Ministry of Defence Allocates Large Sums on Independent Schools to Bypass Welsh Education
The Ministry of Defence allocates around £1m annually to send children to private schools in northern Wales because "state schools teach various classes in the Welsh tongue".
It paid £1,019,000 in educational stipend in north Wales for eighty-three students of military families in the current academic year, and nearly one million pounds for seventy-nine students in 2023-2024 under a longstanding practice.
A spokesperson stated "military families' children can face regular relocations" and the stipend "seeks to minimize disruption to their education".
The Welsh party called it a "complete waste of money" and "a disrespect to our tongue" while the Tory party said families should be able to choose the medium in which their children are educated.
These numbers were acquired following a request under the Freedom of Information Act.
The website of the military installation on Anglesey tells its personnel, "if you live and serve in north Wales, where public schools teach some or all classes in the Welsh tongue, you may choose to enroll your children to an English-language independent school".
"Provided you are joined by your household at your posting, you can utilize this allowance to pay for the cost of school charges, educational excursions/residential learning programs and regular commuting."
A defense ministry representative explained, "the aim of the educational stipend in the northern region (DSA-NW) is to assist military households posted to the area, where Welsh is the main language of local state education".
"As mobility is a part of military career, service children can face regular transfers and the this allowance seeks to lessen interference to their education."
"The ministry acknowledges the sacrifices military members, and their families make, and through DSA-NW assists with the expenses of private education given in the English language."
'Where teaching is bilingual or non-English'
The benefit covers school costs up to a limit of £22,755 a year, seven thousand five hundred eighty-five pounds per term, and is available to people living in the counties of Conwy, Denbighshire, Gwynedd, the island or the district and serving in one of the following establishments:
- RAF Valley, Anglesey
- Joint Services Mountain Training Centre, the island
- The joint military mountain unit, Llanrwst
- The university military training program (UOTC), Bangor unit, the city
The qualifying independent institutions are Treffos institution, Llansadwrn, Anglesey; Rydal Penrhos Prep school in Colwyn Bay; St Gerard's school, the city and St David's College, the town.
The applicable military policy document states that "payment of the allowance is limited to those regions where teaching in the state sector is on a bilingual or non-English foundation".
Personnel serving elsewhere in the multiple services of the military - the ground forces, the Royal Navy and the air service - can claim a continuity of education allowance which helps with boarding and/or school charges up to a maximum rate, with a minimum parental contribution of ten percent for each eligible child.
Welsh Conservative assembly representative the politician commented "personnel of the UK military relocate across the nation and the globe, and the ministry has always sought to guarantee that their kids have access to consistency in schooling".
"While we strongly endorse Welsh-medium education across the country, it's important to remember there are dual recognized tongues in our nation, English and Welsh, and local councils and school boards should provide for each."
"Families should always have the choice to decide the language in which their children are taught."
The Welsh party's learning representative the assembly member said "not just is this a complete waste of money, it is an insult to our tongue".
"It's hard to imagine any justifiable cause to be allocating such money every year, on blocking young people living in the country from having the chance to learn the Welsh tongue."
"Dual-language ability enriches experience and aids the development of young people, but the UK government is clearly blind to this."
"This money is a perfect example of the approach of the UK political groups regarding Wales and the native tongue - namely unawareness and disrespect."
