MoD Spends Large Sums on Private Schools to Avoid Welsh Education
The Ministry of Defence spends around one million pounds each year to send students to independent schools in north Wales because "public schools provide some or all lessons in the Welsh language".
The ministry disbursed over one million pounds in day school allowance in the northern region for eighty-three students of military families in the current academic year, and nearly one million pounds for seventy-nine students in the previous year under a longstanding policy.
An official representative stated "service children can experience frequent moves" and the stipend "seeks to minimize disruption to their schooling".
Plaid Cymru called it a "total misuse of money" and "a disrespect to our tongue" while the Conservatives argued families should be able to select the language in which their children are educated.
The figures were obtained following a request under the public records law.
The online portal of RAF Valley on Anglesey informs its personnel, "for those residing and working in northern Wales, where state schools provide various lessons in the Welsh language, you can opt to send your kids to an English-language private institution".
"Provided you are joined by your household at your duty station, you can utilize this allowance to cover the expense of school charges, field study trips/residential educational courses and daily transport."
A defense ministry representative explained, "the purpose of Day School Allowance in North Wales (the allowance) is to assist service families posted to the area, where the Welsh tongue is the primary medium of public schooling".
"As mobility is a aspect of service life, service children can face frequent moves and the DSA-NW seeks to lessen interference to their education."
"The MoD supports the contributions service personnel, and their families undertake, and through DSA-NW assists with the expenses of private education given in English."
'Where teaching is bilingual or non-English'
The allowance covers school costs up to a maximum of £22,755 a year, seven thousand five hundred eighty-five pounds each semester, and is accessible to people residing in the regions of the county, Denbighshire, the locality, Anglesey or the district and serving in one of the following establishments:
- RAF Valley, Anglesey
- The combined forces alpine training facility, the island
- The joint military mountain unit, Llanrwst
- The university military training program (the corps), Bangor unit, the city
The eligible independent institutions are Treffos institution, Llansadwrn, Anglesey; Rydal Penrhos preparatory institution in Colwyn Bay; St Gerard's, the city and St David's institution, Llandudno.
The relevant joint service publication states that "disbursement of the stipend is restricted to those areas where instruction in the public system is on a bilingual or non-English basis".
People serving in other locations in the three branches of the military - the ground forces, the Royal Navy and the Royal Air Force - can claim a continuity of education allowance which helps with residential and/or tuition fees up to a maximum rate, with a minimum parental contribution of ten percent for each eligible child.
Welsh Conservative assembly representative the politician said "personnel of the British armed forces relocate across the nation and the globe, and the MoD have always sought to guarantee that their children have availability to continuity in education".
"While we strongly endorse Welsh-medium education across the country, it's crucial to recognize there are two official languages in our nation, the English tongue and the Welsh language, and local councils and education authorities should provide for each."
"Families should always have the option to select the medium in which their kids are taught."
Plaid Cymru's learning representative the assembly member stated "not just is this a complete waste of money, it is a slight to our tongue".
"It's hard to imagine any justifiable cause to be spending such money every year, on blocking young people living in Wales from having the chance to acquire the Welsh tongue."
"Bilingualism enriches experience and aids the development of young people, but the British administration is clearly unaware to this."
"This money is a perfect example of the approach of the Westminster parties towards Wales and the native tongue - namely unawareness and insults."
