🔗 Share this article Ministry of Defence Spends Millions on Independent Education to Avoid Welsh Language Teaching RAF Valley prepares UK fighter pilots as well as personnel for alpine and naval operations The MoD allocates approximately £1m each year to send students to private educational institutions in northern Wales because "state schools teach some or all lessons in the Welsh tongue". The ministry disbursed over one million pounds in educational stipend in north Wales for 83 children of military families in the current academic year, and £942,000 for seventy-nine students in the previous year under a established policy. A spokesperson stated "service children can experience regular relocations" and the stipend "seeks to minimize disruption to their schooling". The Welsh party called it a "total misuse of funds" and "an insult to our language" while the Conservatives said families should be able to select the medium in which their kids are taught. Prince William served in RAF Valley from 2010 to 2013 These numbers were obtained following a inquiry under the public records law. The online portal of RAF Valley on Anglesey tells its personnel, "for those residing and working in northern Wales, where state schools provide some or all classes in the Welsh language, you can opt to enroll your kids to an English-language private institution". "Provided you are accompanied by your household at your posting, you can use this allowance to pay for the expense of tuition fees, field study trips/residential learning programs and daily transport." An MoD spokesperson explained, "the purpose of the educational stipend in the northern region (the allowance) is to support military households stationed to the region, where the Welsh tongue is the primary medium of public schooling". "Since relocation is a part of military career, service children can encounter frequent moves and from this allowance seeks to minimize disruption to their learning." "The MoD supports the contributions service personnel, and their relatives make, and through DSA-NW assists with the expenses of private education given in English." 'In Areas With Bilingual or Non-English Instruction' The allowance includes school costs up to a maximum of twenty-two thousand seven hundred fifty-five pounds annually, seven thousand five hundred eighty-five pounds per term, and is available to people residing in the counties of Conwy, Denbighshire, the locality, the island or Flintshire and serving in these specific locations: The military base, the island Joint Services Mountain Training Centre, Anglesey The joint military mountain unit, Llanrwst Wales University Officers' Training Corps (UOTC), Bangor detachment, Caernarfon The eligible private schools are Treffos school, Llansadwrn, Anglesey; Rydal Penrhos preparatory institution in Colwyn Bay; St Gerard's school, Bangor and St David's institution, Llandudno. The relevant joint service publication states that "payment of the stipend is limited to those regions where teaching in the state sector is on a dual-language or non-English foundation". Personnel serving elsewhere in the three branches of the military - the ground forces, the Royal Navy and the air service - can apply for a continuity of education allowance which contributes towards residential and/or tuition fees up to a cap, with a required family share of ten percent for each eligible child. Welsh Conservative Senedd member the politician commented "personnel of the UK military move around the nation and the globe, and the MoD have always sought to guarantee that their kids have access to consistency in education". "Although we fully support Welsh-language teaching throughout the country, it's important to remember there are two official languages in our country, the English tongue and Welsh, and local councils and education authorities should provide for each." "Parents should always have the option to select the language in which their kids are instructed." The Welsh party's learning representative the assembly member stated "not only is this a total misuse of funding, it is an insult to our language". "I cannot think of any justifiable cause to be allocating these funds annually, on preventing young people living in Wales from having the chance to acquire the Welsh language." "Dual-language ability enhances experience and supports the growth of youth, but the UK government is clearly unaware to this." "This money is a clear illustration of the attitude of the Westminster parties regarding the nation and the Welsh language - namely ignorance and disrespect."