Ministry of Defence Allocates Millions on Private Schools to Avoid Welsh Education
The Ministry of Defence spends around one million pounds each year to place children to private educational institutions in north Wales because "state schools teach some or all lessons in the Welsh language".
It paid £1,019,000 in educational stipend in the northern region for eighty-three students of military families in the current academic year, and £942,000 for seventy-nine students in the previous year under a established policy.
A spokesperson said "military families' children can experience frequent moves" and the stipend "seeks to minimize disruption to their schooling".
Plaid Cymru described it as a "complete waste of money" and "a disrespect to our tongue" while the Tory party said parents should be able to select the medium in which their kids are taught.
The figures were acquired following a request under the public records law.
The website of RAF Valley on the island tells its personnel, "for those residing and working in north Wales, where public schools provide some or all classes in the Welsh tongue, you can opt to enroll your children to an English-medium independent school".
"Provided you are accompanied by your household at your posting, you can utilize this benefit to cover the expense of tuition fees, field study trips/residential learning programs and daily transport."
An MoD spokesperson told, "the purpose of the educational stipend in North Wales (DSA-NW) is to assist service families posted to the region, where Welsh is the primary medium of public schooling".
"As mobility is a part of service life, service children can encounter regular transfers and the this allowance seeks to minimize interference to their learning."
"The MoD supports the contributions military members, and their families make, and through the stipend helps with the expenses of private education given in English."
'In Areas With Bilingual or Non-English Instruction'
The allowance includes tuition fees up to a limit of twenty-two thousand seven hundred fifty-five pounds a year, seven thousand five hundred eighty-five pounds each semester, and is available to people residing in the counties of the county, the area, the locality, the island or the district and serving in these specific locations:
- RAF Valley, the island
- The combined forces alpine training facility, Anglesey
- The joint military mountain unit, Llanrwst
- The university military training program (the corps), Bangor detachment, the city
The qualifying private schools are Treffos school, the village, the island; Rydal Penrhos Prep school in Colwyn Bay; St Gerard's school, the city and St David's institution, the town.
The applicable military policy document states that "disbursement of the stipend is restricted to those areas where instruction in the state sector is on a bilingual or non-English foundation".
People stationed in other locations in the multiple services of the armed forces - the ground forces, the Royal Navy and the air service - can claim a continuity of education allowance which contributes towards boarding and/or school charges up to a cap, with a minimum parental contribution of ten percent for each qualifying student.
Tory Senedd member the politician commented "personnel of the British armed forces relocate across the country and the world, and the ministry has always tried to guarantee that their kids have availability to continuity in education".
"While we fully support Welsh-medium education throughout the country, it's crucial to recognize there are dual recognized tongues in our country, English and Welsh, and municipal authorities and school boards should accommodate both."
"Families should always have the choice to select the medium in which their children are taught."
Plaid Cymru's learning representative Cefin Campbell MS said "not only is this a complete waste of funding, it is a slight to our language".
"It's hard to imagine any valid reason to be allocating these funds annually, on blocking young people residing in Wales from having the opportunity to learn the Welsh language."
"Bilingualism enhances experience and supports the development of young people, but the British administration is clearly unaware to this."
"These funds is a clear illustration of the approach of the UK political groups towards the nation and the native tongue - namely ignorance and disrespect."
