THE WELSH CONSERVATIVES have called on the Welsh Government to step in over controversial plans by Cyngor Gwynedd which would see the majority of school lessons taught in Welsh – phasing out English-medium education in secondary schools entirely.
Under the proposals, at least 70% of the curriculum would be delivered in Welsh, with English-language streams no longer offered in the county’s high schools.
There was general support for the move during a council scrutiny meeting held on Thursday (Apr 4), but Welsh Conservative Senedd Member Darren Millar strongly criticised the plan, calling it “fundamentally wrong”. He even went as far as to suggest that if the Welsh Government failed to act, the UK Government should consider getting involved.
Writing for the ConservativeHome website, Millar said the policy would harm education, disadvantage teachers, and create unnecessary divisions within communities. He described it as part of what he sees as an increasingly inward-looking trend by the Plaid Cymru-led council.
Millar urged Welsh Education Secretary Lynne Neagle to take immediate action, warning that if the Welsh Government did not protect the rights of English-speaking pupils and families, then it would fall to Westminster to intervene.
While some Gwynedd councillors wanted the policy to go further, others raised concerns over how progress would be monitored if it were implemented. Overall, the council continues to receive broad backing for its ambition to strengthen Welsh-medium education.
Responding to Millar’s comments, Gwynedd’s education cabinet member, Councillor Dewi Jones, said he was disappointed, stating he had believed the days of using the Welsh language to score political points were over.
“I thought we’d reached a point where the Welsh language was respected and its growth supported by all sides,” he said. “Clearly, I was wrong.”
In his article, Millar said the plan risked alienating people from the Welsh language and could work against the national goal of reaching one million Welsh speakers – a goal he insists he supports. He argued that bilingualism should promote inclusion, not division, and that English-speaking communities deserve equal protection.
Gwynedd council has stressed that a full public consultation will be held before any changes are made to the current policy, which has been in place since 1984. The new proposal would mark a shift from a bilingual model to one that clearly prioritises Welsh as the main teaching language.
Language campaign group Cymdeithas yr Iaith has welcomed the plans and encouraged other councils in West Wales to follow Gwynedd’s lead.
On concerns about staffing, Councillor Jones responded: “If we want more Welsh-speaking teachers, we must invest more in Welsh-medium education – that’s the obvious path forward.”
The Welsh Government has so far said that decisions about school language policies are a matter for local authorities, who must consider their Welsh in Education Strategic Plans and consult with schools and communities before making changes.
