They were out on the streets within a day of each other and they both featured Rhuthun/Ruthin within their pages. One offered first a positive outlook on Welsh culture and the other was pessimistic about the language's future. Here was certainly something of a contrast.
This week's Golwg featured a lot on Rhuthun. In its well-illustrated Hystori Gem o'r Dre' (above), a writer says,
Against this rosy picture, the percentage able to speak Welsh has nevertheless declined in the last 30 years, the point at which there seemed to be a shift. Then, Welsh was used by well over 50 per cent of the population. Of course, Welsh is still readily used & heard in the town but it's perhaps telling that on Saturdays there is now much less of it than once there was. Visitors account for some of this, of course they do, but also English-speaking commuters who otherwise spend time away from Rhuthun during the week come into town on Saturdays (we should be grateful for their spending power).
In spite of the growth of Ysgol Penbarras, there remains an overall concern about the language itself. And this leads on to this week's the other publication, the Free Press.
Compare this with its front-page headline. It's a message that will surely make the people of Rhuthun feel digalon. Already, for many, English is the first language we use when conducting our personal business, at least initially. but is 40 per cent sufficient critical mass for starting a conversation in Welsh? This in spite of endeavours to dechrau bob sgwrs yn Gymraeg.
The report behind the dreadful headline recommends, inter alia, that schools should increase the amount of Welsh they provide and that bilingual schools should now become Welsh medium schools. The first might seem easy but the curriculum’s already crowded. The second will fill some parents with horror.
Back to Golwg, and there's an article within about the proposed merger of the bilingual school at Llanfair Dyffryn Clwyd with the Welsh medium school at Pentrecelyn. Suddenly, the proposals to form one *bilingual* dual-stream school are at the heart of the Welsh language debate. There's talk of a parents' boycott of any new bilingual school but that might work both ways: would those who prefer bilingual education reject a Welsh medium school? Either way, the winners will be town not village schools.
The chairman of Llanfair governors, himself a noted part of the Welsh community, insists within the Golwyg piece that all his pupils are able to communicate in both languages, even those taught in English, by the time they move up to Ysgol Brynhyfryd. If true, that means Llanfair is doing more for the continuation of the Welsh language than parents at Pentrecelyn will give it credit. The alternative is to educate pupils at Rhos Street in English only. And, with headlines as dire as those in the Free Press, isn't Llanfair's stance therefore a good thing?
The problem may not be at the primary but secondary level. What is Brynhyfryd's record? Does it admit all who wish for Welsh medium education into its Welsh stream? Subconsciously or purposefully, unwittingly or by stealth, does Brynhyfryd exclude Welsh-speaking pupils whose parents have English only? And does this result in a second-class Welsh education for some?
The debate will continue.
"Dre' Gymraeg fwya' dwyreinol yng Nghymru gyda mwy na 40% o'r boblogaeth yn dal i siarad Cymraeg"Golwg's author continues the encouraging line by adding that,
"Y cyfuniad yna o Gymreictod a chymeriad hanesyddol sy'n golygu ei bod hi'n parhau'n em o dref fechan ffyniannus gyda chasgliad o fusnesau lleol ac atyniadau”What Golwg is saying is that Rhuthun is Wales' most easterly town with more than 40 per cent still (our italics) [able to] speak Welsh and that the combination of its linguistic and historic character means that Rhuthun remains a gem of a small town, with thriving local businesses and attractions. We're not sure about these thriving attractions (other than the Craft Centre) but Golwg is read by over 12,000 people so let's hope that at least some of them will actually contribute a little towards our tourist offer.
In spite of the growth of Ysgol Penbarras, there remains an overall concern about the language itself. And this leads on to this week's the other publication, the Free Press.
The report behind the dreadful headline recommends, inter alia, that schools should increase the amount of Welsh they provide and that bilingual schools should now become Welsh medium schools. The first might seem easy but the curriculum’s already crowded. The second will fill some parents with horror.
The chairman of Llanfair governors, himself a noted part of the Welsh community, insists within the Golwyg piece that all his pupils are able to communicate in both languages, even those taught in English, by the time they move up to Ysgol Brynhyfryd. If true, that means Llanfair is doing more for the continuation of the Welsh language than parents at Pentrecelyn will give it credit. The alternative is to educate pupils at Rhos Street in English only. And, with headlines as dire as those in the Free Press, isn't Llanfair's stance therefore a good thing?
The problem may not be at the primary but secondary level. What is Brynhyfryd's record? Does it admit all who wish for Welsh medium education into its Welsh stream? Subconsciously or purposefully, unwittingly or by stealth, does Brynhyfryd exclude Welsh-speaking pupils whose parents have English only? And does this result in a second-class Welsh education for some?
The debate will continue.
Tags:
Education