A wnaiff Ysgrifennydd y Cabinet amlinellu’r hyn y mae Llywodraeth Cymru yn ei wneud i sicrhau bod ysgolion Cymraeg yn cael eu hyrwyddo mewn ymgyrchoedd marchnata ar gyfer ystadau tai newydd ledled Cymru?
We work with local authorities in their preparation of Welsh in Education Strategic Plans (WESPs). These are statutory three year plans aimed at developing Welsh-medium education in each area. Welsh Education Forums, consisting of head teachers, Mudiad Meithrin, Mentrau Iaith etc, and led by the authorities, have been established to advise on the implementation of WESPs. They also play a vital role in identifying opportunities to promote and raise local awareness of Welsh-medium education.
A guide explaining more about the opportunities Welsh-medium education offers as well as the support available throughout the journey was published in September 2017 (called ‘Your guide to Welsh-medium education’ ) . This has been widely distributed via a number of partners including Cymraeg for Kids officers, local authorities and Family Information Services as part the Cymraeg for Kids programme. Many local authorities have been working with their Welsh Education Forums in deciding how best to target new audiences.
Naturally each authority is different and some have experienced a greater growth in population than others. Housing developer investment in these areas has brought with it opportunities to build new schools, as part of agreements between the authorities and housing developers. Some of these housing developer led schools have, I am pleased to see, been designated Welsh-medium. This supports our vision of a million Welsh speakers by 2050. However, if there is a need to explore the wider impact of new housing developments on neighbouring Welsh-medium schools, then I am committed to doing so.