Creating a Bilingual Wales
Ways of developing pupils’ Welsh language skills in schools
in Wales will be explored at an IWA national conference in Cardiff
on Thursday 18 October. The conference, at the Cardiff University
Conference Centre, has attracted teachers from schools across Wales
and policy makers from the Assembly Government and Welsh Language
Board. Speakers include Education Minister Jane Hutt and Welsh Language
Board Chief Executive Meirion Prys Jones.
The conference will focus on the complex relationship between bilingual
provision in schools and the process of enabling pupils to become
fluent bilingual speakers. Reasons for the growth of Welsh-medium
provision and the challenges associated with this will be discussed,
and examples of good practice in Welsh-medium immersion education
will be highlighted.
The conference will also hear about Welsh immersion pilot projects
aimed at developing the Welsh language skills of pupils at the upper
end of English-medium primary schools. The pilot projects, undertaken
over the last three years in primary schools in north, west and south
Wales, have provided opportunities for pupils to move into Welsh-medium
secondary schools.
IWA Director John Osmond, said, “On the evidence of the 1991
and 2001 census there seems little doubt that Welsh-medium education
has been largely responsible for reversing nearly a century of decline
in the numbers of younger Welsh speakers.
“However, the Welsh medium sector only accounts for around 20
per cent of Welsh primary and secondary schools. A major argument
in the IWA’s 2006 publication Saving Our Language, by the former
Mid Glamorgan Director of Education Ken Hopkins, is that if there
is to be a significant expansion of young Welsh speakers over the
next 20 years, there will need to be more effective teaching and use
of Welsh within the majority English-medium schools sector.
“The Assembly Government’s policy Iaith Pawb drew attention
to the relatively few entry points into Welsh-medium education after
the age of three or five. On the whole, it is possible to choose a
Welsh-medium path either at 3 years when entering nursery education,
or at 5 years when starting in the primary school.
“In practical terms, once the parent or child has chosen the
English medium sector at one of these access points, opportunities
are very rare in the majority of LEAs to change to the Welsh medium
sector or to study some subjects through the medium of Welsh in an
English-medium or bilingual setting.”
Meirion Prys Jones, Chief Executive of the Welsh Language Board, said
“We welcome the opportunity this conference presents to open
the discussion about the future of Welsh language education to a broad
range of delegates from the education world in Wales.”
“It is widely acknowledged that education plays a critical role
in the process of creating Welsh speakers. It is vitally important
that the appropriate systems and methods are in place, at all levels
of Welsh-medium education, to develop the bilingual skills of our
young people.”
For more information contact:
John Osmond, IWA Director on 029 20 666606
Bydd ffyrdd o ddatblygu sgiliau iaith Gymraeg disgyblion mewn ysgolion
yng Nghymru yn cael eu harchwilio mewn cynhadledd genedlaethol a gynhelir
gan yr IWA yng Nghaerdydd ddydd Iau 18 Hydref. Mae’r gynhadledd,
a gynhelir yng Nghanolfan Gynadledda Prifysgol Caerdydd, wedi denu
athrawon o ysgolion ledled Cymru a gwneuthurwyr polisi o Lywodraeth
y Cynulliad a Bwrdd yr Iaith Gymraeg. Ymhlith y rhai fydd yn annerch
y gynhadledd fydd Jane Hutt, y Gweinidog Addysg a Meirion Prys Jones,
Prif Weithredwr Bwrdd yr Iaith Gymraeg.
Bydd y gynhadledd yn canolbwyntio ar y berthynas gymhleth rhwng darpariaeth
ddwyieithog mewn ysgolion a’r broses o alluogi disgyblion i
ddod yn siaradwyr dwyieithog rhugl. Bydd trafodaeth hefyd am y rhesymau
dros y twf yn y ddarpariaeth addysg cyfrwng Cymraeg a’r heriau
sydd ynghlwm â hyn ynghyd ag enghreifftiau o arfer dda ym maes
addysg drochi cyfrwng Cymraeg.
Testun trafodaeth arall yn y gynhadledd fydd cynlluniau peilot addysg
drochi Gymraeg sydd wedi’u hanelu at ddatblygu sgiliau iaith
Gymraeg disgyblion ysgolion cynradd cyfrwng Saesneg. Mae’r cynlluniau
peilot, sydd wedi bod ar waith dros y dair mlynedd ddiwethaf yng Ngogledd,
Gorllewin a De Cymru, wedi rhoi cyfleoedd i ddisgyblion symud ymlaen
i ysgolion uwchradd cyfrwng Cymraeg.
Dywedodd Cyfarwyddwr yr IWA, John Osmond, “Yn ôl tystiolaeth
cyfrifiad 1991 a 2001 mae’n eithaf amlwg mai addysg cyfrwng
Cymraeg a fu’n bennaf gyfrifol am wyrdroi'r dirywiad o bron
i ganrif yn niferoedd y siaradwyr Cymraeg iau.
“Fodd bynnag, dim ond tua 20 y cant o holl ysgolion cynradd
ac uwchradd Cymru sy’n ysgolion cyfrwng Cymraeg. Dadl fawr cyhoeddiad
2006 yr IWA, Achub ein Hiaith, gan Ken Hopkins, cyn Gyfarwyddwr Addysg
Morgannwg Ganol, yw os oes ehangu mawr i fod ar nifer y siaradwyr
Cymraeg dros yr 20 mlynedd nesaf, yna bydd angen addysgu Cymraeg yn
fwy effeithiol yn y sector ysgolion cyfrwng Saesneg.
“Tynnodd polisi Llywodraeth y Cynulliad, Iaith Pawb, sylw at
y mannau mynediad cymharol isel i addysg cyfrwng Cymraeg ar ôl
tair neu bump oed. Ar y cyfan, gellir dewis llwybr addysg Gymraeg
wrth gychwyn addysg feithrin yn 3 oed neu wrth gychwyn addysg gynradd
yn 5 oed.
“Yn ymarferol, unwaith y bydd rhiant neu blentyn wedi dewis
y sector cyfrwng Saesneg yn ystod un o’r cyfleoedd mynediad
hyn, ychydig iawn o gyfleoedd sydd ar gael wedi hynny ym mwyafrif
yr Awdurdodau Addysg Lleol i astudio pynciau trwy gyfrwng y Gymraeg
mewn lleoliad cyfrwng Saesneg neu ddwyieithog.”
Dywedodd Meirion Prys Jones, Prif Weithredwr Bwrdd yr Iaith, “Ry’n
ni’n croesawu’r cyfle mae’r gynhadledd hon yn ei
gynnig i agor y drafodaeth ynghylch dyfodol addysg Gymraeg, a hynny
i gynulleidfa eang o’r byd addysg yng Nghymru.
“Mae’n ffaith fod addysg yn chwarae rhan allweddol yn
y broses o greu siaradwyr Cymraeg. Mae’n hanfodol felly fod
y sustemau a’r dulliau priodol mewn lle ar bob lefel o addysg
Gymraeg er mwyn datblygu sgiliau dwyieithog ein pobl ifanc.”
Am fwy o wybodaeth cysylltwch â:
John Osmond, Cyfarwyddwr yr IWA Director ar 029 20 666606
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