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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To think the Welsh Government are brilliant for doing this

108 replies

Newenglandinthefall · 13/01/2016 13:54

Common sense prevails in Wales over term time holidays.

www.walesonline.co.uk/news/education/parents-can-take-children-holiday-10727130

OP posts:
MissBattleaxe · 15/01/2016 12:41

Sorry Sockballs, I missed the post you wrote after that one.

notenoughbottle · 15/01/2016 15:25

Missbattleaxe I agree - both my children go to a estyn highly rated 'Excellent' school. By no way are all schools in Wales poor. I dislike how this has turned into a Welsh bashing thread.

YouBastardSockBalls · 15/01/2016 16:21

I dislike how this has turned into a Welsh bashing thread.

It hasn't.
Saying that I don't think Welsh MEDIUM education is the best for children in an English speaking world is not 'Welsh bashing.'

Get a grip.

MissBattleaxe · 15/01/2016 16:51

Yes notenough, I really hate the sweeping statement that Welsh education is very poor. Its totally inaccurate. My local state primary has fantastic results and my kids are doing great.

notenoughbottle · 15/01/2016 17:15

If you actually lived in Wales you'd realise that a Welsh Medium education is highly thought of here. Admittedly it doesn't work for all and would never work for my eldest who has dyslexia but my youngest child would thrive in that environment and I know many who do. Our local Welsh medium school is highly oversubscribed and turn out children who have done exceptionally well - and we are in the South.

YouBastardSockBalls · 15/01/2016 17:20

I do live in Wales, in the only county with exclusively Welsh medium education.

notenoughbottle · 15/01/2016 17:38

I wasn't specifically referring to you personally just a general 'you'.

hobnobsaremyfavourite · 15/01/2016 17:45

Seems the Welsh language is fair game on here and this thread is tame in comparison with some I have read in the past.
Ah well of to pick up my underachieving cherubs from their second rate school and then off out later with my niece who got a first from a RG uni despite her poss poor Welsh medium education.

YouBastardSockBalls · 15/01/2016 17:55

Can you stop being so precious? I'm actually quite offended at being labelled a bigot for having an opinion on the Welsh education system.
Based on MY experience of WME, in MY local area, they are providing a sub-standard education. There are REAL concerns about the anti-English sentiments being taught, and being largely ignored because no one wants to appear anti Welsh.

Now, as I have said MANY TIMES on this thread, since reading the views of others I can accept that this may be a localised problem, limited to my area.

But BECAUSE OF THIS I have the opinion that WME puts too much emphasis on Welsh at the cost of other subject, and teaches anti-English feeling. Because the WME schools that I know, DO.

I'm not repeating myself on this any more. I am not anti the Welsh language. I am anti poor and biased education.

SquinkiesRule · 15/01/2016 21:27

Strange thread.
The Welsh medium high school near us that my US born English only till two years ago, Dd may go to next september Has higher pass rates for GCSE for the students who have Welsh as a second language, they score higher than the Welsh as a first language kids do. This was according to the results tables in their prospectus.

mamapants · 15/01/2016 21:40

Hmmm I'm finding this thread quite horrid at the moment.
I have spent a lot of time living in small rural villages in wales and don't know any first cousin relationships.
And I don't think its very fair to single out a village petlady I know some very nice people from Deiniolen.
There have previously been some very interesting threads on welsh medium education on here in the past. Well worth searching for

mamapants · 15/01/2016 21:47

Can't find the other one unfortunately

Hairyfairy01 · 15/01/2016 22:13

Gwynedd here and holidays in term time has always been up to the head. Has never been a problem for me. Regarding the Welsh medium education, my main concerns are at secondary level. My kids go to an excellent Welsh medium primary but local Welsh medium secondary is poor. I also don't think doing physics though welsh is ideal for my kids. It looks like I'm going to have to send my kids. 10 miles on the bus to the only Welsh medium secondary (many parents go there 30 miles away). However I live in a beautiful, low crime, cheap housing area. Thankfully no cousins live nearby :-)

mamapants · 15/01/2016 22:18

Why do you think your children will struggle with physics in welsh?

Muchtoomuchtodo · 15/01/2016 22:31

It sounds like a victory for common sense.

My DC are in a Welsh medium primary and my application to take them out of school for 5 days for an imminent holiday has today been returned as unauthorised. I will query it but it may be that all local policies need reviewing before practice gets changed.

SquinkiesRule · 15/01/2016 22:32

The high school by us gives the kids a choice of doing Physics, Maths, Chem etc in English for A levels. Gets them ready for Uni.

hobnobsaremyfavourite · 15/01/2016 22:59

Precious?
Nope.

jorahmormont · 15/01/2016 23:08

Oh ffs in the interest of transparency the village with all the cousins shagging about is between Harlech and Barmouth and it's an insular backwards shithole. Barmouth is fab. Harlech is fine. Where we live now up in North East Wales is fine. No cousin relationships in sight.

I'm talking about one village. No need to call out the Meibion Glyndŵr or suggest an Anti Welsh topic ffs. One shitty village does not a country make. Asu ffeta.

Hairyfairy01 · 15/01/2016 23:39

I properly worded that wrong mama, what I meant more was I think they would struggle if they learnt the sciences through Welsh medium and then swapped to study it at degree level in England. I also worry that the lack of acedemic textbooks and research papers in Welsh may hold kids back who are studying though the Welsh medium. I'm prepared to be told I'm wrong mind. My kids are still in primary.

Roseformeplease · 15/01/2016 23:50

And, from a Scottish perspective, my own (anecdotal) evidence suggests that those in Gaelic Medium in Scotland are far, far more likely to be assessed as dyslexic. It seems the total immersion to age 8 means that their learning of sounds and early reading skills in English can be compromised.

Now, it depends on your priorities as a parent. The most able, in houses full of books, with conversation and newspapers, will float to the top. My concern is those who would struggle in one language, never mind two. They are often failed by Gaelic language immersion, particularly when it is not a language spoken in the home.

YouBastardSockBalls · 16/01/2016 07:16

hairyfairy that is one of my concerns too.

mamapants · 16/01/2016 08:13

hairy you will probably find at secondary level they will use some English resources in the sciences so may do their work in welsh but use English textbooks and DVDs etc. They will probably know a lot of the terminology in both languages. From year 9 onwards I chose to do sciences and maths in English, so welsh classes but English worksheets. And english exams but would get copy of welsh exam too.
I also know lots of people who studied sciences at English universities having studied in welsh a level. I think parents tend to think its much harder to adjust than it is in reality.

YouBastardSockBalls · 16/01/2016 08:21

Can they choose to have English work sheets mama?

My DH said that when he was in school people could choose 'English stream(?)' but that they would be left out by the other kids because of it, so people rarely did.

It's worth saying, that I really really hope that I am WRONG about WME, because my children will be going through it whether or not (and to a pretty dire secondary). I'm only going by what I've heard from people who have lived it, and it's so worrying.