Improving access to Welsh-Medium Education | Gwella Mynediad at Addysg Cyfrwng Cymraeg for Welsh Government | Llywodraeth Cymru

The Challenge

The Welsh Government has a goal of a million Welsh speakers by 2050. This ambitious target calls for changes throughout society. Our work concentrated on the field of education. In many areas of Wales, a choice is available for the language of education. Some parents opt for an English-medium school over a Welsh medium school for their children. Our task was to uncover the reasons behind this and to identify how promotional materials could better facilitate informed choices.

Our Approach

We embarked on a multi-faceted research journey to provide the Welsh Government with a comprehensive understanding of the situation:

1. Literature Review: We conducted an extensive review of academic papers focusing on educational decision-making and language choice, establishing a solid theoretical foundation for our research.
2. Behavioural Analysis: Leveraging the latest behavioural science evidence, we performed a thorough review of Welsh-medium education promotional materials across all local authority websites. This analysis revealed thematic patterns that could be used to help parents’ decision-making.
3. Qualitative Insight: We organised 8 focus groups with 58 parents of children aged 0-6 across Wales including males and females, a range of ages and diverse ethnic backgrounds. These sessions provided invaluable insights into parents’ experiences and the factors that matter most in their educational choices.

Key Findings

Our comprehensive research uncovered a complex interplay of factors influencing parental decisions, some of which were:

• Information gaps in existing educational materials
• Misconceptions about Welsh-medium education
• Practical considerations such as school proximity
• Placing greater value on children’s immediate happiness over long term benefits
• Fears around supporting children e.g. with homework
• Cultural factors and family language dynamics and how they interplay with choice of education.

Delivering Insights into strategy

Based on our in-depth analysis, we:

1. Synthesised the research into a comprehensive report, clearly outlining the barriers and facilitators to choosing Welsh-medium education.
2. Developed an integrated work plan outlining necessary changes within a 12-month timeframe and strategic steps beyond, providing a clear roadmap for implementation.

Next Steps and Potential Impact

So far, The Welsh Local Government Association has commissioned us to deliver behaviour change training to support comms strategies in four Local Authorities utilising the insights we gathered from this research. This has led those Local Authorities to develop new insight-informed communication approaches which they are now starting to implement. These are communications that:

• Speak to the heart of what’s driving parents’ decision making around education – things like making friends, having fun and being cared for.
• Shine a light on what a day in the life of Welsh medium education looks like – so parents are no longer filling the gaps in their knowledge with fear-based assumptions
• Include the voices of parents who have been through the same decision making – who can acknowledge the difficulty in choosing and why it worked for them
• Dispel myths about the support available to parents and children – so parents can feel assured that they can raise concerns and ask for help without language being a barrier.

Monitoring and evaluation of those comms plans is ongoing. We’ll also be sharing our approach and key learnings with all other Welsh Local Authorities later in 2025 with a view to expanding the reach of this work across Wales. Beyond this, Welsh government may consider policy-level initiatives that could lead to systemic change, by addressing root causes identified in our research. We anticipate that these efforts, once implemented, could lead to substantial growth in admissions applications for Welsh-medium education throughout Wales.

In conclusion

This project shows how committed we are to creating valuable research that can spark real change. By sharing actionable insights and a clear strategy with the Welsh Government, we’re working together to build a bright future for Welsh-medium education.

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Yr Her

Mae gan Lywodraeth Cymru nod o gael miliwn o siaradwyr Cymraeg erbyn 2050. Mae’r targed uchelgeisiol hwn yn galw am newidiadau sy’n cwmpasu cymdeithas gyfan. Canolbwyntiodd ein gwaith ar faes addysg. Mewn sawl ardal yng Nghymru, gall rhieni ddewis ym mha iaith y caiff eu plant eu haddysg. Mae rhai rhieni’n dewis ysgolion cyfrwng Saesneg yn hytrach nag ysgolion cyfrwng Cymraeg i’w plant. Ein tasg ni oedd datgelu’r rhesymau dros hyn a nodi sut gallai deunyddiau hyrwyddo hwyluso dewisiadau gwybodus yn well.

Ein Dull

Fe gychwynnon ni ar daith ymchwil amlochrog i roi dealltwriaeth gynhwysfawr o’r sefyllfa i Lywodraeth Cymru:

1. Adolygiad Llenyddiaeth: Fe wnaethom adolygiad helaeth o bapurau academaidd yn canolbwyntio ar wneud penderfyniadau addysgol a dewis iaith, gan sefydlu sylfaen ddamcaniaethol gadarn ar gyfer ein hymchwil.
2. Dadansoddiad Ymddygiadol: Gan fanteisio ar y dystiolaeth gwyddor ymddygiad ddiweddaraf, fe wnaethom gynnal adolygiad trylwyr o ddeunyddiau hyrwyddo addysg cyfrwng Cymraeg ar draws gwefannau pob awdurdod lleol. Datgelodd y dadansoddiad hwn batrymau thematig y gellid eu defnyddio i helpu rhieni i wneud penderfyniadau.
3. Mewnwelediad Ansoddol: Trefnwyd 8 grŵp ffocws gyda 58 o rieni plant 0–6 oed ledled Cymru, gan gynnwys bechgyn a merched, amrywiaeth o oedrannau, a chefndiroedd ethnig amrywiol. Rhoddodd y sesiynau hyn fewnwelediadau amhrisiadwy i brofiadau rhieni a’r ffactorau sydd bwysicaf yn eu dewisiadau addysgol.

Prif Ganfyddiadau

Datgelodd ein hymchwil gynhwysfawr ryngweithiad cymhleth o ffactorau sy’n dylanwadu ar benderfyniadau rhieni, gan gynnwys:

• Bylchau o ran gwybodaeth mewn deunyddiau addysgol presennol
• Camsyniadau am addysg cyfrwng Cymraeg
• Ystyriaethau ymarferol fel agosrwydd ysgolion
• Rhoi mwy o werth ar hapusrwydd uniongyrchol plant yn hytrach na buddion yn y tymor hir
• Ofnau ynghylch cefnogi plant – e.e., gyda gwaith cartref
• Ffactorau diwylliannol a dynameg iaith y teulu a sut maent yn rhyngweithio â dewis addysgol.

Cyflwyno mewnwelediadau i strategaeth

Yn seiliedig ar ein dadansoddiad manwl, fe wnaethom:

1. Cyfuno’r ymchwil mewn adroddiad cynhwysfawr, gan amlinellu’n glir y rhwystrau a’r hwyluswyr i ddewis addysg cyfrwng Cymraeg.
2. Datblygu cynllun gwaith integredig yn amlinellu newidiadau angenrheidiol o fewn amserlen o 12 mis a chamau strategol y tu hwnt, gan ddarparu map ffordd clir ar gyfer gweithredu.

Y Camau Nesaf ac Effaith Bosibl

Hyd yn hyn, mae Cymdeithas Llywodraeth Leol Cymru wedi ein comisiynu i ddarparu hyfforddiant ar newid ymddygiad i gefnogi strategaethau cyfathrebu mewn pedwar Awdurdod Lleol, gan ddefnyddio’r mewnwelediadau a gasglwyd gennym o’r gwaith ymchwil hwn. Mae hyn wedi arwain yr Awdurdodau Lleol hynny i ddatblygu dulliau cyfathrebu newydd, sy’n seiliedig ar fewnwelediadau, y maent bellach yn dechrau eu rhoi ar waith. Dyma gyfathrebiadau sy’n:

• Siarad â’r prif bethau sy’n sbarduno penderfyniadau rhieni ynghylch addysg – pethau fel gwneud ffrindiau, cael hwyl, a chael gofal.
• Taflu goleuni ar sut olwg sydd ar ddiwrnod ym mywyd addysg cyfrwng Cymraeg – fel nad yw rhieni bellach yn llenwi’r bylchau yn eu gwybodaeth â rhagdybiaethau sy’n seiliedig ar ofn.
• Cynnwys lleisiau rhieni sydd wedi bod trwy’r un broses gwneud penderfyniadau – a all gydnabod yr anhawster wrth ddewis a pham y bu’n llwyddiannus iddyn nhw.
• Chwalu mythau am y gefnogaeth sydd ar gael i rieni a phlant – fel y gall rhieni deimlo’n sicr y gallant godi pryderon a gofyn am help heb i iaith fod yn rhwystr.

Mae monitro a gwerthuso’r cynlluniau cyfathrebu hynny yn parhau. Byddwn hefyd yn rhannu ein dull gweithredu a’n prif wersi gyda phob Awdurdod Lleol arall yng Nghymru yn ddiweddarach yn 2025, gyda’r bwriad o ehangu cwmpas y gwaith hwn ledled Cymru. Y tu hwnt i hyn, gall Llywodraeth Cymru ystyried mentrau ar lefel polisi a allai arwain at newid systemig, drwy fynd i’r afael â’r achosion sylfaenol a nodwyd yn ein hymchwil. Rydym yn rhagweld y gallai’r ymdrechion hyn, ar ôl eu rhoi ar waith, arwain at dwf mawr mewn ceisiadau derbyn ar gyfer addysg cyfrwng Cymraeg ledled Cymru.

I gloi

Mae’r prosiect hwn yn dangos pa mor ymrwymedig yr ydym i greu ymchwil werthfawr a all sbarduno newid go iawn. Drwy rannu mewnwelediadau ymarferol a strategaeth glir gyda Llywodraeth Cymru, cydweithiwn i adeiladu dyfodol disglair i addysg cyfrwng Cymraeg.