What are your views on Welsh medium education in Conwy?

A preview of one of my stories in this week's paper which will be out on Christmas Eve:

Public opinion is sought on the future of Welsh medium learning in Conwy with a new Welsh education scheme.

The primary objective of the scheme is to ensure that Welsh-medium or bilingual education is available to all of the county's children from nursery tots to college students, regardless of where they live, any disability they might have and whether or not they are a newcomer to Wales.

Development is an integral part of the scheme's focus, with all pupils who have received a Welsh-medium education at primary school level being able to attend a Welsh-medium or bilingual secondary school. A push to increase the numbers of children being assessed in Welsh is under way.

Conwy's primary inspector for language development, Dafydd Thomas said: "We are required by the Welsh Language Board to revise our Welsh education scheme and set targets for Conwy.

"All children here, regardless of their first language, are given a sound base in Welsh that will allow an increasing number of them to become bilingual in the long term.

"One of the things we are very excited about is our language immersion projects at Ysgolau y Creuddyn and Dolgarrog for children who haven't gone down the usual route for learning Welsh. At a foundation level, we are getting pupils under seven to develop their Welsh language skills through play activities.

"We are encouraging schools with pupils whose first language is English to have some classes, up to 25% of the curriculum, taught through the medium of Welsh. We are also working to ensure that Welsh language education is available at Ysgol y Gogarth, when needed. Unlike Conwy, some parts of the country can't meet those demands."

Hosting the Eisteddfod yr Urdd 2008 in Conwy has been hailed a successful way of enthusing teachers and raising awareness of the Welsh language in Conwy's schools.

Dafydd added: "I don't think we are struggling in Conwy with any particular aspect of Welsh language education. Welsh is jewel in the crown of education across the county. It is a living language and learning through Welsh is something that is valuable and useful to everyone, proving especially advantageous in the job market."

The county's vision reflects the Welsh Assembly Government's desire that by 2010, more people are able to speak Welsh, with the greatest increase among young people. Despite the drive for an uptake, there is still great disparity in the numbers of Welsh speakers across Conwy, with only 11% of the Towyn and Kinmel Bay population able to speak Welsh, compared to 74% in Uwchaled.

The document on the Welsh education scheme for Conwy is available online at www.conwy.gov.uk, from county libraries, public buildings and citizens' advice bureaux. Any comments should be sent to geraint.james@conwy.gov.uk or contact 01492 575003 by January 30.