There was a time, not long ago, when Ruthin School's second language was Latin. Nowadays, as befits an international school, it's Mandarin. No hint of Welsh, though... at all...
A letter from the headmaster Toby Belfield of Schola Ruthinensis in today's Free Press will surely be followed next week by another that will apologise for the first.
In the last 10 years, Ruthin School has had its controversies but, lately, better performance (indeed, the strongest performance) has resulted in it being in a good and stable place to learn. It wasn't always thus. Belfield's stock has risen accordingly.
In his letter, which attempted to counter a previous one in which a correspondent argued that all schools should be Welsh medium only, Belfield was suggesting that education focusing on both Welsh and English weakened Welsh children when compared to England. It reduced opportunities, he said, and fewer top university places. His assertions were based on the PISA ranking that places Wales' education system well below average. But is PISA a reflection of language-based education?
The community will take sides on this and there will be arguments about whether he was right or not. Locally, though, we'd suggest that Belfield will be drowned out.
His own statements come at a time of linguistic controversy when:
The issue is as much about how Belfield said what he did. Using terms like...
The fact is that Belfield is trying to drum up support for his own school. He is playing on the fears whether legitimate or not of local families who would prefer their children to have an English-only education, the sort only available locally at Ruthin School. As part of its recovery package, Schola Ruthinensis has tripled the number of local children (admittedly from a low base). This is because Ysgol Brynhyfryd is no longer viewed as one of Wales' best schools, because some previously at Howell's have transferred to Schola Ruthinensis and, no doubt, because some feel their children should have English-only education.
The cultural and language debates concerning education continue to be and have always been fraught:
Belfield's arguments and those opposing him may be valid or they may not but they're certainly complex.
Update 15/5/2015: Belfield has indeed issued an unreserved apology today via the Daily Post and BBC. Said Belfield, "The language and tone of my letter caused offence to so many people, and that was not my intention". He added that "My criticism is mainly levied [does he mean levelled?] at the Welsh government and the education system, I am not being critical of any of our Welsh schools or their headteachers, I am critical of anyone who says all schools should be Welsh medium." Methinks Belfield also needs to sharpen upon his punctuation & sentence structure.
Cymdeithas yr Iaith's Fred Ffrancis said, "Mr Belfield's strange ideas are almost as anachronistic as the idea that there should still be private schools in Wales in the 21st century." Its website said that research suggested 63 per cent of Welsh people wanted children to leave school communicating effectively in Welsh. Other than in the Welsh stream, was Brynhyfryd delivering this "effectiveness"?
Should Cymdeithas achieve its goal of closing any and all private schools then surely people from the Rhuthun area will search across the border...
A letter from the headmaster Toby Belfield of Schola Ruthinensis in today's Free Press will surely be followed next week by another that will apologise for the first.
In the last 10 years, Ruthin School has had its controversies but, lately, better performance (indeed, the strongest performance) has resulted in it being in a good and stable place to learn. It wasn't always thus. Belfield's stock has risen accordingly.
The community will take sides on this and there will be arguments about whether he was right or not. Locally, though, we'd suggest that Belfield will be drowned out.
His own statements come at a time of linguistic controversy when:
- There is yet another report locally (May 2015) that Welsh is in terminal decline, giving the language 10 years—and also suggesting all education should be in Welsh
- Yet, there is argument between the benefits of bilingual education at Ysgol Brynhyfryd compared to a Welsh only curriculum at Ysgol Glan Clwyd
- Denbighshire is choosing to merge a Welsh medium primary at Pentrecelyn with a neighbouring bilingual school at Llanfair DC. Parents at the former are suggesting Penbarras rather than the brand new school.
From the Daily Post website as at 00.30 on 15/5/2015
The issue is as much about how Belfield said what he did. Using terms like...
- "Narrow minded people that wish our Welsh children to remain forever in Wales"
- Asking "Welsh parents to open their minds" and
- "Forcing a Welsh education system on [pupils]..."
The fact is that Belfield is trying to drum up support for his own school. He is playing on the fears whether legitimate or not of local families who would prefer their children to have an English-only education, the sort only available locally at Ruthin School. As part of its recovery package, Schola Ruthinensis has tripled the number of local children (admittedly from a low base). This is because Ysgol Brynhyfryd is no longer viewed as one of Wales' best schools, because some previously at Howell's have transferred to Schola Ruthinensis and, no doubt, because some feel their children should have English-only education.
The cultural and language debates concerning education continue to be and have always been fraught:
- There are those who live in the Y Waun/Chirk, & Yr Orsedd/Rossett areas or the Maelor Seasneg who send their children over the border.
- On the other hand, in Rhuthun/Ruthin in particular, there are those who fear that bilingual education at Ysgol Brynhfryd is itself inequitable and that your allocation to a Welsh form has in the past depended not on a pupil's ability to communicate in Welsh but their parents' or the language preference of the primary from which they came.
- There will be mixed views on the way in which Ysgol Penbarras tries to develop "Cymry Pur" by the school shunning its English neighbour school. Interaction is not discouraged, it's prevented.
- A concern among some that a Welsh education does not make a pupil fully fit for (English) universities.
- The aforesaid issues about bilingual versus Welsh only primary and secondary education.
Belfield's arguments and those opposing him may be valid or they may not but they're certainly complex.
Update 15/5/2015: Belfield has indeed issued an unreserved apology today via the Daily Post and BBC. Said Belfield, "The language and tone of my letter caused offence to so many people, and that was not my intention". He added that "My criticism is mainly levied [does he mean levelled?] at the Welsh government and the education system, I am not being critical of any of our Welsh schools or their headteachers, I am critical of anyone who says all schools should be Welsh medium." Methinks Belfield also needs to sharpen upon his punctuation & sentence structure.
Cymdeithas yr Iaith's Fred Ffrancis said, "Mr Belfield's strange ideas are almost as anachronistic as the idea that there should still be private schools in Wales in the 21st century." Its website said that research suggested 63 per cent of Welsh people wanted children to leave school communicating effectively in Welsh. Other than in the Welsh stream, was Brynhyfryd delivering this "effectiveness"?
Should Cymdeithas achieve its goal of closing any and all private schools then surely people from the Rhuthun area will search across the border...