Welsh Education, Part I
In the latter half of the twentieth century, Welsh enjoyed a resurgence in popularity, especially among young people; this is in no small part due to efforts within the educational system. The development of Welsh-medium and bilingual schools has done much to further the use of the language among the nation's youth. Through the efforts of concerned parents and teachers, as well as supporting bodies like the Welsh Language Board and the Mentrau Iaith (community-based language initiatives), Welsh has become an indelible part of the educational system of Wales. So how is Welsh taught to children and adults, and how are citizens, national organizations, and local groups doing their part to help? This article and its follow-up will give an overview of Welsh in education, starting with language education for children and youth.
A Brief History Lesson.
In the 1870s, there was still a predominantly derogatory attitude towards Welsh in education. But towards the end of the 19th century, attitudes began to change and Welsh was recognized to be in danger of disappearing. Nevertheless, people felt that learning English was of greater advantage to their children and would increase their probabilities of future success; Welsh was still pushed to the wayside despite the government's support of it as a medium of education. With the coming of the World Wars, lack of monetary backing also became an issue.
However, it was also World War II which indirectly prompted the establishment of the first Welsh school, in Aberystwyth. Founded by Ifan ab Owen Edwards (son of educator Owen Edwards) in 1939, it was formed in response to the waves of English immigrants fleeing to the countryside, an influx that made the teaching of Welsh in school very difficult. The Education Act of 1944 made it easier for parents' desires to be heard, and led to the establishment of the first official Welsh-medium primary school in Llanelli in 1947. From that point, Local Education Authorities continued to set up Welsh-medium primary schools elsewhere in Wales, and even a few secondary schools. But the issue of bilingual education in a country that is still heavily anglicized in areas remains a tough one. Still, the status of Welsh in the education system has been going strong, thanks to the efforts of parents, teachers, support groups, and further legislation establishing national curriculum standards for Welsh (Education Reform Act of 1988).
Welsh at the Nursery Level.
Because the survival of a language depends heavily on its passage to young children by their parents, it was quickly recognized that nursery-level education in Welsh would encourage fluency in the young, particularly those whose parents did not speak Welsh. However, education at the nursery level is mostly private, though limited provisions have been made by the government to Local Education Authorities. This early education is usually administered by the Mudiad Ysgolion Meithrin (Nursery Schools Movement). MYM groups include Cylchoedd Meithrin (playgroups for children), Cylch Ti a Fi (parent and child playgroups), and Cymraeg i'r Teulu (Welsh for the Family); the latter two also encourage bringing Welsh into the home and promote a comfortable environment for parents to use Welsh and learn Welsh with their children. Now, there are about 574 Cylchoedd Meithrin throughout Wales and close to 400 Cylchoedd Ti a Fi. Unfortunately, education at the nursery level suffers from lack of funding, and some areas are still deficient in available programs.
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