🔗 Share this article Ministry of Defence Spends Millions on Private Education to Avoid Welsh Education The military facility prepares UK fighter pilots as well as personnel for alpine and maritime operations The Ministry of Defence allocates approximately one million pounds each year to place students to independent educational institutions in north Wales because "state schools provide some or all lessons in the Welsh language". It paid over one million pounds in day school allowance in north Wales for eighty-three students of service personnel in the current academic year, and £942,000 for seventy-nine students in 2023-2024 under a longstanding policy. An official representative said "military families' children can experience regular relocations" and the allowance "aims to minimize interruption to their education". The Welsh party described it as a "complete waste of money" and "a disrespect to our tongue" while the Tory party said families should be able to select the medium in which their kids are taught. Prince William served in the Anglesey base between 2010 to 2013 These numbers were obtained following a inquiry under the public records law. The website of RAF Valley on the island informs its workforce, "for those residing and working in north Wales, where public schools teach various lessons in the Welsh language, you can opt to enroll your kids to an English-language independent school". "As long as you are accompanied by your family at your duty station, you can utilize this allowance to pay for the cost of school charges, educational excursions/residential educational courses and regular commuting." A defense ministry representative explained, "the aim of Day School Allowance in the northern region (the allowance) is to assist military households posted to the area, where Welsh is the main language of local state education". "Since relocation is a part of service life, military kids can encounter frequent moves and from this allowance seeks to minimize disruption to their education." "The ministry acknowledges the contributions service personnel, and their families undertake, 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 includes school costs up to a maximum of £22,755 annually, seven thousand five hundred eighty-five pounds per term, and is available to people living in the regions of the county, Denbighshire, the locality, Anglesey or Flintshire and working in one of the following establishments: The military base, Anglesey Joint Services Mountain Training Centre, Anglesey Joint Services Mountain Training Wing, the town Wales University Officers' Training Corps (UOTC), Bangor detachment, Caernarfon The eligible independent institutions are Treffos institution, Llansadwrn, Anglesey; Rydal Penrhos preparatory institution in Colwyn Bay; St Gerard's, Bangor and St David's College, the town. The applicable military policy document states that "payment of the allowance is restricted to those areas where instruction in the state sector is on a dual-language or non-English foundation". People serving elsewhere in the three branches of the military - the ground forces, the naval service and the Royal Air Force - can apply for a educational continuity benefit which helps with boarding and/or tuition fees up to a maximum rate, with a required family share of ten percent for each eligible child. Tory assembly representative the politician commented "members of the British armed forces move around the country and the globe, and the ministry have always sought to guarantee that their kids have access to continuity in education". "While we fully support Welsh-medium education across Wales, it's crucial to remember there are dual recognized tongues in our nation, English and Welsh, and municipal authorities and school boards should accommodate each." "Parents should always have the option to select the language in which their kids are taught." Plaid Cymru's learning representative Cefin Campbell MS said "not just is this a complete waste of funding, it is a slight to our language". "It's hard to imagine any valid reason to be allocating these funds annually, on preventing young people living in the country from having the chance to acquire the Welsh tongue." "Dual-language ability enhances life and aids the growth of young people, but the British administration is obviously blind to this." "These funds is a clear illustration of the attitude of the UK political groups towards the nation and the Welsh language - namely unawareness and disrespect."