Wednesday 25 May 2022 03:52 PM Welsh parents who want their children to be taught in English treated like ... trends now
English-learning children are being treated as 'second-class citizens' in Wales, says parents who are being forced to drive them miles to other schools if they don't want to be taught in Welsh.
New pupils face having to be shuttled by their mothers and fathers by car out of their home villages over the hard-line policy.
The problem has been sparked by the Welsh Government's Cymraeg 2050 Strategy, which aims to have a million speaking Welsh in 28 years' time.
Council staff – in their eagerness to pursue the plan – have left many children unable to attend their nearest school.
It is perfectly captured in the pretty village of Trefeglwys, where Ysgol Dyffryn Trannon school has just axed its English-medium element – after approval from Powys County Council.
From September parents who live there and want their newly-starting children to learn in English will have to take them to Ysgol Gynradd Llanidloes Primary School five miles away at their own cost.
But in the reverse situation – pupils wanting to learn in Welsh but whose local school does not provide that – the council foots the bill for their transport.
A parent, who wants their child to be taught in English, told MailOnline: 'This is treating our children as second-class citizens.
'It is biased at best. At worst the council is using children to force them to learn Welsh.
'We all live in Wales, we all like the Welsh language and if our children could learn as well using it, we would have no problem at all.
Caroline Harries, the head teacher of Ysgol Dyffryn Trannon, which she calls 'a special place where we value every child'
Ysgol Dyffryn Trannon was previously a dual-media school but now only teaches in Welsh
'But the fact is, not all children do learn as well in Welsh – and those that want to learn in English are being penalised by this hardline language push.
'There will be hundreds of children across the country affected by this – it is not fair.'
In Trefeglwys there is no suitable public transport and no school bus laid on for the young would-be English learners.
It means parents face costs up to £10 a day by having to drive their youngsters elsewhere.
The nearest Ysgol Gynradd Llanidloes Primary School teaches in mainly English but also includes Welsh language classes, as does every school in Wales.
During the consultation on the school teaching language change, the council said it did not think the move was discriminatory.
The nearest Ysgol Gynradd Llanidloes Primary School, pictured, teaches in mainly English
