Cymdeithas welcomes report on Welsh Language College and presents a challenge to the overnment

On the day Professor Robin Williams' recommendations to the Education Minister were published re the Government's policy on the establishment of a Welsh medium Federal college, Cymdeithas yr Iaith has welcomed some of the strong recommendations of the report and is now calling on the Government to establish a robust multi-site College with a substantial budget.

Rhys Llwyd, Cymdeithas' spokesperson on a Welsh medium Federal College, said:

"We are extremely happy that Robin Williams' report has recommended that a new independent establishment be created to develop Welsh-medium education in the higher education sector. Both Cymdeithas and Students' Unions have argued this for years now and are glad that Professor Robin Williams has come to realise that this is the only credible option to substantially increase the Welsh language provision in this sector. Cymdeithas are also pleased that the report stipulates that such developments should be adequately financed."

However Cymdeithas is concerned about the relationship between the proposed Federal College and the present Universities. Rhys Llwyd again :

"Although I understand that it is of central importance that the new Education establishment should co-operate on every level with the present Universities, Cymdeithas believes that there is a danger that people could misinterpret the report's words to mean that the Federal College would be a subordinate body, some kind of little brother to the present universities. It is of central importance that the new college should be of equal status to the other Universities with its own Vice-Chancellor who will be of equal status in this sector as the Vice-chancellors of the other establishments."

But the main challenge now lies in the lap of the Welsh Government. Says Rhys Llwyd:

"The Government must now act quickly to budget in order to realise the promise of a Welsh-medium Federal College. Prof. Robin Williams' recommendation to establish such a Federal College must be put into practice before the end of the present Assembly term rather than dragging its heels. But Cymdeithas yr Iaith is calling on the Government to go even further than the report's recommendations in relation to the autonomy of the new establishment within the education sector."

Cymdeithas believe that establishing a Welsh-medium Federal College is an important step in the task of creating a complete Welsh-medium education that will, in turn, be a key part of creating a completely bilingual workforce in Wales. There is increasing demand in Wales for specialists in their fields who can work through the medium of both Welsh and English - from nursing to Rural conservation, to Speech Therapists. A Federal College will be a substantial contribution towards Wales' economy and towards creating a bilingual Wales.

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