Language row erupts (From Western Telegraph)

Language row erupts

The headmaster and governors of Ysgol y Preseli, Crymych, have been accused by a parent of trying to introduce Welsh medium education through the back door.

The school is designated as bilingual and many English-speaking parents have been more than happy to send their children to the school, which has had among the top GCSE and A level results in the country. But claims have now been made that pupils are being sent out of class and are being told off in the corridors and playground for speaking English.

One parent, who did not wish to be named for the sake of his children, said that when they first started at the school, he was told that as a bilingual school English and Welsh were given equal importance. But now is seems that children are being penalised for speaking any English at all, he added. That is not bilingual.

At the moment most subjects are taught in Welsh, apart from mathematics and science.

A Pembrokeshire County Council spokesperson said: The current designation of the school is bilingual, but pupils who enter from September need to be fluent in the medium of Welsh.

The schools governing body is in the process of reviewing this policy with regard to the extent of Welsh medium teaching and is looking to extend the provision of Welsh medium education.

From September 2002, certain modules of mathematics - corresponding to approximately 30% of the course - will be taught through the medium of Welsh to all pupils entering the school in Year 7. The corresponding English medium mathematical terms will also be introduced.

There will be no change in the medium of instruction for other pupils in Year 8 and above, who will continue to be taught through the medium of English. These changes have been outlined in the school prospectus for September 2002.

Mathematics is already taught successfully through the medium of Welsh by a number of Welsh-medium secondary schools. The percentage pass rate compares favourably with other secondary schools.

Asked to comment on the fact that children were being told off for speaking English outside the classroom, the spokesman said: The governing body is concerned that an increasing proportion of pupils are conversing through the medium of English and will therefore not be fluent in Welsh by the end of compulsory school age. They have therefore impressed on the school staff the need to encourage pupils to converse through the medium of Welsh outside formal classes.

This is particularly important since approximately 50% of pupils come from non Welsh speaking homes.

This is also articulated in the school prospectus for September 2002 as follows:Pupils are expected to speak Welsh to each other outside of the classroom. We insist on this in order to ensure that all pupils become fluent orally in Welsh by the time that they leave school.

But the parent who would not be named commented: The word insist on the use of Welsh outside the classroom has crept in.

Although this is in the 2002 school prospectus, I am concerned that parents of children already at the school have not been told about the moves. It seems to me that there has been an attempt to change the school to Welsh medium by the back door.

Ysgol y Preseli at Crymych. PICTURE: Western Telegraph.