Written - Welsh-medium Education and Transformation

The policy, Transforming Education and Training Provision in Wales, is a national framework that supports the transformation of the way in which schools, FE Colleges and other learning providers work in Wales.  It directs these organisations to set aside their own interests and to put the needs of learners first – and therefore to work together to jointly plan the courses to be offered to learners.  In this way, more of the available funding will be used for teaching and learning and learner support, and a wider range of courses will be provided.  Improved opportunities to take courses taught in Welsh is a key intention of the transformation framework.

Transformation is not a prescriptive “one-size-fits-all” policy to be applied across Wales.  We recognise that the needs of learners can best be met by taking account of local circumstances.  For example, these needs might be met very differently in a rural area of Wales compared to how they should be met in the valleys or in one of the cities.  So the transformation framework encourages each part of Wales to develop proposals that drive forward the changes required to improve choice, but it does this in a way that responds to local circumstances. The Transformation agenda is intended to work alongside our Welsh medium education strategy. We also expect proposals for change to describe how opportunities for learners to take courses taught in Welsh will be improved and, where appropriate, ensure that learners can access a school or college where the Welsh language is used for all activities. Local education authorities will be expected to produce proposals which maintain Welsh medium provision post 16 for those who want it.