PART 5NATIONAL INSTITUTE FOR LEARNING WELSH
38National Institute for Learning Welsh
(1)
The National Institute for Learning Welsh is established as a corporate body.
(2)
In this Part, references to “the Learning Welsh Institute” are references to that body.
(3)
Schedule 2 makes further provision about the Learning Welsh Institute.
Objective and functions of the Learning Welsh Institute
39Facilitating and supporting lifelong Welsh language learning
(1)
The Learning Welsh Institute’s objective is to support people to learn Welsh, and facilitate their progress, so that more people (of all ages) are learning the language.
(2)
To meet this objective, the Learning Welsh Institute must—
(a)
provide strategic leadership and direction to Welsh language learning providers;
(b)
provide, or facilitate the provision of, Welsh language learning materials;
(c)
plan the development of the education workforce for the purpose of improving Welsh language teaching methods;
(d)
make arrangements to provide opportunities to learn Welsh—
(i)
to the education workforce,
(ii)
in the workplace, and
(iii)
to people over compulsory school age;
(e)
make arrangements to improve levels of ability in Welsh—
(i)
amongst the education workforce,
(ii)
in the workplace, and
(iii)
amongst learners over compulsory school age;
(f)
design and develop the provision of Welsh language learning to learners over compulsory school age, or facilitate such design and development;
(g)
develop and maintain a national curriculum for Welsh language learning for learners over compulsory school age;
(h)
collect and publish data, at least once every 12 months, on Welsh learners over compulsory school age.
(3)
In exercising its functions under subsection (2)(c), (d)(i) and (e)(i) the Learning Welsh Institute must have regard to the assessment included in the National Framework for Welsh Language Education and Learning Welsh by virtue of section 25(2)(a) (assessment of number of education practitioners needed in local authorities).
(4)
The Learning Welsh Institute may also—
(a)
co-ordinate and commission research on teaching or learning Welsh;
(b)
give advice to any person on teaching or learning Welsh;
(c)
give financial assistance to any person in relation to teaching or learning Welsh;
(d)
do anything else, related to supporting people to learn Welsh and facilitating their progress, if it considers it appropriate to meet a target set by the National Framework for Welsh Language Education and Learning Welsh under section 24(8).
(5)
For the purpose of meeting the different needs of people over compulsory school age who are learning (or wish to learn) Welsh, the Welsh language learning provision designed and developed in accordance with subsection (2)(f) must—
(a)
include a variety of learning levels and activities;
(b)
include a variety of learning settings and methods of study;
(c)
be organised in such a way as to facilitate the progression of learners through the different learning levels.
(6)
The national curriculum for Welsh language learning referred to in subsection (2)(g) and the learning levels referred to in subsection (5)(a) and (c) must be based on—
(a)
the common reference levels set out in the Table in Schedule 1, and
(b)
the Code prepared by the Welsh Ministers under section 6.
(7)
In this Part—
“compulsory school age” (“oedran ysgol gorfodol”) has the meaning given by section 8 of the Education Act 1996;
“Welsh language learning provider” (“darparwr dysgu Cymraeg”) means a person funded by the Learning Welsh Institute to provide Welsh language teaching, to people over compulsory school age.
40Additional functions
(1)
The Welsh Ministers may, by regulations, confer additional functions on the Learning Welsh Institute.
(2)
A function conferred under subsection (1) must relate to supporting people to learn Welsh or facilitating their progress.
41Promoting equality of opportunity
(1)
In exercising its functions, the Learning Welsh Institute must promote—
(a)
increased participation in Welsh language learning programmes by people over compulsory school age who are members of under-represented groups;
(b)
retention of learners over compulsory school age who are members of under-represented groups to the end of Welsh language learning programmes;
(c)
reduction of any gaps in attainment in Welsh language learning between different groups of learners over compulsory school age where the differences arise from social, cultural, economic or organisational factors.
(2)
In this section—
“under-represented groups” (“grwpiau sydd heb gynrychiolaeth ddigonol”) means groups of people that are under-represented in Welsh language learning programmes as a result of social, cultural, economic or organisational factors;
“Welsh language learning programmes” (”rhaglenni dysgu Cymraeg”) means Welsh language learning programmes provided by the Learning Welsh Institute or by a Welsh language learning provider.
42Promoting innovation and continuous improvement
(1)
In exercising its functions, the Learning Welsh Institute must promote—
(a)
innovation and continuous improvement in relation to learning Welsh;
(b)
raising standards in learning Welsh to increase the number of people who speak and use Welsh, and improve their ability.
(2)
For the purposes of subsection (1), the Learning Welsh Institute must have regard to the importance of—
(a)
ensuring that those teaching Welsh to learners over compulsory school age are enabled to provide education of a high standard;
(b)
the ongoing professional development of those teaching Welsh to learners over compulsory school age;
(c)
taking the views of learners over compulsory school age into account.
43Promoting collaboration in relation to learning Welsh
In exercising its functions, the Learning Welsh Institute must promote—
(a)
collaboration between Welsh language learning providers;
(b)
collaboration between Welsh language learning providers and maintained schools and between Welsh language learning providers and maintained nursery schools;
(c)
collaboration between Welsh language learning providers and other tertiary education providers in Wales;
(d)
collaboration between Welsh language learning providers and employers in Wales.
44Promoting co-ordination in relation to learning Welsh
In exercising its functions, the Learning Welsh Institute must promote—
(a)
co-ordination in the provision of Welsh language learning in Wales to learners over compulsory school age;
(b)
sharing of best practice in relation to teaching methods and transmission of the Welsh language to learners over compulsory school age.
45Application of Welsh language standards
(1)
““The National Institute for Learning Welsh (“Yr Athrofa Dysgu Cymraeg Genedlaethol”)
Service delivery standards
Policy making standards
Operational standards
Record keeping standards”
(2)
In regulation 3 of the Welsh Language Standards (No. 6) Regulations 2017 (S.I. 2017/90) (W. 33) in paragraph (3), after “Higher Education Corporations in Wales” insert “the National Institute for Learning Welsh”
.
General
46Strategic plan
(1)
The Learning Welsh Institute must, for each planning period, prepare a strategic plan.
(2)
The strategic plan must set out how the Learning Welsh Institute intends—
(a)
to exercise its functions in order to meet its objective, and
(b)
to exercise its functions in accordance with sections 41 to 44.
(3)
In preparing the strategic plan the Learning Welsh Institute must consult the following persons—
(a)
the Welsh Ministers;
(b)
the Welsh Language Commissioner;
(c)
the Commission for Tertiary Education and Research;
(d)
y Coleg Cymraeg Cenedlaethol (company number 07550507);
(e)
Welsh language learning providers;
(f)
such other persons as it considers appropriate.
(4)
The Learning Welsh Institute must submit the strategic plan for approval by the Welsh Ministers no later than 3 months before the beginning of the planning period to which it relates.
(5)
The Welsh Ministers may approve the strategic plan subject to any modifications agreed with the Learning Welsh Institute.
(6)
The Learning Welsh Institute must publish the strategic plan approved by the Welsh Ministers.
(7)
The Learning Welsh Institute may review the strategic plan and submit an amended plan to the Welsh Ministers for approval, and subsections (5) and (6) apply to an amended plan as they apply to the original plan.
(8)
In this section, the “planning period” means—
(a)
a first period beginning with a date specified by the Welsh Ministers by regulations and ending with a date so specified, and
(b)
each subsequent period of 3 years or such other period specified by the Welsh Ministers by regulations.
47Annual report
(1)
As soon as reasonably practicable after the end of each financial year, the Learning Welsh Institute must—
(a)
prepare and publish a report (”an annual report”) on the exercise of its functions during that year, and
(b)
send a copy of its annual report to the Welsh Ministers.
(2)
The Welsh Ministers must lay a copy of the annual report before Senedd Cymru.