A new bill hoped to close the gap of Welsh speaking numbers across Wales has passed in the Senedd. The Welsh government say it’s part of their plans to get a million Welsh speakers by 2050, but in the last decade, little progress has been made.
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00:00The Senate has just passed a historic bill which is said to help get more school-aged children learning Welsh across the country
00:07and close the gap between Welsh speakers in different parts of Wales.
00:11The Welsh Language and Education Wales Bill made it through its final Senate vote,
00:15and according to the Welsh Government, is hoping to help make progress on their plans to get a million Welsh speakers in Wales by 2050.
00:23As part of the new bill, schools will be categorised into three groups,
00:26with primarily Welsh language teaching at least 80% in Welsh, dual language, which is at least 50%,
00:32and primarily English language, partly Welsh, teaching at least 10% in Welsh.
00:37The Welsh Government have said that they will continue to support schools to get more Welsh involved in lessons,
00:42with grants to increase the number of Welsh-speaking teachers and assistants,
00:45and provide Welsh lessons to teachers across the country.
00:49The Welsh Language Society, Cymdeithas Riaith, have said, though, that the plans do not go far enough,
00:54and wanted politicians in the Senedd to explore targeting all schools across Wales to eventually become predominantly Welsh language.
01:01Welsh Language Minister Mark Drakeford said that our language belongs to all of us,
01:05and this bill gives children and young people a better chance to become Welsh speakers,
01:09bringing us closer to our aim of one million Welsh speakers in Wales,
01:13and as a Senedd, they have created an important, far-reaching bill that will enable every child to become a confident Welsh speaker.
01:19Tory Tom Giffard said that his party was in favour of the aims of the bill,
01:25and said that if parents across Wales wanted their children to learn Welsh,
01:28then they should be given the opportunity through school.
01:32Currently, around 23% of pupils are taught through Welsh, with little progress over the last decade or so,
01:37so politicians will hope that this is a catalyst on the way to a million Welsh speakers.
01:41James Beach Watkins, reporting for Local TV.