Drakeford rebukes council over Welsh education comments as row deepens
Cabinet Secretary for the Welsh Language and Culture says parents should not be questioned on choosing Welsh-medium schools
A ROW over comments made by Pembrokeshire County Council's Deputy Leader about Welsh-medium education has escalated, following public intervention by Mark Drakeford.
The Cabinet Secretary for the Welsh Language and Culture said he 'could not see any reason' why councils should ask parents why they choose Welsh or English-medium education for their children, directly contradicting comments made by Cllr Paul Miller during a Cabinet meeting on April 28.
Speaking to BBC Cymru, Mr Drakeford said: 'I can't see why we would ask parents why they choose Welsh or why they choose English. Of course we must explain to parents the benefits of a Welsh-medium education — that's why we've seen growth in the language — but the job of local authorities is to make the case for choosing Welsh-medium education, not to question those who do.'
Cllr Huw Murphy
Mr Drakeford confirmed that a conversation had already taken place locally between the First Minister and figures involved in the row. BBC Cymru reported that the discussion followed remarks by Cllr Miller, who had suggested that some parents might be choosing schools such as Ysgol Caer Elen in Haverfordwest not because of the language of instruction, but because the schools were new and had good facilities.
Cllr Miller's comments prompted criticism from opposition members, including Independent Group leader Cllr Huw Murphy, who successfully requested a formal call-in of the Cabinet decision. That decision had asked education officers to 'better understand the drivers of demand' for Welsh-medium education — wording that campaigners and the Welsh Language Commissioner feared could be interpreted as questioning the legitimacy of parental choices.
The Welsh Language Commissioner, Efa Gruffydd Jones, also criticised the move, saying: 'It is not clear to me why there is a need to question the choices of parents regarding Welsh-medium education in particular.' She added that the approach risked contradicting the Council's obligations under the Welsh in Education Strategic Plan (WESP).
Speaking on social media following the BBC interview with Mr Drakeford, Cllr Murphy said: 'Mark Drakeford gives clarity to everyone that I was perfectly correct in calling in the decision of PCC Cabinet in April. I now look forward to Cabinet next week accepting that position and removing any suggestion of gathering additional information as proposed by the Deputy Leader.'
The Education Overview and Scrutiny Committee voted last week to send the Cabinet's original decision back for review, following concerns over tone and policy alignment. The issue will be reconsidered at the next Cabinet meeting on Wednesday (May 22).
In a further development, it has been highlighted that Pembrokeshire recorded the largest percentage growth in Welsh-medium education of any Welsh county between 2023 and 2024, according to figures released by the Welsh Government.
Cllr Julie Jones, who lives in Tenby and sits on the Cabinet, said: 'You should see the growth in Welsh speakers and Welsh-medium education in south Pembrokeshire — it's fantastic. In 2016 we had around 80 pupils in the first primary in Tenby, and now there are over 200. Everyone seems to be choosing Welsh-medium in the south of the county.'
The row has sparked wider debate about the role of language in education policy and how councils communicate their strategies to the public. The Welsh Government has set a target of reaching one million Welsh speakers by 2050 and has passed legislation to strengthen the provision and planning of Welsh-medium education across Wales.
Pembrokeshire County Council, like all local authorities, has a statutory duty to proactively promote Welsh-medium provision under the latest WESP regulations. The Council's revised position on how it gathers information from parents — and how it communicates its goals — will be under close scrutiny when the matter returns to Cabinet this week.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The National
6 hours ago
- The National
Being out of power could be good news for the SNP
The present strategy of John Swinney and the hierarchy appears to be to talk-up the far right to destroy the Tories and take votes from Labour in order to form the largest party at Holyrood with a meagre 30-35% of the vote, thus forming another minority government with the tacit support of the Greens. Even if it's possible to form such an administration in 2026 – which is looking less likely due to recent failures in election strategy – the majority of MSPs will be British nationalists, a substantial proportion of whom will be the proto-fascists of Farage's party. This will make effective government well-nigh impossible and will in effect render the SNP government a lame-duck administration, unable to pass any meaningful legislation while taking the blame for Westminster's failures. Indeed, the existence of Holyrood is now a useful opportunity for the British nationalist parties and the anti-independence media to deflect voters' frustration and anger away from the real source of the problem, ie, Westminster. This present system of devolution was set up to fail. Could you imagine a system whereby we could achieve wildly more successful outcomes for the people of Scotland compared to the other nations within the Union? It simply wouldn't be tolerated by the English voting public nor their representatives. The Barnett formula would be re-assessed and Holyrood's funding slashed accordingly. Farage has made no secret of his desire to have the Barnett formula 're-examined'. In addition, a hugely successful Scottish Government would be seen by the British nationalist establishment as a boost to Scottish self-confidence and thereby a threat to the Union. So despite the Scottish Government's better outcomes and performance to that of England's public sector on nearly every metric, the British nationalist parties and anti-independence media portray the Scottish Government as failing. We have to be perceived as failing, even if the reality is somewhat different. It appeases English voters whilst denting Scottish voters' confidence in our ability to govern well. It's not 2007. For the reasons outlined, we can no longer show good governance, that particular ship has sailed. Personally, I couldn't stomach another five years of daily ferry and SNP-baaad stories on the state broadcaster's 'news' and current affairs programmes. That scenario would be calamitous for both the SNP and the country. If the SNP leadership fails to show any urgency or to produce a credible plan to remove the country from this toxic Union, perhaps it's now time to think the unthinkable and consider the advantages of being out of government, as clearly, they lack the bandwidth to progress independence while attempting to administer a creaking and under-funded devolution settlement. A likely British nationalist (coalition) government in 2026 has the advantage of exposing them to Scottish public opinion before the 2029 UK General Election. The benefits of SNP policy decisions over the past 18 years are largely taken for granted now, however, three years of a British nationalist administration operating under worsening economic conditions and a likely budget squeeze would concentrate minds greatly. Being out of government would allow the SNP to re-discover their mojo, inject fresh thinking and personnel into leadership roles, while enabling them to prepare a credible plan for independence to put before the voters in the 2029 election. That plan must be 'Vote SNP for an independent Scotland'. It should be made perfectly clear to the Scottish people that they are voting to begin negotiations to end the Union if a majority of independence MPs are elected. Similarly, the English government should be made aware that in such a scenario, failure on their part to engage will lead to a declaration. With a failing economy and sterling in freefall at the prospect of a disorderly exit, the English government will be left with no choice other than to agree to a referendum as a least-worst option (as they see it). Being bold achieves a referendum whereas begging is rightly seen as weakness. Of course, there is nothing to prevent the SNP from using this strategy for the Scottish election next year, as it would indicate we're serious about independence and that far from being defeated (as they believe), independence hasn't gone away. The SNP have absolutely nothing to lose. Alan Calder Darvel WHAT we are witnessing here is not merely the bumbling incompetence of a mediocre politician – though Keir Starmer is certainly that – but the latest chapter in Britain's long, sordid tradition of kowtowing before the bloodstained altar of Zionism while pretending to preach 'de-escalation'. The man is a moral contortionist, a liar so practised in the art of political euphemism that he can dispatch RAF jets to the Middle East under the guise of 'contingency support' while insisting, with a straight face, that his 'constant message is de-escalation'. One might as well pour petrol on a fire and call it a cooling mist. Starmer's refusal to rule out direct British involvement in defending Israel – a rogue state currently engaged in a campaign of extermination against Palestinians and now escalating its butchery into Iran – reveals the grotesque hypocrisy at the heart of Westminster's foreign policy. The man is an imbecile, yes, but worse: he is a willing accomplice to genocide, a servile lickspittle to the Zionist regime, whose hands are so drenched in Palestinian blood that even Lady Macbeth would recoil. And let us not pretend this is some aberration of Labour policy – this is the inevitable endpoint of a political class that has spent decades bankrolled by pro-Israel lobbyists and war profiteers, a class for whom Palestinian lives are as expendable as yesterday's chip paper. The Zionist entity, that grotesque colonial anachronism, has once again demonstrated its bloodlust with its latest 'pre-emptive' strikes on Iran – a term the Western media dutifully parrots, as if mass murder can be laundered into legitimacy through lexical sleight-of-hand. Netanyahu boasts of setting back Iran's nuclear programme 'by years', as though this justifies the charred corpses of children pulled from the rubble of residential neighbourhoods. But of course, when Israel murders civilians, it is 'precision'; when Iran retaliates, it is 'terror'. The hypocrisy is so brazen it would be laughable were it not so lethal. And what of Starmer's vaunted 'discussions' with allies? A pantomime of diplomacy, a hollow performance for the cameras while British jets are scrambled to aid a regime that has turned Gaza into a graveyard. His mealy-mouthed evasion – 'I'm not going to get into that' – when pressed on whether Britain was complicit in Israel's attacks is the coward's refrain, the weasel words of a man who knows his policies are indefensible but lacks the backbone to admit it. As for the broader British political establishment – Tory, Labour, LibDem – they are all culpable. A cabal of bloodthirsty liars, bought and paid for by arms dealers and AIPAC-aligned donors, who have spent years cheering on Israel's slaughter in Gaza while wringing their hands over 'both sides' when the victims dare to resist. They are not statesmen; they are stenographers for genocide, their moral compasses so corroded by power and patronage that they can no longer distinguish between a war crime and a 'strategic operation'. The only de-escalation this situation demands is the immediate grounding of British jets, the severing of diplomatic ties with the Zionist regime and the prosecution of its leaders for crimes against humanity. But we will get none of that from Starmer or his ilk. Instead, we will get more bombs, more lies and more dead children – all while the PM goes on about 'contingency support' as if war were a technical glitch rather than a conscious choice made by moral imbeciles. Starmer is a warmongering clown. The Zionist regime is a bloodthirsty gang. And the British political class? A disgrace to the concept of democracy. Alan Hinnrichs Dundee A LETTER from Cliff Purvis (June 14) stated 'it is always a good way to finish the working week, witnessing the complete meltdown with associated frothing at the mouth of the extremists, those who love to label themselves as Reform'. Reform UK may well have suffered the temporary loss of their chair, however, on Thursday evening, they gained almost 60% in the local authority by-election in Nottingham. The result was: Reform 59.3% (standing for the first time), Labour 24.3%; Tory 9.6%; Green 5.6%. Although this is an English result, there is currently no magic forcefield separating the electorates of Scotland and England. At the recent by-election, the SNP candidate could only manage to achieve 29% of the vote and 13% of the electorate. The SNP's share of the vote fell from 46% in 2021. This looks more like a 'meltdown' than anything Reform UK may have managed. The Reform UK candidate was less than 1000 votes behind the SNP candidate. It is very easy to dismiss what Mr Purvis calls 'the followers of Farage', but sadly they are your neighbours, your workmates and in some cases your friends and family. They do not all, as Mr Purvis labels them, 'dislike having their twisted ideology questioned', or have 'leanings towards the totalitarian state, a disdain for human rights, obsession with national security, and want of suppression of workers' rights, all pointing to the fascist way of thinking'. Many are clearly ordinary folk who feel traditional politicians, including sadly the SNP, have deserted them. They see and fear immigration as a problem rather than a solution. They need look no further than another article in Saturday's National headed 'Gray under fire for using ministerial car to visit pub' to justify their opinions! It is all too easy for some voters to see a tenuous link between their difficulty in obtaining a GP appointment, the length of Scottish NHS waiting lists and a Health Secretary in a taxpayer-funded, chauffeur-driven car stopping off at a pub on his way to corporate hospitality at a football match. They see their industries closing, their cost of living rising and their standard of living falling. They see a Holyrood apparently more interested in gender recognition and toilet etiquette than addressing the loss of Scotland's only oil refinery. They see the landscape of their country increasingly covered in wind turbines and wonder why they cannot afford the electricity they generate. The 25% gap between those who claim to support independence (54%) and SNP support (29% in the recent by-election) cannot be blamed on the followers of Farage. The leaders of all political parties should perhaps be asking themselves why 66% of the electorate of Hamilton, Larkhall and Stonehouse could not even be bothered to vote for any of them! It is all too easy to dismiss Reform UK as an English problem and for the SNP to dismiss Reform voters as fascist supporters while they completely fail to address their concerns. Anne Laird Inverness
Leader Live
13 hours ago
- Leader Live
First Minister Eluned Morgan visits Wrexham University
Eluned Morgan MS toured the Enterprise Engineering and Optics Centre (EEOC) during her visit to the campus, meeting students and staff and learning more about the university's ambitions under its recently launched 2030 Vision and Strategy. The EEOC, which is expected to be completed soon, is the first construction project under the North Wales Growth Deal. Professor Joe Yates, vice-chancellor of Wrexham University, said: "We were delighted to welcome the First Minister to the University today and proudly showcase our incredible facilities – in particular, our Enterprise Engineering and Optics Centre, which is due to open at the start of the next academic year in September, as well as our cutting-edge Health Simulation Centre. "The visit also provided us with a welcome opportunity to highlight our newly launched 2030 Vision and Strategy, and also shine a light on how higher education institutions have a crucial role to play in helping to shape a more resilient and prosperous Wales. READ MORE: Celebrate the class of 2025 with your prom photos "Our work in building skills but also strengthening and developing a bilingual public sector workforce in North Wales, and our civic mission, in terms of providing systems leadership, demonstrates the positive impact our institution has on the communities we serve. "Thank you to the First Minister for her time and engagement with us today – it was a pleasure to welcome her, and showcase just some of our fantastic work." The First Minister toured the EEOC, which will serve as a centre for industry collaboration, research, and innovation, with the aim of supporting growth in renewables and manufacturing. Her visit came days before International Women in Engineering Day on June 23. During the tour, Ms Morgan spoke with Selina Thomas, a final-year aeronautical and mechanical engineering student, who shared her work with KnitMesh Technologies. She has been investigating the impact strength of composite materials for the North Wales-based company. The First Minister also visited the university's Health Simulation Centre, which provides immersive training environments for healthcare students and professionals. Staff highlighted the university's role in strengthening the public sector workforce in North Wales, with a focus on Welsh language provision. Since launching its Welsh Language Academic Strategy and Action Plan, 'Cyfle,' nearly three years ago, the university has introduced Welsh language modules across several degree programmes. These include speech and language therapy, professional policing, and education. Ms Morgan was also updated on the next phase of development within the university's Health and Education Innovation Quarter (HEIQ). This phase will introduce new teaching facilities, including virtual and augmented reality environments. It will also feature a new teaching and learning lab and a hydra simulation suite, developed in partnership with the Hydra Foundation. The suite will be designed to help students build decision-making skills by simulating emergency scenarios. Ms Morgan said: "I was pleased to see first-hand the facilities at Wrexham University, especially the EEOC, which will soon become a vital hub for industry collaboration and skills development across North Wales. "Through their civic work, our higher education institutions can serve as powerful anchors in their communities, supporting business and unlocking collective action to tackle inequality while preparing students for the jobs of tomorrow."
Powys County Times
13 hours ago
- Powys County Times
Letter: Welsh politics is an worsening expensive shambles
MP David Chadwick's column (County Times June 6) caused me to grieve at the histrionics of young career politicians. I congratulate him on his progress, despite setbacks, to a £93,904 MP's salary in Westminster, from April 2025, plus expenses and generous pension arrangements. His pension, unlike the state pension for the rest of us, is fully funded, so no surprise there. But penning his thoughts on the 'onslaught of pressure' to farmers, was he aware of Powys County Council's predominately Lib Dem Cabinet's decision to sell some of Powys's county-owned farms? This picking of long held 'low hanging fruit' to boost council coffers, bare through weak management across the entire county council, is short-sighted and disgraceful. This year's council tax increase is 8.9% with inflation at 3.5% (CPI). Next year, who knows? So, cost cutting across the board should be top priority. There is no alternative. Any talk of growth being sufficient to pay ever burgeoning county council costs is bunkum. If the MP was aware of the farm evictions, his column is spurious - if he was not aware, he should have been, and perhaps he and Powys's other MP, Steve Witherden, should get their heads together and bring the strongest pressure to bear on the County Council. Alongside, avoiding the political divide, Senedd members for Powys, Russell George and James Evans, should engage too. As opposed to evictions (CT June 13), cash strapped Powys County Council's cabinet members for a Fairer Powys and a More Prosperous Powys seem keen to welcome a possible 'asylum seekers' deal'. This would see the national government or Senedd handing over 'Cash to boost Powys housing stock'. For whose benefit - for displaced tenant farming families - surely not? Welsh politics is an expensive shambles, shortly to become more so, if a further 36 under-qualified lightweights join the Senedd, ready to plunder the public purse in 2026 - with a likely extra cost of £18 million annually, rising remorselessly.
