MIKE HEDGES QUESTIONS WELSH GOVERNMENT MINISTER ON THE SUCCESS OF MUDIAD METHRIN

MIKE HEDGES QUESTIONS WELSH GOVERNMENT MINISTER ON THE SUCCESS OF MUDIAD METHRIN

Speaking from his Senedd office following Questions to the Education Minister on Tuesday, local Swansea East MS Mike Hedges said….. ‘ There is substantial evidence that the earlier children learn a language the easier it is for them to acquire the ability to understand speak the language.

I saw that for my self when I visited Meini Bach in Bonymaen on Monday where they cater for nursery age children from a variety of backgrounds and who were all learning Welsh together. I Congratulate the staffin Bonymaen for the work that they do with the children.

I urge the Welsh Government to do everything they can to promote the Meithrin Movement in every community across Wales; I would urge all parents to look at the options for entering their children to the Meithrin movement at the earliest age possible.

Mike Hedges17:28:59

I welcome the statement by the Minister. The younger the pupil, the better the immersion works. I’m told in Gwynedd there’s an immersion unit in Welsh for pupils up to year 9. In other counties, there is only an immersion unit for primary school pupils. Effectively, Mudiad Meithrin is an early immersion scheme for children under nursery age from English-speaking families. This works very well, and I was fortunate enough to visit Meini Bach in Bonymaen on Monday.371

The more words that children know in English, the more difficult it is to learn a second language, even via immersion. For those coming from outside English-speaking areas, then immersion in English appears to work, because it is the language children will hear on television and in social interaction. Does the Minister agree with me that the earlier the immersion, the better the outcome, and for Welsh, the most successful early immersion is Mudiad Meithrin?372

Lynne Neagle17:29:51

Thank you very much, Mike, and thank you for your very positive comments about the meithrin movement in Wales, which, obviously, we provide funding for in Welsh Government. I do agree with you that, ideally, it’s that early exposure to language in an immersive environment that can make the biggest difference, so I’m very happy to congratulate the work that’s done in meithrin across Wales to embed the Welsh language. But I do think it’s important that, if that isn’t a choice that’s been made by some families, we don’t close off that opportunity to families in Wales. That’s why we’ve got this late-immersion provision in Wales, and you are right in that there’s variability in terms of who offers it at primary and secondary school level. Some authorities have got secondary provision, but I’m also pleased to say that, as well as primary provision in Swansea, there’s also now a pilot for secondary provision as well. So, that’s clearly something that we need to build on, and it would pick up on the points that Cefin Campbell has referred to as being a source of support for young people who maybe need to build on their skills in the language.