'English in Welsh nurseries' - backtracking on curriculum wording

English is currently introduced from the age of seven in Welsh-medium schools.

The Welsh Government has backtracked on proposals which suggested English would be made a compulsory subject for children in Welsh-medium nurseries.

Last week Welsh teaching union Ucac said the proposal in the new Curriculum White Paper was "a serious concern".

But now the government has said the wording was not an accurate reflection of its intentions.

It has acknowledged the "unintended consequences".

Ministers have also pledged to ensure any new law will make clear that language immersion can continue.

Currently, English is introduced incrementally from the age of seven in Welsh-medium schools.

Under the new proposals set out in a consultation last week, English would be introduced to three-year-olds in "cylchoedd meithrin" or Welsh-medium playgroups.

The consultation document said it would be a "duty on all schools and funded nursery settings to teach English as a compulsory element of the new curriculum for Wales".

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In a statement, the Welsh Government said on reflection that statement "does not reflect our intention" and would have "unintended consequences" for Welsh-medium schools and nurseries who apply immersion as the teaching model.

"To be absolutely clear, our proposal is the new curriculum will still enable schools and settings, such as cylchoedd meithrin, to fully immerse children in the Welsh language," it added.

Ucac has welcomed the clarification.

The union's general secretary Rebecca Williams said: "The unanimity and ferocity of the response from parents and organisations proves the value of immersion as an approach that creates bilingual citizens. It also emphasises the need for constant vigilance, and the importance of scrutiny and protest within a democratic system.

"We look forward now to responding to the detail of the proposals which should see our curriculum moving forward to a new and pioneering era."

'Lack of faith for the future'

Siân Gwenllian AM, Plaid Cymru's shadow minisiter for education and Welsh language said: "The fact that such a clause has been included in the first place raises serious questions about the credibility and integrity of this government's education department and its education minister.

"This mess is a sign of a lack of basic understanding learning within government about the necessities of minority language teaching.

"It does not generate a lot of faith for the future, given the key part the department is expected to play is to plan the growth of Welsh-medium education as part of the government's goal to create a million Welsh speakers by 2050."