Ministry of Defence Spends Large Sums on Private Education to Avoid Welsh Education
The Ministry of Defence spends approximately one million pounds annually to place students to independent educational institutions in north Wales because "public schools provide some or all lessons in the Welsh language".
It paid over one million pounds in day school allowance in the northern region for 83 children of military families in the current academic year, and nearly one million pounds for seventy-nine students in 2023-2024 under a established policy.
A spokesperson stated "service children can face regular relocations" and the allowance "aims to minimize interruption to their education".
The Welsh party described it as a "total misuse of funds" and "an insult to our tongue" while the Conservatives said families should be able to select the language in which their kids are taught.
The figures were obtained following a inquiry under the public records law.
The online portal of RAF Valley on the island informs its workforce, "if you live and serve in north Wales, where state schools teach some or all classes in the Welsh language, you may choose to send your children to an English-medium private institution".
"As long as you are joined by your household at your posting, you can utilize this benefit to pay for the expense of tuition fees, educational excursions/residential learning programs and regular commuting."
An MoD spokesperson told, "the purpose of Day School Allowance in North Wales (the allowance) is to support military households posted to the area, where the Welsh tongue is the main language of local state education".
"Since relocation is a aspect of military career, service children can encounter regular transfers and the this allowance seeks to lessen interference to their learning."
"The MoD acknowledges the sacrifices service personnel, and their families make, and from DSA-NW assists with the costs of private education given in the English language."
'Where teaching is bilingual or non-English'
The benefit includes tuition fees up to a limit of twenty-two thousand seven hundred fifty-five pounds a year, £7,585 each semester, and is available to personnel residing in the counties of the county, Denbighshire, Gwynedd, Anglesey or Flintshire and serving in one of the following establishments:
- RAF Valley, the island
- Joint Services Mountain Training Centre, the island
- The joint military mountain unit, the town
- The university military training program (UOTC), Bangor unit, Caernarfon
The eligible private schools are Treffos institution, the village, the island; Rydal Penrhos preparatory institution in the town; St Gerard's, the city and St David's College, Llandudno.
The relevant military policy document states that "payment of the stipend is limited to those areas where instruction in the state sector is on a dual-language or non-English basis".
People stationed in other locations in the three branches of the military - the Army, the naval service and the air service - can claim a educational continuity benefit which contributes towards residential and/or school charges up to a maximum rate, with a required family share of 10% for each qualifying student.
Welsh Conservative Senedd member Natasha Asghar said "members of the UK military move around the nation and the world, and the ministry has always sought to ensure that their kids have access to consistency in education".
"Although we fully support Welsh-medium education throughout Wales, it's important to recognize there are two official languages in our nation, English and the Welsh language, and municipal authorities and school boards should provide for both."
"Parents should always have the choice to decide the medium in which their children are taught."
The Welsh party's learning representative Cefin Campbell MS said "not just is this a complete waste of money, it is a slight to our tongue".
"It's hard to imagine any valid reason to be allocating these funds every year, on preventing young people living in Wales from having the chance to acquire the Welsh tongue."
"Dual-language ability enhances life and aids the development of youth, but the UK government is obviously unaware to this."
"These funds is a clear illustration of the attitude of the UK political groups regarding the nation and the Welsh language - namely unawareness and insults."
