Welsh second language action plan

Date of decision / Dyddiad y penderfyniad:

30 April 2012

Statement of information / Datganiad gwybodaeth:

The Minister for Education and Skills is being asked to approve an action plan for improving standards and attainment in Welsh second language.

Welsh is a statutory subject and is compulsory for all pupils until the age of 16. Learners follow either the Welsh first language or second language Programme of Study.  

Standards and attainment in Welsh second language education are lower than in other subjects at Key Stages 2 and 3 and too few pupils make good progress at Key Stage 4.  

The Welsh-medium Education Strategy includes a specific objective to raise standards of teaching and learning in Welsh second language.

The actions within the proposed action plan are intended to:
• help facilitate the sharing of best practice and development of guidelines for the delivery of Welsh second language at Key Stage 2;
• improve linguistic and methodology skills of practitioners;
• assess the impact of Welsh-medium teaching in English-medium schools at Key Stage 2 in line with the Programme for Government commitment;
• raise standards and attainment in Key Stages 3, 4, and 5; and
• evaluate and develop assessment and qualifications.

The Welsh Ministers rely on the following powers: Section 10 Education Act 1996 imposes a duty on the Welsh Ministers to promote the education of the people of Wales.  Section 14 of the Education Act 2002 provides that the Welsh Ministers can provide financial assistance for or in connection with the provision of education or education services.  Section 61 of the Government of Wales Act 2006 (GOWA 2006) provides that the Welsh Ministers may do anything which they consider appropriate to support the Welsh language.  Section 71 of the GOWA 2006 enables the Welsh Ministers to do anything which is calculated to facilitate, or is conducive or incidental to the exercise of their functions.  Section 70 of the GOWA 2006 provides that the Welsh Ministers may give financial assistance (whether by way of grant, loan or guarantee) to any person engaged in any activity which the Welsh Ministers consider will secure or help to secure the attainment of any objective which they aim to attain in the exercise of any of their functions.