MoD Spends Large Sums on Private Education to Bypass Welsh Language Teaching
The Ministry of Defence allocates approximately one million pounds each year to place students to private educational institutions in north Wales because "state schools provide some or all lessons in the Welsh tongue".
It paid over one million pounds in day school allowance in the northern region for 83 children of service personnel in the current academic year, and nearly one million pounds for 79 children in 2023-2024 under a longstanding practice.
A spokesperson stated "service children can face regular relocations" and the allowance "aims to reduce interruption to their education".
The Welsh party described it as a "total misuse of money" and "an insult to our language" while the Conservatives said parents should be able to select the medium in which their kids are educated.
The figures were acquired following a request under the public records law.
The website of RAF Valley on the island informs its personnel, "for those residing and working in northern Wales, where state schools provide some or all classes in the Welsh language, you may choose to enroll your kids to an English-language independent school".
"As long as you are accompanied by your family at your duty station, you can utilize this benefit to pay for the expense of tuition fees, field study trips/residential learning programs and daily transport."
A defense ministry representative explained, "the aim of the educational stipend in North Wales (the allowance) is to assist service families stationed to the area, where the Welsh tongue is the primary medium of local state education".
"As mobility is a aspect of service life, military kids can face regular transfers and the DSA-NW aims to minimize disruption to their learning."
"The ministry acknowledges the sacrifices service personnel, and their families undertake, and through DSA-NW assists with the costs of private education provided in the English language."
'Where teaching is bilingual or non-English'
The allowance includes school costs up to a maximum of £22,755 annually, £7,585 each semester, and is accessible to personnel living in the regions of the county, Denbighshire, Gwynedd, the island or the district and serving in one of the following establishments:
- RAF Valley, the island
- Joint Services Mountain Training Centre, the island
- Joint Services Mountain Training Wing, the town
- The university military training program (the corps), Bangor unit, the city
The eligible private schools are Treffos institution, Llansadwrn, Anglesey; Rydal Penrhos Prep school in the town; St Gerard's, Bangor and St David's College, Llandudno.
The relevant military policy document states that "disbursement of the allowance is restricted to those areas where teaching in the state sector is on a dual-language or non-English foundation".
Personnel serving elsewhere in the multiple services of the armed forces - the Army, the naval service and the air service - can apply for a educational continuity benefit which contributes towards residential and/or school charges up to a cap, with a minimum parental contribution of 10% for each qualifying student.
Welsh Conservative assembly representative Natasha Asghar said "members of the British armed forces move around the nation and the globe, and the MoD has always tried to ensure that their kids have availability to continuity in schooling".
"While we fully support Welsh-medium education across the country, it's important to remember there are two official languages in our nation, the English tongue and the Welsh language, and municipal authorities and school boards should accommodate each."
"Families should always have the choice to select the medium in which their kids are instructed."
The Welsh party's learning representative Cefin Campbell MS stated "not only is this a complete waste of funding, it is an insult to our language".
"It's hard to imagine any justifiable cause to be allocating such money annually, on preventing youth residing in the country from having the opportunity to acquire the Welsh tongue."
"Bilingualism enhances experience and supports the growth of youth, but the UK government is clearly unaware to this."
"These funds is a clear illustration of the attitude of the Westminster parties towards Wales and the native tongue - namely ignorance and insults."
