PRIMARY pupils in Wales will be able to do a six-month crash course in Welsh and squash the rest of the curriculum into the remainder of the school year, under Welsh Assembly proposals.
Jane Davidson, education minister, wants more children to have the opportunity to go to Welsh-speaking schools and is planning an intensive course in Welsh for children in their last year at primary.
Ms Davidson said: “Normally in Wales, parents choose either Welsh medium education or English medium education when a child is five-years-old.
“As a rule, pupils do not move from one sector to the other in great numbers, and certainly not from English-medium into Welsh-medium. I want to see more opportunities for children to move if they wish to do so. Ability in a foreign language is another window on the world and enriches life.”
Parents are increasingly opting for their children to be taught in Welsh-speaking schools, and this September the number of children in Cardiff receiving Welsh education rose by 12 per cent Tim Pearce of RHAG - Parents for Welsh Medium Education - is delighted with the proposal.
He said: “We believe there should be more opportunity for children to enter the Welsh-medium education system at any point.”
He believes the increasing appeal of Welsh-speaking schools is due to the missionary zeal of their teachers and the commitment of parents which leads to good examination results.
