Teacher writing on a black board

In response to the Children, Young People and Education Committee's inquiry into the implementation of education reforms in Wales, the Welsh Language Commissioner has identified the main challenges and opportunities facing the sector in relation to the Welsh language.  

Here Lowri Williams, Strategic Director of the Welsh Language Commissioner, outlines the key points. 

An exciting vision has been proposed for the future of young people in Wales. One of the objectives of the Curriculum for Wales is to support all learners to be able to communicate effectively through Welsh and English. More recently the Welsh Language and Education (Wales) Act 2025 was passed which sets an ambitious goal of ensuring that all pupils leave school as independent Welsh speakers.  

In our five-year strategic plan, published earlier this year, we identified children and young people as a clear priority to ensure the long-term growth and development of the language.  The education sector therefore has enormous potential to transform the linguistic future of our young people and our society for the better. 

But there are significant challenges in realising this potential, challenges which threaten the success of the Welsh Government's innovative Welsh language strategy. We regularly receive calls and correspondence from parents, pupils and teachers stating their concerns about the provision in their areas. These range from how Welsh is dealt with in the curriculum to the provision of qualifications and travel difficulties when trying to access Welsh medium education.  

In our response we have identified specific areas that need attention, namely: 

  • Planning the growth of Welsh-medium education 
  • Welsh in the new curriculum in English-medium schools 
  • Welsh as an A level subject 
  • The importance of developing an increasingly bilingual education workforce 

Our aim, by submitting this response, is to highlight the challenges that need to be overcome as a matter of urgency if the Welsh Government's vision for the Welsh language in the education sector is to be achieved.   

Resolving these challenges will be essential if the lauded objectives of the Welsh Language and Education Act are to be achieved. In order to do that, it is crucial that local authorities, schools, and the education system as a whole work together. 

Hopefully these will be issues that will be prioritised during the next Senedd term. 

You can read our response in full by following this link.