2019/01/02

Ceredigion's plan to increase the number of children receiving their education in Welsh to 80 per cent of the population is making progress

The three-year plan for improving uptake of Welsh medium education was approved by Ceredigion County Council in March this year after being “called-in”. The Welsh in Education Strategic Plan 2017-20 was “challenged on targets and specific aspects of the plan” challenge advisor Silyn Roberts said at a meeting of the language committee.
He updated councillors on the progress made since then and actions taken to get more seven-year-olds taught in Welsh, including a focus underway in the Aberystwyth area to promote access.
The loss of a WESP officer there, due to a lack of funding, was unfortunate the committee heard.
The consultation on providing a Welsh language foundation phase Ysgol Bro Pedr in Lampeter was highlighted as another area of positive progress.
Officers continued to focus on meeting a target in English schools that 40 per cent of the curriculum will be in Welsh, the committee was told.
The percentage of Year 9 pupils receiving education in first language Welsh was 64 per cent, below the target of 66 per cent but the increasing numbers choosing to attend Ysgol Penweddig in Aberystwyth was a positive change, the committee heard.