Over 1,000 sign petition calling for Welsh-medium education for every child after disappointing census results

Over 1,000 folks have signed a petition calling for Welsh-medium training for each youngster after disappointing census outcomes.

Final week’s 2021 census outcomes confirmed that the variety of Welsh audio system had continued to slip from 582,000 (20.8%) in 2001 to 538,000 (17.8%) as we speak.

The autumn was amongst 3-16-year-olds, with older age teams exhibiting an total rise in Welsh audio system.

The new petition was arrange by Luke Johns of the marketing campaign group Want I Spoke Welsh who’re calling on Welsh Authorities to increase Welsh-medium provision to each youngster in Wales.

The petition requires ambition and a transparent timetable to make sure Welsh-medium training for all youngsters in Wales and can play a key position if we wish to see the language flourish and attain Welsh Authorities’s purpose of 1,000,000 audio system by 2050.

“We imagine that Welsh belongs to all of the folks of Wales, and that everybody, no matter their background, has the precise to the language,” Luke Johns’ petition says.

“The proof exhibits that the way in which to make sure younger folks develop into fluent within the language is Welsh-medium training, however solely round 20% of younger individuals are given this chance at current.

“We imagine there ought to be important and sustained development in Welsh-medium training, constructing as much as common Welsh-medium provision to make sure entry to the language for all younger folks.”

‘Future’

Following the publication of the 2021 census outcomes, David Thomas, Welsh Learner of the 12 months 2021 spoke out underneath the banner of the Want I Spoke Welsh marketing campaign calling on Welsh Authorities to increase Welsh-medium provision to each youngster in Wales.

“I grew up as a part of a ‘misplaced era’ in Cardiff within the Nineteen Seventies. I had no alternative to be taught Welsh as a baby and all the time regretted this. Studying Welsh as an grownup has remodeled my life, however it does take effort and time to be taught as an grownup,” he stated.

“It’s vitally essential that we give each youngster in Wales the chance to be taught by means of the medium of Welsh at college.”

“Conscious of the 2021 Census knowledge revealed this week, the Welsh Authorities can and should act to increase Welsh-medium provision to each youngster in Wales. To take action would guarantee their future inheritance and make good in some half for what was denied to so many people previously.”