00:00The Welsh Government have had plans to increase the number of Welsh speakers in Wales to a
00:09million by the year 2020-50 for some time, and the latest build to help push on those
00:14targets has passed a crucial stage in the Senedd and could soon become law.
00:18The new law would aim to get more young people learning Welsh in schools across Wales and
00:23categorise schools by the amount of Welsh that's taught per week, sorting them into
00:27groups such as Welsh Medium, primarily English, partly Welsh, etc.
00:33Amendments were made to the law, including additional help for English language parents to assist
00:38their Welsh Medium children in homework, but some Welsh language campaigners have said
00:43that the law does not go far enough.
00:48Plaid Cymru wanted half of all schools to be primarily Welsh by 2050, and instead the law
00:53will now aim for 40% of schools.
00:55The Welsh Language Society have called for all schools across the country to be taught
00:59via Welsh, and said they were disappointed politicians did not pursue those goals, with
01:04a spokesperson saying the majority of children across Wales were being deprived of the opportunity
01:09to learn Welsh through the education system.
01:14The Government's Million Speakers by 2050 plan is ambitious and has underlined many Welsh language-based
01:19decisions in recent years, but as far as the most recent figures in January this year show
01:24the lowest number of Welsh speakers in Wales in eight years.
01:29Over 800,000 people over the age of three across Wales currently speak Welsh, but there is certainly
01:34a long way to go if that million speakers target is to be reached.
01:38James Peach Watkins, reported for Local TV, and Cardiff Bay.
01:40James Peach Watkins, reported for Local TV, and Cardiff Bay.
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