Wales: Language rights for students

[Harold Schiffman]

Language rights for students Aug 10 2007




by Abbie Wightwick, Western Mail


THE Welsh Assembly must do more to ensure better Welsh language
provision in further and higher education, according to Gareth Butler,
a former director of language policy for Plaid Cymru. Mr Butler, an
expert on minority language legislation, said the Assembly should
include basic education rights in any new legislation it is proposing
for Welsh.

He has written to the new Culture Minister Rhodri Glyn Thomas saying
every student should have a minimum right to access a tutor to discuss
their subject during their course together with receiving a list of
the course terminology in Welsh. "The present system gives quite
substantial rights to some students, who can study entire subjects in
the language, while others may receive none," said Mr Butler.

"Following consultation with European experts based in Strasbourg,
confirmation has been obtained that the approach suggested is a way
forward." Mr Butler, a governor of the University of Wales, said it
had started to implement a motion which grants language rights to
individual students for the first time.



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