Written question WQ94831
- Asked by
- Andrew RT DaviesConservative
- To be answered by
- Cabinet Secretary for Education
- Tabled
- Due
- Answered
- Time to answer
- 7 days
Question
Will the Cabinet Secretary confirm how many students left secondary education in 2024 with the ability to confidently speak Welsh?
Answer
Answered by Cabinet Secretary for Education
Information is available on the number of GCSE Welsh First Language and Welsh Second Language entries by pupils in Year 11 or aged 15 years old. The table below shows how many learners were entered for GCSE Welsh First Language and Welsh Second Language in 2013/14, 2018/19 and 2022/23 (the latest final data available), and the percentage achieving A*-C.
Table 1: Number of GCSE Welsh First Language and Welsh Second Language entries and results, 2013/14, 2018/19 and 2022/23, Wales
2013/14
2018/19
2022/23
GCSE
Number of entries
Percentage achieving A*-C
Number of entries
Percentage achieving A*-C
Number of entries
Percentage achieving A*-C
Welsh First Language
5,550
73.1
5,385
73.6
6,130
72.9
Welsh Second Language
10,410
78.6
20,270
63.8
21,190
62.6
Source: Welsh Examinations Database, Welsh Government
Information is also available from the Pupil-Level Annual School Census about whether learners are able to speak Welsh, fluently or not. The table below shows how many Year 11 learners are able to speak Welsh, by fluency, for 2013/14, 2018/19 and 2023/24.
Note that the GCSE information for 2013/14 is based on 15-year-olds. The information for 2018/19 and 2022/23 is based on Year 11 learners.
Table 2: Number of learners in Year 11 able to speak Welsh by fluency, 2013/14, 2018/19 and 2023/24
2013/14
2018/19
2023/24
Can speak Welsh fluently
5,545
5,465
6,425
Can speak Welsh but not fluently
13,435
13,235
14,575
Total can speak Welsh
18,985
18,700
21,000
Source: Pupil-Level Annual School Census, Welsh Government