Councils' Welsh education strategy 'weaknesses'

Meri Huws has been giving evidence to assembly members

There are "serious weaknesses" in the Welsh-medium education strategies of councils, the Welsh Language Commissioner has told AMs.

Since last year, Welsh councils have had to submit proposals to ministers showing how they intend to meet the demand for Welsh-medium education.

The government can then accept, amend or refuse the proposals.

But Meri Huws raised concerns that the government cannot force councils to implement their schemes.

Ms Huws told members of the assembly's education committee:

• Councils were not ambitious enough in their proposals

• There were serious weaknesses in the provision

• The Welsh government should now "step in" with a more robust approach.

Liberal Democrat AM Aled Roberts used the example of one of his north Wales constituents, who spoke Welsh with her children and was unable to get into a Welsh-medium primary school, to say that the system was failing.

Responding to the claims, Wrexham council said it wanted to point out that if has enough Welsh primary provision in the county borough.

"Some parents have, however, been unable to get their children into their preferred school and have been offered a place in an alternative Welsh medium-school," said a spokesperson.

"The criteria used for over subscription is exactly the same as for English medium schools."

Education Minister Huw Lewis accepted there were some issues with the current proposals and had "sent 17 of the 22 proposals back to the councils".

But he told the committee it was still too early to see how effective the new system had been.