MoD Spends Millions on Independent Schools to Avoid Welsh Language Teaching
The MoD spends approximately one million pounds annually to send students to independent schools in northern Wales because "public schools provide various lessons in the Welsh language".
The ministry disbursed £1,019,000 in educational stipend in the northern region for eighty-three students of service personnel in the current academic year, and £942,000 for 79 children in 2023-2024 under a longstanding practice.
A spokesperson stated "service children can experience regular relocations" and the allowance "seeks to reduce interruption to their education".
Plaid Cymru called it a "total misuse of money" and "an insult to our language" while the Conservatives argued parents should be able to select the medium in which their kids are taught.
These numbers were obtained following a inquiry under the public records law.
The website of the military installation on Anglesey tells its personnel, "if you live and serve in northern Wales, where state schools teach some or all lessons in the Welsh tongue, you may choose to enroll your children to an English-medium independent school".
"As long as you are joined by your household at your posting, you can utilize this allowance to cover the expense of school charges, field study trips/residential learning programs and regular commuting."
A defense ministry representative told, "the aim of the educational stipend in the northern region (DSA-NW) is to support service families stationed to the region, where the Welsh tongue is the primary medium of local state education".
"Since relocation is a part of service life, service children can face frequent moves and from DSA-NW aims to minimize disruption to their education."
"The ministry supports the sacrifices service personnel, and their families undertake, and through the stipend assists with the costs of independent day schooling provided in the English language."
'In Areas With Bilingual or Non-English Instruction'
The benefit covers school costs up to a maximum of £22,755 a year, £7,585 per term, and is available to personnel living in the regions of Conwy, the area, the locality, the island or Flintshire and serving in these specific locations:
- The military base, the island
- Joint Services Mountain Training Centre, the island
- The joint military mountain unit, the town
- Wales University Officers' Training Corps (UOTC), Bangor unit, the city
The qualifying private schools are Treffos institution, the village, Anglesey; Rydal Penrhos Prep school in Colwyn Bay; St Gerard's school, the city and St David's College, Llandudno.
The applicable joint service publication confirms that "payment 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 three branches of the military - the Army, the Royal Navy and the air service - can claim a educational continuity benefit which helps with residential and/or tuition fees up to a cap, with a required family share of ten percent for each eligible child.
Welsh Conservative Senedd member Natasha Asghar commented "members of the UK military move around the nation and the world, and the ministry have always sought to guarantee that their kids have access to consistency in education".
"While we fully support Welsh-language teaching across Wales, it's important to remember there are two official languages in our country, the English tongue and Welsh, and local councils and school boards should provide for both."
"Families should always have the choice to select the medium in which their children are instructed."
Plaid Cymru's education spokesperson Cefin Campbell MS stated "not just is this a total misuse of money, it is a slight to our language".
"It's hard to imagine any justifiable cause to be allocating these funds annually, on blocking young people living in Wales from having the chance to acquire the Welsh tongue."
"Dual-language ability enriches life and aids the development of youth, but the UK government is obviously unaware to this."
"This money is a perfect example of the approach of the Westminster parties regarding Wales and the native tongue - namely ignorance and disrespect."
