. Why not learn a modern European language? Much more useful.

I know, quite a few of my mates went to glantaff and struggled a bit at uni. It’s such an easy language Welsh anyway, my 8 year old has had a few Welsh speaking teachers so is pretty good already as they do learn a fair bit. He will easily be fluent by 16 so why the need to do everything in Welsh? Seems a bit OTT.

[goats]

Re: Welsh medium education

It's great to hear welsh spoken , I am certain the language is stronger than it has been for many many years . Welsh is not going to vanish .

I do worry when the Welsh govt puts targets such as 20 percent etc speaking Welsh as first language within 5 years or whatever

We surely have enough Welsh medium schools now ?

We know that the language was nearly wiped out 100 plus years ago .....thankfully that's not going to happen now

I am not interested in learning Welsh but it sounds great ��

Yeah definitely embrace it, all kids can learn it, it’s pretty simple, no need to ram it down though

[light up the darkness]

Re: Welsh medium education

All schools are funded in the same way, a bloc grant depending on the number of places available and a set amount per pupil. A full school actually gets less per pupil than one with unfilled places Other grants top this up, a one class entry Welsh medium school, for example, would get just under £5000 for Welsh language resources out of a total grant of £150000, a school with falling numbers gets a share of a pot of over £1,000,000, grants are also made to schools for asylum seekers, pupils with special needs and those living in deprivation, the school you describe would be better funded than it’s neighbouring welsh school. I appreciate that our children’s education is always going to be an emotive topic, more so when issues like class, ethnicity and language are in the mix, but let’s stick to the facts, I not sure using phrases like ‘the welshy parents’, ‘the welsh lot’ and ‘bordering on racist’ really helps a sensible discussion, let’s keep it civil.

Do you know what might be the difference between per pupil funding in English schools compared to those in Wales ?

And if there is a difference would you care to make an observation about the reasons for any discrepancy?

[Toggs]

Re: Welsh medium education

Do you know what might be the difference between per pupil funding in English schools compared to those in Wales ?

And if there is a difference would you care to make an observation about the reasons for any discrepancy?

I have no idea if there is any difference between funding for schools in England and Wales, as far as I know the formula for individual schools is decided at local authority level, I would imagine that that is true in both countries, but the spread of the academy system and more direct funding from central government in England may result in some difference.

[pomeroy]

Re: Welsh medium education

IMO not delivering value for money !!

I started learning Welsh some 50 years ago and have taught it in adult night classes just to state this up front.
I have a number of neighbours whose kids go to Welsh schools but when I speak to them in Welsh they always answer in English. I have never heard them speak Welsh amongst themselves or with friends. Another family have grown up kids who went to Welsh school but have now lost completely the language. I recently went to see a Welsh school playing rugby and only heard the main coach speaking Welsh, all the players conversed in English. This scenario reflects itself in most areas of South Wales that I visit regularly. This will continue whilst parents who speak only English send their kids to Welsh schools whilst making no effort to learn the language. As soon as the children leave the school environment the children only speak English. In view of the fact that Welsh medium education costs a fortune and has recently been allocated another £30million by Welsh govt. it begs the question under the present system whether it is money well spent.

[Feedback]

Re: Welsh medium education

I started learning Welsh some 50 years ago and have taught it in adult night classes just to state this up front.
I have a number of neighbours whose kids go to Welsh schools but when I speak to them in Welsh they always answer in English. I have never heard them speak Welsh amongst themselves or with friends. Another family have grown up kids who went to Welsh school but have now lost completely the language. I recently went to see a Welsh school playing rugby and only heard the main coach speaking Welsh, all the players conversed in English. This scenario reflects itself in most areas of South Wales that I visit regularly. This will continue whilst parents who speak only English send their kids to Welsh schools whilst making no effort to learn the language. As soon as the children leave the school environment the children only speak English. In view of the fact that Welsh medium education costs a fortune and has recently been allocated another £30million by Welsh govt. it begs the question under the present system whether it is money well spent.

Part of the problem is the kids see Welsh being the language of school and not a language of every day life. Nothing wrong with that per se, in Luxembourg for example one of the three languages spoken there (I forget which) is used I school but not elsewhere.

My three sons went to Welsh junior school and now are all in English medium. They speak Latin (if indeed it can be considered spoken), German and Spanish to varying degrees, but all at a level better than their Welsh.

[life on mars]

Re: Welsh medium education

My granddaughter left a Welsh school and has excelled in an English speaking school , my guess it's not for everyone, for me it's not about funding it's what comes from within , most schools in the UK provide a very good educational service, those who want more archive more.

[Harry Paget Flashman]

Re: Welsh medium education

Personally I hated learning Welsh at school my parents never spoke it at home even though my mother was from the north….still can’t get my head around the national anthem.

You can't learn one song with ten lines?

[tforturton]

Re: Welsh medium education

My three kids went to Welsh language primary and secondary schools. My wife was from Welsh-speaking west Wales, and insisted on them going. They have all left school - one has a Masters, and the other two are in the final year of their degrees. So it is no barrier to further education. They use their language when they can, with both friends and family.
I can see the argument that people use English outside of school/home. Of course they do - it is the main language of the world, and not just the UK. But that is not an excuse to let the language disappear.

[life on mars]

Re: Welsh medium education

My three kids went to Welsh language primary and secondary schools. My wife was from Welsh-speaking west Wales, and insisted on them going. They have all left school - one has a Masters, and the other two are in the final year of their degrees. So it is no barrier to further education. They use their language when they can, with both friends and family.
I can see the argument that people use English outside of school/home. Of course they do - it is the main language of the world, and not just the UK. But that is not an excuse to let the language disappear.

Marvellous news for your children you must be proud 👏

I don't think anyone wants the language to disappear.

Different strikes for different folks , and diversity and free choice is paramount.

[SLUDGE FACTORY]

Re: Welsh medium education

I started learning Welsh some 50 years ago and have taught it in adult night classes just to state this up front.
I have a number of neighbours whose kids go to Welsh schools but when I speak to them in Welsh they always answer in English. I have never heard them speak Welsh amongst themselves or with friends. Another family have grown up kids who went to Welsh school but have now lost completely the language. I recently went to see a Welsh school playing rugby and only heard the main coach speaking Welsh, all the players conversed in English. This scenario reflects itself in most areas of South Wales that I visit regularly. This will continue whilst parents who speak only English send their kids to Welsh schools whilst making no effort to learn the language. As soon as the children leave the school environment the children only speak English. In view of the fact that Welsh medium education costs a fortune and has recently been allocated another £30million by Welsh govt. it begs the question under the present system whether it is money well spent.

It's not money well spent at all is the answer