Written question WQ85581

Languages are of crucial importance for Wales and the UK’s future prosperity and influence in the world. Our Curriculum for Wales will revolutionise our education system and provide exciting opportunities for language learning across all our schools and settings. As a first step, from September modern foreign languages will be mandatory in primary schools.

Welsh Government together with our Global Futures partners will provide our time, knowledge and expertise to support learners and schools understand the importance of international languages and the life-changing opportunities they can provide. I have agreed an additional three years of funding for the Global Futures programme which will build on its successful elements, such as the Cardiff University mentoring programme. The mentoring programme provides direct support to secondary schools and will continue its work to promote the benefits of studying a language at GCSE, A level and beyond.

We will publish a new strategic plan shortly which will set the direction for Global Futures. The strategic aims and actions will be co-constructed with the Global Futures Steering Group to support both international languages in our Curriculum for Wales and also our Programme for Government commitment to ‘expand the teaching of modern foreign languages in our schools’. This commitment gives a clear indication of the importance the Welsh Government attaches to supporting language learning in our schools.