Core Aim 5 - Children are listened to, treated with respect and are able to have their race and cultural identity recognised

At a local level, Welsh is growing or remaining stable in most local authority areas, with the exception of Ceredigion and Carmarthenshire. The table below shows the results from the last two censuses by local authority.

A Welsh Language Board Report in 2004 showed that 21.7% of all those aged 3 and over could speak Welsh, an increase on the 20.83 figure in the 2001 Census. 57% of those consider themselves fluent Welsh speakers.

Again the highest percentage occurs in the 3-15 years age group, for both categories – 37% can speak Welsh, 16% fluently. Merthyr is part of the only region in Wales (Mid and South Glamorgan, and Gwent) that has shown an increase in the number of fluent Welsh speakers since 1992.

Although this work only used a small sample size from each local authority area, the figures shown below indicate a continued increase in the use of Welsh in Merthyr Tydfil since the 2001 Census

Ability to speak Welsh by local authority

Welsh language in Merthyr Tydfil

The two tables above indicate that the use of Welsh in Merthyr Tydfil is increasing. Within the 0-25 age range, a recently commissioned report (link here) looking at bilingual provision within the borough identified the main use of Welsh within the education and youth service.

Merthyr Tydfil is one of five local authorities in Wales that does not have any Welsh medium secondary schools.

“The main use of Welsh within the borough is concentrated on the two Welsh language schools and also on a Welsh language centre in Pontmorlais. There are a number of chapels still conducting services in Welsh in the borough.

Ysgol Gymraeg Santes Tudful is a Welsh Medium School providing provision for 3-11 year olds. Numbers on roll have increased steadily over the years and at present there are 400 full time pupils on the roll. 60% of their intake comes from economically disadvantaged backgrounds.

Currently, there are 334 full-time pupils and 54 part-time children of nursery age on the register. Seventeen per cent of pupils are registered as being entitled to free school meals.

The vast majority of pupils come from English speaking homes, only two per cent of pupils come from homes where Welsh is the main language. Welsh is the medium of instruction in the nursery/reception and in Key Stage (KS) 1; in KS2, pupils are taught through the medium of Welsh and English in order that pupils are bilingual when they transfer to the secondary school at 11 years of age.

Ysgol Gymraeg Rhyd y Grug is situated in the village of Quakers Yard near Treharris. The LEA is Merthyr. It was opened as a Welsh school in 1976 with one class, today there are eight classes in the school. The school’s catchment is in an area of economic disadvantage; a number of villages which feed the school are in receipt of financial aid from the European Social Fund.

There are 186 pupils aged 3-11 at the school at present. Around 19% of pupils receive free school meals; about 5% come from homes where Welsh is the main language spoken and around 1% are from ethnic minority backgrounds.

Secondary Welsh medium education is provided for Merthyr pupils in Rhondda Cynon Taf at Ysgol Gyfun Rhydywaun. Ysgol Gyfun Rhydywaun was opened in 1995 with 114 pupils in Year (Y) 7. By 2001/2002, the school had grown to be a school catering for 11-18 year old pupils. Currently, there are 886 pupils on roll including 139 sixth form students. The school provides Welsh-medium education for pupils from a wide catchment stretching from Penderyn to Abercynon in the Cynon Valley and from Pontsticill to Treharris in Merthyr. The school is maintained by the Rhondda Cynon Taff Unitary Authority, but slightly more than a half of the pupils come from Merthyr County Borough. The school indicates that the pupils come from predominantly economically disadvantaged residential areas. About 18 per cent of the pupils are registered as entitled to free school meals.

In the early years of the last century, the Welsh language prospered in the school’s catchment but now only two per cent of the pupils come from homes in which Welsh is spoken. Pupils come to the school from four Welsh-medium primary schools: Aberdâr, Abercynon, Santes Tudful and Rhydygrug and from a Welsh-medium Unit in Ysgol Penderyn.

Menter Iaith Merthyr Tudful was established in 2003 and operates from the Welsh Centre in Pontmorlais.  During the first year the Menter concentrated on broadening the provision of activities for the children and young people of the community. It saw a large increase in our provision for children and a good start in our provision for young people. The Menter worked alongside the Welsh primary schools of the area to produce a short film about the history of Dic Penderyn. A youth club for young people was started in Merthyr ( Y Ganolfan) and as a result of its success a second youth club was set up at the bottom of the valley in Treharris (Community Centre). The Menter also started on the important work of including young Welsh learners into the fold with visits to the English medium primary and high schools of the area. By now, the youth club in y Ganolfan has become a rock workshop and the youth club in Treharris has ceased.”