Welsh Language and Education (Wales) Bill

Consultation: Welsh Language and Education (Wales) Bill

A Welsh Government Bill, introduced by Jeremy Miles MS, Cabinet Secretary for Economy, Energy and Welsh Language. The Business Committee has remitted the Bill to the Children, Young People and Education Committee.

About the Bill

The main objective of the Bill is to aim to ensure that all pupils reach the end of compulsory school age as independent Welsh language users. This will help contribute to the Welsh Government’s aim of ensuring one million Welsh speakers in Wales by 2050. The aim is for all pupils to develop oral skills equivalent to level B2 of the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages.

The Bill will:

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>>>provide a statutory basis to the target of one million Welsh speakers by 2050, as well as other targets relating to the use of the language;

>>>place a duty on the Welsh Ministers to review Welsh language standards;

>>>establish a standard method for describing Welsh language ability, and place a duty on the Welsh Ministers to draw up a Code that will establish a standard method for describing the characteristics of Welsh language users based on the common reference levels of the European Common Reference Framework for Languages;

>>>create statutory language categories for schools, together with Welsh language learning goals that are attached to the categories, and a specific minimum amount of Welsh language education required by Primarily English Language, partly Welsh schools;

>>>create a chain of accountability between linguistic planning carried out at school level, at local authority level, and at national level;

>>>establish a statutory body, the National Welsh Language Learning Institute (‘yr Athrofa Dysgu Cymraeg Genedlaethol’).

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Consultation

The Committee has launched a call for written evidence on 18 July 2024. The consultation will close on Friday 11 October 2024.

Further detail about the Bill can be found in its accompanying Explanatory Memorandum.

Current Stage

BillStage1

The Bill is currently at Stage 1. An explanation of the various stages of Senedd Bills is available in the Guide to the Stages of Public Bills and Acts.

Record of Passage in the Welsh Parliament

The following table sets out the dates for each stage of the Bill’s passage through the Senedd.

¬¬¬Stage 1 (Current)

The Children, Young People and Education Committee considered its approach to Stage 1 consideration on 17 July 2024.

Consultation

The Committee has launched a call for written evidence on 18 July 2024. The consultation will close on Friday 11 October 2024.

Oral Evidence Schedule (PDF 58KB)

Committee dates

The Children, Young People and Education Committee. will consider the Bill on the following dates:

Date and Agenda	Purpose of meeting	Transcript	Senedd.TV
17 July 2024	Consideration of Approach to Stage 1 Scrutiny (Private)
19 September 2024	Oral evidence session
26 September 2024	Oral evidence Sessions
2 October 2024	Oral evidence Sessions
9 October 2024	Oral evidence Sessions
17 October 2024	Oral evidence Sessions
24 October 2024	Oral evidence Sessions
28 November 2024	Private discussion
4 December 2024	Private discussion

The Legislation, Justice and Constitution Committee will consider the Bill on the following dates:

Date and Agenda	Purpose of meeting	Transcript	Senedd.TV
	Consideration of Approach to Stage 1 Scrutiny (Private)
	Oral evidence session
	Oral evidence sessions