Ministry of Defence Spends Millions on Private Schools to Avoid Welsh Teaching
The MoD allocates around £1m annually to send students to private educational institutions in north Wales because "state schools provide various lessons in the Welsh tongue".
The ministry disbursed £1,019,000 in educational stipend in the northern region for eighty-three students of service personnel in 2024-2025, and £942,000 for seventy-nine students in the previous year under a established practice.
A spokesperson said "military families' children can experience regular relocations" and the allowance "aims to minimize interruption to their education".
The Welsh party called it a "complete waste of funds" and "a disrespect to our language" while the Conservatives said families should be able to select the language in which their children are educated.
These numbers were acquired following a request under the public records law.
The website of RAF Valley on Anglesey informs its personnel, "if you live and serve in northern Wales, where public schools provide some or all classes in the Welsh language, you may choose to enroll your kids to an English-medium independent school".
"Provided you are accompanied by your household at your duty station, you can utilize this benefit to pay for the cost of tuition fees, educational excursions/residential learning programs and daily transport."
A defense ministry representative told, "the aim of the educational stipend in North Wales (DSA-NW) is to assist service families posted to the region, where the Welsh tongue is the primary medium of local state education".
"As mobility is a part of service life, military kids can encounter frequent moves and from DSA-NW seeks to lessen disruption to their education."
"The ministry supports the sacrifices military members, and their relatives make, and through DSA-NW helps with the expenses of independent day schooling given in the English language."
'In Areas With Bilingual or Non-English Instruction'
The benefit covers school costs up to a maximum of £22,755 a year, seven thousand five hundred eighty-five pounds each semester, and is accessible to personnel living in the regions of the county, Denbighshire, the locality, Anglesey or Flintshire and serving in these specific locations:
- RAF Valley, the island
- Joint Services Mountain Training Centre, the island
- Joint Services Mountain Training Wing, Llanrwst
- Wales University Officers' Training Corps (the corps), Bangor detachment, the city
The eligible private schools are Treffos institution, Llansadwrn, Anglesey; Rydal Penrhos preparatory institution in Colwyn Bay; St Gerard's, the city and St David's College, the town.
The applicable joint service publication confirms that "payment of the stipend is restricted to those areas where teaching in the state sector is on a bilingual or non-English foundation".
People stationed in other locations in the multiple services of the military - the Army, the Royal Navy and the Royal Air Force - can claim a continuity of education allowance which helps with boarding and/or school charges up to a maximum rate, with a minimum parental contribution of 10% for each qualifying student.
Welsh Conservative assembly representative Natasha Asghar said "personnel of the British armed forces move around the nation and the globe, and the ministry have always tried to guarantee that their children have availability to consistency in education".
"Although we strongly endorse Welsh-medium education throughout the country, it's crucial to recognize there are dual recognized tongues in our nation, English and Welsh, and municipal authorities and education authorities should accommodate both."
"Parents should always have the choice to select the medium in which their children are instructed."
Plaid Cymru's education spokesperson Cefin Campbell MS said "not only is this a total misuse of money, it is an insult to our language".
"It's hard to imagine any justifiable cause to be allocating these funds annually, on preventing youth living in the country from having the opportunity to learn the Welsh tongue."
"Bilingualism enhances life and supports the growth of youth, but the British administration is obviously unaware to this."
"These funds is a perfect example of the approach of the UK political groups regarding Wales and the Welsh language - namely ignorance and disrespect."
