Ministry of Defence Spends Large Sums on Private Education to Avoid Welsh Education
The Ministry of Defence spends around £1m annually to send students to private educational institutions in northern Wales because "public schools teach various lessons in the Welsh language".
The ministry disbursed £1,019,000 in day school allowance in north Wales for eighty-three students of military families in the current academic year, and £942,000 for seventy-nine students in 2023-2024 under a longstanding practice.
A spokesperson said "service children can face frequent moves" and the stipend "aims to minimize interruption to their schooling".
The Welsh party described it as a "complete waste of funds" and "a disrespect to our tongue" while the Conservatives said families should be able to choose the medium in which their children are taught.
The figures were acquired following a inquiry under the public records law.
The online portal of RAF Valley on Anglesey informs its personnel, "if you live and serve in north Wales, where public schools teach various lessons in the Welsh language, you can opt to enroll your children to an English-medium independent school".
"As long as you are accompanied by your family at your posting, you can utilize this benefit to cover the cost of tuition fees, field study trips/residential learning programs and regular commuting."
An MoD spokesperson explained, "the purpose of Day School Allowance in North Wales (the allowance) is to support military households stationed to the region, where the Welsh tongue is the main language of local state education".
"Since relocation is a part of military career, military kids can encounter frequent moves and from DSA-NW seeks to lessen disruption to their learning."
"The MoD acknowledges the sacrifices service personnel, and their families undertake, and through DSA-NW helps with the expenses of independent day schooling provided in English."
'In Areas With Bilingual or Non-English Instruction'
The allowance covers school costs 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 accessible to people residing in the regions of the county, Denbighshire, Gwynedd, Anglesey or Flintshire and working in one of the following establishments:
- The military base, the island
- The combined forces alpine training facility, Anglesey
- Joint Services Mountain Training Wing, the town
- Wales University Officers' Training Corps (UOTC), Bangor unit, the city
The qualifying independent institutions are Treffos institution, Llansadwrn, Anglesey; Rydal Penrhos Prep school in Colwyn Bay; St Gerard's school, the city and St David's College, Llandudno.
The relevant joint service publication states that "payment of the stipend is restricted to those regions where instruction in the state sector is on a dual-language or non-English foundation".
Personnel stationed elsewhere in the multiple services of the armed forces - the Army, the Royal Navy and the air service - can apply for a continuity of education allowance which contributes towards residential and/or tuition fees up to a cap, with a minimum parental contribution of 10% for each qualifying student.
Welsh Conservative assembly representative Natasha Asghar commented "members of the British armed forces move around the country and the globe, and the ministry has always tried to guarantee that their kids have access to consistency in schooling".
"Although we strongly endorse Welsh-language teaching across the country, it's crucial to remember there are two official languages in our nation, the English tongue and the Welsh language, and municipal authorities and education authorities should provide for both."
"Parents should always have the choice to select the medium in which their kids are taught."
The Welsh party's learning representative Cefin Campbell MS stated "not only is this a total misuse of money, it is an insult to our language".
"I cannot think of any justifiable cause to be spending these funds every year, on blocking young people residing in the country from having the chance to learn the Welsh tongue."
"Bilingualism enriches life and supports the development of youth, but the UK government is obviously blind to this."
"This money is a perfect example of the approach of the UK political groups regarding Wales and the Welsh language - namely unawareness and insults."
