Jack Sargeant
MP
Chair of the
Petitions Committee
Welsh Parliament,
Cardiff Bay
Cardiff
CF99
1SN
Petitions@senedd.wales
Dear Mr
Sargeant,
Regarding:
Petition P-06-1336 Free Welsh lessons for everyone who wants to
learn the language in Wales
Thank
you very much for your recent correspondence regarding the above
petition.
Over
15,000 learners a year enjoy following the courses of the National
Centre for Learning Welsh. Courses are available for people to
learn Welsh in the community and the workplace. Specific programmes
are also available for families, young people aged 16-25 and asylum
seekers and refugees.
Courses
are available in face-to-face and virtual classes. Online
self-study resources and courses are also available, as well as a
host of digital learning resources.
The
Centre has created a digital platform - a kind of 'one-stop shop' -
which contains information about all the services for learners:
learnwelsh.cymru. On the platform, learners can use the 'course
finder' to find a course, choosing the learning method, location,
time and day, level and intensity that suits them. Recently, the
Centre has introduced the 'Learning Wizard', a tool that helps a
learner find a suitable course, by asking a series of simple
questions.
Over
1,200 Learn Welsh courses are advertised on the platform. Each
course is presented in a clear way along with essential
information, including cost.
There
is information on the site about the different learning methods,
and the learning levels. There is also information about the
opportunities to support learning, including: access to Say
Something in Welsh and Duolingo resources; the Centre's 'Siarad'
scheme, which matches learners with Welsh speakers; and learner
support activities such as walks and residential
weekends.
In
its inspection of the Centre in January 2021, Estyn
noted,
'The
Centre’s officers have developed a digital platform over time
to become a convenient and accessible medium for learners to use,
for example to search for a course that is suitable for their
linguistic level, to enrol and to pay. This supports learners
effectively as they select a learning programme when beginning to
learn Welsh and when choosing a progression route.'
The
Centre was asked to draw up a case study for Estyn about the
national digital platform.
Since
2019, due to the
introduction of the Welsh Learning Fees and Discounts Policy, the
cost of courses across Wales has been made consistent.
The fee for each course is £90, and there are a series of
discounts, including a discount for pensioners, students and adults
on benefits. The policy is reviewed annually.
Current
learners can take advantage of the Early Bird offer every year,
when moving on to their new courses in September - courses will be
available for £45 instead of £90.
There
is a special offer on new beginners
courses in September – these courses are also
available for £45 instead of £90.
The
following audiences are now able to enjoy a 100% discount on the
courses, and therefore receive them for free:
·
Asylum
seekers
·
Learners aged
18-25
·
Education
workforce
·
Any
adult attending a taster course for learners in the
workforce
There
is information about the Centre’s financial fund available on
learnwelsh.cymru. This is a fund that provides financial support to
learners towards travel costs, childcare costs, resources etc.
Around 35 learners have taken advantage of the fund in the last
year.
Every
year, the Centre conducts a 'Have your say' questionnaire with its
learners, to ensure that we hear the voice of our learners when
planning our services. This year, over 4,500 have responded to the
questionnaire. In the questionnaire, there is a question on the
ease of finding information and registering for Learn Welsh
courses, and we are pleased to note that 91% answered
positively.
99%
said they enjoyed learning Welsh with us, and 93% described the
learning experience as good or very good.
I
hope the information above answers your question - I would be happy
to provide more information if needed.
Yours
sincerely
Donna
Lewis
Chief
Executive
