Banners on buses - choose Welsh-medium education!

The 'Cymraeg i Bawb' (Welsh for All) Partnership has launched a Welsh-medium education promotion campaign featuring banners outside schools and short videos and now for the next month, the message can also be seen on the rear of buses to encourage people from all walks of life to choose Welsh-medium education for their children:

'The Welsh language belongs to every child: Choose Welsh-medium education.'

Cymraeg i Bawb is a partnership between 21 organisations; Local Authorities, local Language Initiatives, Cymraeg i Blant/Welsh for Children, Mudiad Meithrin and RhAG (Parents for Welsh-medium Education) in the South East Wales area in an innovative Welsh Government funded project, the first of its kind in Wales.

The partnership came about after recognising the need to operate on a regional basis in order to reach out to people new to the Welsh language and to welcome them into Welsh-medium education so that all children have the opportunity to be bilingual, or multilingual, through the education system.

Ffion Gruffudd, Chair of the Partnership Board and Head of Bilingual Cardiff at Cardiff Council, said: “The strength of this regional partnership is that we are able to share resources, ideas and good practice; members of the partnership are passionate about Welsh-medium education and are keen to attract more people from all backgrounds to Welsh-medium education.

“The partnership wants all parents to know that a Welsh-medium education is the surest way to ensure that your child leaves school bilingual, fully fluent in both Welsh and English and that children from all linguistic backgrounds can thrive in Welsh-medium education. And sharing this message on the back of the region's buses and on banners outside every Welsh-medium school in the South East are among the many ways the partnership is actively sharing this important message”.

Each local authority has a target to grow Welsh-medium education and contribute to the Welsh Government's goal of a million Welsh speakers by 2050. Attending a Welsh-medium school is the best way for a child to become a happy and confident speaker who uses the language with their friends at school and to have the full 'Welsh language' experience, an opportunity possibly denied to previous generations of their family.

Llio Elgar, Regional Welsh-medium Education Promotion Champion, said: “With over 80 Welsh schools in the region, from Llangynwyd to Monmouth, there’s a place for every child in a Welsh-medium school. Your local schools are keen for you to get in touch for a chat or to visit them, involving every child and every family is paramount for us.

“The schools and organisations such as Cymraeg i Blant/Welsh for Children, Mudiad Meithrin, the Mentrau Iaith/Language Initiativees, the Urdd etc offer a wealth of Welsh and bilingual events outside of school so that you and your children are a natural part of the Welsh-language community”.

The vast majority of parents and carers of children in the region who take their children to their local Welsh-medium school don’t speak Welsh at home - so everything Welsh-medium schools plan for parents - homework, newsletters etc - is available in both languages. The schools specialise in teaching in Welsh from day one.  That’s why the banners say 'Children enjoy learning Welsh and English with their friends at school.'

And if a child is already at another school, all local authorities offer a bespoke service for late entrants to access Welsh-medium education. When a child moves to a Welsh-medium school, the children will be given intensive support for a term or two until they’re ready to spend the full school day at their new Welsh-medium school. It's never too late for your child to give Welsh-medium education a go!