Welsh Language and Education (Wales) Act 2025

Objective and functions of the Learning Welsh Institute

39 Facilitating 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.

40 Additional 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.

41 Promoting 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.

42 Promoting 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.

43 Promoting 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.

44 Promoting 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.

45 Application of Welsh language standards

(1) In Schedule 6 (public bodies etc.: standards) to the Welsh Language (Wales) Measure 2011 (nawm 1), in the table, under the heading “General”, after the entry for the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence insert—

““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”.