MoD Spends Millions on Private Education to Bypass Welsh Teaching
The MoD allocates approximately one million pounds each year to send children to independent schools in north Wales because "state schools provide some or all lessons in the Welsh tongue".
It paid £1,019,000 in educational stipend in the northern region for 83 children of service personnel in 2024-2025, and £942,000 for 79 children in 2023-2024 under a longstanding practice.
A spokesperson said "service children can experience regular relocations" and the allowance "seeks to minimize disruption to their education".
The Welsh party described it as a "complete waste of funds" and "an insult to our language" while the Tory party argued parents should be able to choose the language in which their children are taught.
These numbers were acquired following a inquiry under the public records law.
The website of the military installation on Anglesey tells its workforce, "for those residing and working in north Wales, where state schools teach some or all classes in the Welsh language, you may choose to send your children to an English-medium private institution".
"As long as you are joined by your family at your duty station, you can use this benefit to cover the expense of school charges, field study trips/residential educational courses and daily transport."
A defense ministry representative told, "the aim of the educational stipend in the northern region (the allowance) is to assist service families stationed to the area, where the Welsh tongue is the main language of local state education".
"As mobility is a aspect of service life, military kids can face frequent moves and the this allowance seeks to minimize interference to their education."
"The ministry supports the sacrifices service personnel, and their families make, and through the stipend assists with the expenses of independent day schooling provided in English."
'Where teaching is bilingual or non-English'
The allowance includes tuition fees up to a maximum of twenty-two thousand seven hundred fifty-five pounds a year, £7,585 each semester, and is available to people living in the regions of the county, the area, Gwynedd, Anglesey or the district and serving in one of the following establishments:
- The military base, Anglesey
- The combined forces alpine training facility, Anglesey
- Joint Services Mountain Training Wing, Llanrwst
- The university military training program (the corps), Bangor detachment, Caernarfon
The qualifying private schools are Treffos institution, the village, the island; Rydal Penrhos Prep school in Colwyn Bay; St Gerard's, Bangor and St David's College, Llandudno.
The applicable joint service publication states that "disbursement of the allowance is restricted to those regions where teaching in the public system is on a dual-language or non-English foundation".
Personnel stationed in other locations in the three branches of the military - the ground forces, the Royal Navy and the Royal Air Force - can claim a educational continuity benefit which contributes towards boarding and/or school charges up to a maximum rate, with a minimum parental contribution of ten percent for each eligible child.
Tory assembly representative the politician commented "members of the UK military relocate across the nation and the world, and the MoD have always sought to guarantee that their children have access to consistency in schooling".
"Although we fully support Welsh-medium education throughout Wales, it's important to remember there are dual recognized tongues in our country, English and the Welsh language, and local councils and education authorities should accommodate each."
"Parents should always have the option to decide the language in which their children are instructed."
Plaid Cymru's learning representative the assembly member stated "not only is this a total misuse of money, it is a slight to our tongue".
"I cannot think of any valid reason to be spending these funds annually, on blocking young people residing in Wales from having the opportunity to learn the Welsh language."
"Dual-language ability enriches life and supports the growth of young people, but the UK government is clearly blind to this."
"This money is a clear illustration of the attitude of the UK political groups towards the nation and the Welsh language - namely unawareness and disrespect."
