MORE research is needed to find out if Blaenau Gwent council should build a Welsh medium secondary to cope with a rise in demand across the whole region.
The discussion on Welsh medium education took place at a meeting of Blaenau Gwent County Borough Council’s People scrutiny committee meeting on Tuesday, April 1 as councillors received an update on the WESP (Welsh in Education Strategic Plan).
Councillors were told that by 2032 the ambition is that 10 per cent or 75 pupils in Year One will be taught through Welsh.
This would be an increase on the six per cent seen in July 2024 – which was 47 pupils.
This figure has risen from four per cent or 29 pupils in 20219.
Head of school transformation Joanne Watts explained that the development of Ysgol Gymraeg Tredegar is “key” to meeting this target.
At the moment older Welsh medium pupils from Blaenau Gwent attend Ysgol Gymraeg Gwynllyw Welsh medium secondary school in Pontypool across the county border in Torfaen.
Ms Watts said: “Gwynllyw will only be able to accommodate pupils from Blaenau Gwent until September 2028.
“The Welsh Government has set up a working group across the southeast to look at solutions in relation to this, as a number of local authorities are experiencing the same issues.
Cllr David Wilkshire (Labour) said: “We need a Welsh comprehensive school in Blaenau Gwent because it costs us money to send our children outside (the county).”
But the problem he saw is where will the Welsh speaking teachers come from?
Ms Watts said: “In terms of workforce it’s recognised as a national issue, the Welsh Government are looking at training options for teachers.
“Our seedling school (Ysgol GymraegTredegar) is growing and needs to recruit every year.
“That’s been very positive we are getting a lot of applications and was a bit of surprise to us.”
Cllr Derrick Bevan (Labour) asked where Blaenau Gwent Welsh medium pupils will go if Gwynllyw stops taking them in 2028?
He also wondered if there are enough pupils to “warrant” a Welsh medium secondary school in Blaenau Gwent.
“If it’s only 20 or 30 kids it’s not worth building one,” said Cllr Bevan.
Ms Watts explained that this was the purpose of the working group which encompasses all the Gwent council’s and Powys – is to find out when Gwynllyw has to stop taking pupils from outside Torfaen and then find a region wide solution.
Ms Watts said: “That could be to extend or have satellite provision at Gwynllyw or establish another secondary school.
“Every year we have around 30 pupils going to Gwynllyw – so that’s 150 pupils over the five years, and we’re looking to grow that to 75 (a year).
“We’re all growing provision, but haven’t all got our own Welsh secondary school so it’s looking at how we can develop something regionally.”
Ms Watts said that an alternative to Gwynllyw is Ysgol Gyfun Gwent is Coed, Welsh medium secondary school in Newport.
Cllr Bevan said: “It would be a long way for them to travel every day.”
Independent group leader Cllr Wayne Hodgins pointed out that there are sites in Blaenau Gwent that could be developed into a secondary school.
Cllr Hodgins said: “We have the old school site in Nantyglo and the works in Ebbw Vale.
“We have plenty of locations there’s opportunities here.”
Committee chairman Cllr Tommy Smith (Labour) asked for further research to be done on Welsh medium secondary provision with a report to be brought back to councillors in the future.
Councllors agreed the WESP update which will now go before the Labour Cabinet at a meeting on April 9.