Here’s the response of Rodney Berman, Welsh Liberal Democrats candidate in the constituency of Caerdydd Ffynnon Taf, to the email about Welsh-medium education. The response was received on 30 April 2026.
1. Cymraeg i bawb / Welsh for all
The Welsh Liberal Democrats strongly support access to Welsh-medium education being available for everyone who wants it, and we would support affirming that as a right.
I would therefore be very happy to commit to supporting the proposal that all immigrants and asylum seekers and their families should have early and easy access to Welsh-medium education should they wish it. I would also be very happy to commit to supporting the target of creating on million Welsh speakers by 2050.
I have been a strong supporter of Welsh-medium education throughout my political career as a councillor in Cardiff. For the past 26 years I have had the privilege of serving on the governing body of my local Welsh-medium primary school, Ysgol y Berllan Deg, which I joined when it was a newly-established school without any building of its own. I have seen it evolve into a thriving, community school which is a great asset to its local area.
During my time as the leader of Cardiff Council (2004-2012), I took forward the plan that was already underway to establish Ysgol Glan Morfa and my Liberal Democrat-led administration subsequently brought forward plans which led to the establishment of a further four Welsh-medium primary schools in the city – Ysgol Glan Ceubal, Ysgol Nant Caerau, Ysgol Pen y Groes and Ysgol Pen y Pil. We also brought forward the plan that led to the establishment of the city’s third Welsh-medium high school, Ysgol Bro Edern.
2. Welsh-medium All-Age School (3-19) for Butetown, Grangetown and surrounding areas
I have already expressed my support publicly to the campaign for a Welsh-medium high school for the south of the city, including for communities in Butetown and Grangetown, and have urged Cardiff Council to take steps to bring this forward. Should I be elected to the Senedd on 7 May, I would continue to argue that Cardiff should be providing local Welsh-medium high school provision for all parts of the city at every compass point and taking active steps to do so.
In recent months, I have personally organised, collected and submitted a petition to Cardiff Council of around 1200 signatures. This has called on the council to bring forward plans to deliver a Welsh-medium high school for the south of the city, whilst ruling out the option of achieving this by relocating Ysgol Bro Edern away from the east of the city. I hope this serves to demonstrate my commitment to this issue.
3. Protect, and invest in, Ysgol Gyfun Gymraeg Bro Edern
I would unequivocally state that Ysgol Gyfun Gymraeg Bro Edern should not be moved from the heart of the east Cardiff community, and would fully support the call for the school’s resources to be upgraded so the school has high-quality buildings that are fit for teaching purposes in the 21st century. In recent months I have already been campaigning for repairs to be undertaken to the school’s hall so it can be brought back into full use.
As I indicated above, I have already taken a leading role in the campaign against the option being considered by Cardiff’s Labour-run council to relocate the school to the south of the city, and have argued against that publicly at meetings of the council’s cabinet as well as at meetings of the full council.
I would reiterate that I have personally organised, collected and submitted a petition to Cardiff Council of around 1200 signatures. This has called on the council to bring forward plans to deliver a Welsh-medium high school for the south of the city, whilst ruling out the option of achieving this by relocating Ysgol Bro Edern away from the east of the city.
4. Investment programme
I would fully support the need to invest in all existing three Welsh-medium high schools in the city to ensure that the buildings can provide a much better quality environment for pupils. More investment is required in a number of school buildings in Cardiff, but it is important that our Welsh-medium high schools in Cardiff are not allowed to become the poor relation in terms of building quality in relation to their English-medium counterparts.
5. A programme of growth
Having previously overseen one of the biggest expansions of Welsh-medium education in Cardiff during my time as council leader between 2004 and 2012, I would certainly support any further expansion necessary in order to meet any growing future demand for Welsh-medium education in the city. It is important that all families have the option to send their children to a school which can educate them through the medium of Welsh should they so choose. It is important the council fulfils its responsibilities under the Welsh Language and Education (Wales) Act 2025, and I would be happy to commit to pressing for it to do so.