New funding announced for Welsh language teaching

The Welsh government has provided funding for a series of new initiatives that aim to support the teaching of the Welsh language.

In total, £4.2 million will be allocated to support the teaching and learning of Welsh across the country, as well as ensuring more subjects can be taught through the medium of Welsh.

Of this figure, £1.2 million will be used to pay for a one-year pilot sabbatical scheme course for primary teachers to develop their Welsh language skills, with staff to be released from school to significantly develop their abilities.

Meanwhile, £2.06 million is to be given over to education consortia to support professional learning for Welsh language and Welsh-medium practitioners. This effort will include mapping the Welsh language skills of the workforce, identifying practitioners to take part in the sabbatical scheme, and offering mentoring and school-to-school support, among other measures.

Additionally, £600,000 will be spent on improving the Welsh language skills of learners through informal opportunities at English-medium schools, while £50,000 will be used on a campaign to recruit more graduates into teaching in the Welsh-medium sector and to teach Welsh as a subject.

Finally, £200,000 is being allocated to undertake research that will provide a solid evidence base for the proposed language continuum and effective pedagogy for teaching the language.

Education secretary Kirsty Williams said: "Developing a teaching workforce to teach Welsh and deliver education through the medium of Welsh is essential in creating more Welsh speakers, and will be a priority over the next five years.

"This means planning to support the development of teachers and assistants and expanding the sabbatical scheme and other professional learning opportunities for the present workforce."