PROPOSALS to change the language provision at Newcastle Emlyn’s Ysgol y Ddwylan is to be put out to public consultation.

Carmarthenshire County Council is seeking feedback on proposals to teach through the medium of Welsh at five schools across the county - Ysgol y Ddwylan, Ysgol Rhys Prichardn, Ysgol Llys Hywel, Ysgol Griffith Jones and Ysgol Llangynnwr – schools that are currently dual stream.

The proposals and consultation were agreed by the council’s executive board on Monday, May 13.

Under the plans, the language used in the foundation classes at Ysgol Y Ddwylan will change to Welsh medium, with the choice of English language medium being introduced at Key Stage 2.

Consultation will start on May 20 and will run until June 30.

Open consultation drop-in sessions will be held, including opportunities for questions and discussions with council education officers.

A session will take place at Ysgol y Ddwylan on Wednesday, June 5, from 5pm-7pm

The proposals are in line with the authority’s Welsh in education strategic plan and its vision for a bilingual Carmarthenshire, as well as Welsh Government objectives to grow the number of Welsh speakers to one million by 2050.

Carmarthenshire County Council aims for all pupils to speak, read and write in both Welsh and English fluently by the end of Key Stage 2.

Cllr Glynog Davies, Executive Board Member for Education and Children’s Services, said: “The consultation is a very important part of the process. It is an opportunity for people to give their opinion and for us to hear what they have got to say. We will listen to the schools, the parents and anyone else who takes an interest.

“We want to move forward together and that’s essential and important to the success of this plan.

“2050 sounds very far away but the process has to start now – we cannot waste time.”