The Welsh Language Charter continues to stimulate and encourage school pupils of all ages to speak Welsh ahead of the new school term.
The Charter aims to inspire our pupils and give them confidence to speak Welsh in all aspects of their lives. The timing of relaunching the charter coincides with the Curriculum for Wales and Welsh Government’s aspirations to get a million Welsh speakers by 2050 and we cannot ignore the role schools and each and every one of us has to play in achieving that.
A powerful symbol here in Ceredigion is Ceri Siarad. Ceri is a red kite and her history is symbolic. We nearly lost this dignified bird from our country, but thanks to conservation projects, favourable conditions and hard work the kite population grew from two pairs to over a thousand pairs. This is our aim for the Welsh language. We aim to provide the right conditions for the language to thrive, give our pupils and communities a sense of pride when speaking the language and responding to the personal challenge set upon each and every one of us to promote the language with confidence and pride.
What’s in place?
During the next year, there are a number of initiatives to promote the Welsh language in our schools and the wider community. The Dragon’s Den project is underway where schools will have the opportunity to think of a specific scheme/project to promote the Welsh language amongst pupils.
There is also a Loyalty Card scheme for speaking Welsh when shopping and this will be launched on Friday, 24 September 2021. Visit Cardi Iaith’s Facebook page for more information.
A virtual conference was also held on Friday, 24 September 2021, for the Welsh at school co-ordinators and council in Ceredigion. The conference included a presentation by Owain Williams, Stwnsh S4C, Sara Pennant, Football Association of Wales, and Marc Griffths from StiwdioBox who encouraged schools to create a Welsh language podcast about their locality.
Mac Griffiths said: “It was a great pleasure to be part of the day for Ceredigion school representatives, encouraging them to embrace the Welsh language and technological advances at the same time.”
Councillor Catrin Miles, Ceredigion County Council’s Cabinet Member for Schools, added: “The Welsh Language Charter is absolutely vital as a means of encouraging and raising the profile of the Welsh language in education. Any living language is constantly changing. It’s not just a language for the classroom, but a language for the playground, for technology, for enjoyment and culture. Being bilingual is a skill that opens many doors.”
You can follow the latest developments as part of the Welsh Language Charter on Cardi Iaith’s Facebook page.
24/09/2021