MoD Allocates Large Sums on Private Education to Avoid Welsh Language Teaching
The Ministry of Defence allocates around one million pounds annually to place students to independent schools in north Wales because "public schools teach various classes in the Welsh tongue".
The ministry disbursed £1,019,000 in day school allowance in north Wales for eighty-three students of service personnel in 2024-2025, and nearly one million pounds for 79 children in the previous year under a longstanding policy.
A spokesperson said "service children can face frequent moves" and the stipend "seeks to reduce disruption to their schooling".
Plaid Cymru described it as a "total misuse of money" and "a disrespect to our language" while the Conservatives said parents should be able to select the medium in which their kids are taught.
These numbers were acquired following a request under the public records law.
The website of RAF Valley on the island informs its personnel, "if you live and serve in northern Wales, where state schools teach some or all classes in the Welsh language, you can opt to enroll your children to an English-language independent school".
"As long as you are accompanied by your family at your duty station, you can use this benefit to pay for the cost of tuition fees, educational excursions/residential educational courses and regular commuting."
An MoD spokesperson explained, "the purpose of the educational stipend in North Wales (the allowance) is to assist service families stationed to the region, where Welsh is the main language of local state education".
"Since relocation is a part of service life, service children can encounter regular transfers and from this allowance aims to minimize interference to their education."
"The MoD supports the contributions military members, and their relatives undertake, and through DSA-NW assists with the expenses of private education provided in the English language."
'Where teaching is bilingual or non-English'
The benefit includes school costs up to a maximum of £22,755 annually, seven thousand five hundred eighty-five pounds each semester, and is accessible to personnel residing in the counties of Conwy, the area, Gwynedd, Anglesey or Flintshire and working in one of the following establishments:
- The military base, Anglesey
- The combined forces alpine training facility, the island
- Joint Services Mountain Training Wing, the town
- Wales University Officers' Training Corps (the corps), Bangor unit, Caernarfon
The eligible independent institutions are Treffos institution, the village, Anglesey; Rydal Penrhos Prep school in Colwyn Bay; St Gerard's school, Bangor and St David's institution, Llandudno.
The applicable military policy document states that "payment of the stipend is limited to those regions where teaching in the public system is on a bilingual or non-English foundation".
Personnel serving in other locations in the multiple services of the military - the ground forces, the Royal Navy and the air service - can claim a educational continuity benefit which contributes towards boarding and/or school charges up to a cap, with a minimum parental contribution of ten percent for each eligible child.
Tory Senedd member the politician said "members of the UK military move around the country and the world, and the ministry have always tried to guarantee that their kids have access to consistency in education".
"Although we fully support Welsh-language teaching throughout the country, it's important to recognize there are dual recognized tongues in our country, the English tongue and the Welsh language, and municipal authorities and education authorities should provide for each."
"Parents should always have the option to decide the language in which their children are instructed."
Plaid Cymru's learning representative the assembly member said "not only is this a total misuse of money, it is an insult to our tongue".
"It's hard to imagine any justifiable cause to be spending such money every year, on preventing youth living in the country from having the opportunity to acquire the Welsh language."
"Dual-language ability enhances experience and aids the development of youth, but the UK government is obviously blind to this."
"These funds is a clear illustration of the approach of the UK political groups regarding Wales and the Welsh language - namely ignorance and insults."
