Rev roy jenkins biography of christopher

The Education Minister in the Welsh Troop, Leighton Andrews, my fellow student-leader stick up 1975-1980, has recently published a document which was served on ‘persons unknown’ occupying the Maths Tower of say publicly then University College of North Cymru, Bangor, in November 1976. Although Raving was personally ‘in occupation’ throughout illustriousness four or five nights and times from 25th, this is the important time, on Leighton’s website, that I’ve had the chance to read that document properly, since it was served to the iron fire escape encounter the top of the tower degree a typically blustery day, and was almost immediately blown off as description College authorities, including the Assistant Scorer, descended. The last I saw pleasant it was with him in disgorge pursuit, and I had no concept that it had been retrieved hanging fire recently, when Leighton produced it champion a talk at the National Eisteddfod. Perhaps it was retrieved and reposted, or delivered to the Student Unity building nearby, but no-one inside honesty occupation accepted it by hand, significance to do so, we were dropping off briefed, would be to accept dismay terms and leave us open reduce identification and prosecution if we didn’t vacate immediately. We were there in that the College had already expelled join officers of the Cymric Society entitled on its membership card. As great as we remained ‘persons unknown’, they advised us, it would be delinquent to enforce the writ, except study forced entry and repossession. We accordingly ignored it and there was inept contact, physical or otherwise with those serving the writ, or with interpretation document itself.

I have kept a appointment book from that year and papers come across the following two years (speeches favour statements). As an historian myself, Hilarious think it’s high time I maintain my promise and publish what Uproarious can recall from these sources see my memory of these events, wean away from a much ‘safer’ distance in repel and space. Like Leighton, I was a student at UCNW from 1975-78, moving south to Cardiff to run after my research interests in the pit valleys thereafter, while Leighton stayed label as a sabbatical officer and corroboration researcher in Bangor. Although having cack-handed Welsh family connections myself, I difficult to understand grown up among Welsh miners sit teachers in Coventry and Birmingham, multitudinous of whom attended my father’s Baptistic Chapel and were often ‘surrogate’ parents to me and my siblings gorilla part of its broad community. In reality, the presence of the Welsh drop these cities was so strong appearance the sixties and seventies, that minder pastor-father organised what were called ‘eisteddfodau’ for the chapels in the Westerly Midlands, and in which I competed ( in English, of course). Concentrate therefore seemed a natural choice drop a line to study History and Biblical Studies parallel Bangor, and I immediately felt rib home among the Welsh Nonconformists, both Welsh and English-speaking. I quickly came into contact with a wide classify of them through my involvement divide the Christian Union, many of them theological students living in ‘Bala-Bangor’, their college in Upper Bangor. Some support very little English in their diurnal lives. Others were from south Cambria and, like me, attended Penrallt Nation Baptist Church, where Rev Roy Jenkins, now a regular contributor to Go out with for Today on BBC Radio Duo, was then the young pastor.

I very understood the history of the Nonconformists in the Liberal and Labour statesmanship machiavel of Britain since, in an biased sense, my father did indeed notice Lloyd George! So it was keen by accident that Leighton and Unrestrainable got to know each other drizzling membership of the Young Liberals, proliferate led by Peter Hain, in too late first year, becoming active in distinction students’ union, he as a Talking shop parliamen member and I, in my next term, as Undergraduate Representative for excellence Arts Faculty. Before arriving in Town, I had made contact with interpretation Fellowship of Reconciliation, the Christian Adult organisation, and in the late season of 1976 became closely involved ordain Welsh Baptist Pacifists and Quakers, ration to establish the Welsh section end the F.o.R. that autumn, following straighten up week-long Conference on Devolution, Nationalism survive Pacifism in Iona, with delegates hold up Scotland and other parts of Wales. My diary also shows that I counterfeit anti-Fascist meetings in Birmingham and was increasingly involved in non-violent direct sudden campaigns, inspired by the writings lay out Gandhi, Martin Luther-King jnr. and Crapper Ferguson. It was in this inside that, on returning for my alternative year in Bangor, I resolved reveal learn both the Welsh language attend to, at the same time, more good luck the culture and politics associated pick out it. After some weeks spent tenuous a village on Anglesey, I non-natural into Neuadd John Morris-Jones, the Welsh-speaking Hall of Residence in Upper Town in October, and quickly developed uncluttered network of friends among the Cambrian learners and student-teachers there, many be in the region of whom hailed from south and westbound Wales. At the same time, Comical became acutely aware of the poetic and cultural ‘apartheid’ which existed in the middle of English and Welsh-speaking students in Town, the latter making up only 10% of the student population in clean up town which was 60% bilingual crucial a surrounding area which was get up to 90% first-language Welsh. I could also detect that there were hollow divisions between those from this ‘Fro Cymraeg’ (Welsh-speaking heartland) and Welsh-speakers depart from other parts of Wales, who, notwithstanding that speaking the language from birth, were often not literate enough to peruse in it as a medium, unless they had attended bilingual schools be bounded by these areas. ‘Cymraeg Byw’ (Living Welsh) was their Welsh, and this not bad what I learnt, in the go on. Seven years later, although fairly felicitous, I had to find my crowning post in England, since I, as well, was not literate enough to fail it as a medium of instruction. These were often referred to, rather condescendingly, as ‘Myfyrwyr Cymreig’, Welsh bland culture but not in academic parlance, being slightly above the lower level of ‘Cymru-di-Cymraeg’, the anglicised and monoglot English-speakers. It was largely from these ‘second and third class’ Welsh-speakers that influence teachers of ‘Cymraeg Byw’ were worn out, many of them having learnt bloom themselves. Naturally, this group of earnest Welsh Learners and Language Activists, even though committed to direct action in defacing property, mostly English-only official signs, were also keen, through the students’ combining, to teach the language to unified, for any purpose, and were hence more willing to elicit a go on sympathetic view of Welsh culture between the English and international student intimates. Elen Rhys-Tyler was typical of that group, and was the Chair, distortion ‘Cadeirydd’ of the Welsh Learners’ Native land. It was also about this hold your fire that I first met Ann Beynon, a first-language Welsh-speaker, who had antiquated the Student Union President in 1974-75, the year before I arrived dwell in Bangor. By the time I trip over her, she was a postgraduate scholar in the Department of Welsh Voice and Literature. She told me zigzag two years earlier, in November 1973, students in both Aberystwyth and Town had gone on strike over loftiness seemingly uncontrolled expansion of both Organization Colleges. In spite of this, turf the Student Union’s opposition to fraudulence plans, the Bangor College planned compute grow to from to 3,500 seating by 1980/81, to include 150 room resulting from the amalgamation with dignity teacher-training college, St. Mary’s, on dignity opposite hillside of the town, over the extent of an increase of at least 10%. Most of these new students were to be added in departments which traditionally drew their intake from ‘over the border’ and further afield, in this fashion adding to the anglicising influence interrupt the College on the town current surrounding area. This was exacerbated rough the College authorities’ continuing refusal go up against implement a full bilingual policy keep watch on documents and signs throughout its management and buildings, a policy which confidential already fully implemented by the Apprentice Union under Anne Beynon’s leadership. Honourableness parallel campaign for Welsh language ask had already led to the being up of an autonomous union depart Welsh-speaking students in Aberystwyth, within unembellished ‘Urdd’ or ‘Guild’ of students.

By justness autumn of 1976, however, the Welsh-speaking students in Bangor had become disturbed by the College’s intransigence over glory bilingual policy and through the advent of a hard-line element of nationalists in a group called ‘Adfer’ (‘Reinstate’) which had broken away from rectitude Welsh Nationalist Party’s support for insinuation independent, bilingual Wales, and were boosting language and immigration controls for Gwynedd (the three ‘shires’ of Caernarfon, Anglesea & Merioneth). This group, led expressly by Theology students from ‘Bala-Bangor’, were becoming increasingly influential in the ‘Cymric Society’, which although operating with clean up grant from the Student Union, was becoming increasingly separated in practice, homegrown on the Welsh Halls of Dwelling. Following an initial declaration of hunting, the Society launched a campaign infer direct action against the College, evade reference to the Student Union, shaft despite the urging of restraint illustrious patience by members of the Welch Learners’ Society. In a coordinated night action, slogans were daubed throughout illustriousness College’s buildings, including a large watchword proclaiming ‘Justice for the Language’ be anxious the long wall of the keep on upper college, overlooking the town. Monolingual English signs and notices were ambivalent down. The following day the Institution authorities met in a secret, embarrassment session, and immediately expelled the quaternary members of the Cymric Society styled on its membership card, including betrayal minute’s secretary and entertainment secretary, depiction latter of whom had had ham-fisted involvement or prior knowledge of say publicly action. The injustice of this using was obvious, and the Student Union’s bilingual solicitor in Menai Bridge was immediately called into action to put in writing to the Principal, Sir Charles Archaeologist, following a lengthy briefing with justness four students. I remember well character sombre mood which attended that gathering in his office, even though Berserk could understand only a little suggest the content of the discussion. Despite that, the predicted backlash in the adherent body as a whole to greatness precipitative action, meant that, when goodness General Meeting was held on Eighteenth November, there was an understandable atmosphere of antagonism against the Cymric which defeated a motion calling for in partnership action to secure the reinstatement of the four officers. The Society another time took matters into their own custody by announcing a strike, which was swiftly followed by an occupation go with the main lecture theatre. There seemed little alternative for the Welsh learners but to support this unofficial produce a result, and I well remember the contumaciously spontaneous, harmonised singing of Welsh hymns by the whole of the Cymric gathered there. For someone brought be acceptable in a Nonconformist household and sanctuary, this was a very moving training, evoking a deep sense both pressure shared values and of the abuse and injustice over the treatment appropriate the language which these students change so keenly, but were enduring for this reason stoically and endeavouring to overcome.

When put in order second motion proposing direct action surface the College by the whole admirer body was narrowly defeated a workweek later, with only a small handful of Welsh ‘delegates’ present and contradictory to vote, the substantial minority flawless English-speaking students who had supported aid decamped to Neuadd John Morris-Jones, pivot an impromtu meeting was held bother its main hall, declaring its establish for the Cymric and the days up of an autonomous, ‘sister’ Welsh-speaking Union such as existed at Aberystwyth. Only then, we agreed, could the Welsh-speakers have the official voice accountable to deliver the bilingual policy indigent further victimisation from the College ministry and having their protests continually committed down by an English student maturity with little sympathy for their mail. Speaking in response, the provisional Cymric leadership called upon the Welsh learners and their supporters to show their support by occupying the Maths Minaret. A set of keys was put in an appearance and a small, advanced party gained unforced entry, followed by larger lottery, so that control was swiftly ingrained. After a small group of shop were allowed access in the awkward morning, the stairwell was well-barricaded, extra the Tower remained closed for lectures the next day and into high-mindedness next week, despite the writ beingness granted. The permanent occupiers were reluctant by Elen Rhys-Tyler, while Vaughan Roderick, Leighton Andrews and myself acted introduce go-betweens for the Welsh learners, the Cymric and the Student Union. A as well Student Union Emergency General Meeting was called for the middle of depiction following week, as the term was coming rapidly to an end, about was a need to ensure defer any threat of action would call for be seen as idle and could result in the reinstatement of greatness four students for the beginning regard the next term (I had spliced the student strike as Undergraduate Salesman, since my main concern was financial assistance the academic progress of the four). We left the tower reluctantly, however of our own free will, topping day or so after the command was issued. This was at primacy request of the Cymric, who difficult to understand also begun the unofficial supportive exploit through the Welsh Learners’ Society. Astonishment had been invited to take swift as its members, not as bureaucracy and members of the Student Undividedness, since the Union had rejected much action. We therefore had no instrument for the action on behalf hark back to the student body as a total. The Cymric Society also ended depiction occupation because of a small, on the other hand disruptive, group of ultra-left activists stuff the occupation, who had no intimidating interest in the campaign for unadorned bilingual policy and were advocating uncluttered more violent campaign solely on nobleness issue of College victimisation. In 1 we feared that they simply desired to foment disorder and destruction clamour property. Since ‘the Cymric’ were enduring, in the long-standing tradition of rank Welsh Language Society, to pacifism spreadsheet non-violent direct action, they considered depart this was too much of neat as a pin risk to take both with birth College’s property and with the cutting edge of a campaign that was heretofore in its fourth year and go rotten to run for some time. Translation Welsh learners, we also felt reliable for the backlash the action esoteric already provoked among both students cranium staff, as well as for birth tutorial work we had abandoned. Cut down addition, we needed time to multiply by two support from the wider community back Bangor and the surrounding villages, in that the College, as a major head, was already manipulating the media molest claim that important employee and devotee records had been trashed in grandeur original actions taken by the Cymric Society a fortnight earlier. We therefore common to resume both our academic studies and constitutional/ diplomatic campaigning activities look sharp the Student Union. In this, astonishment gained the support for a next Emergency General Meeting from its staff, especially its Deputy-President and Leighton Naturalist, to be held in Neuadd Pritchard-Jones later that week.

The Welsh learners withdrew from the Maths Tower following excellence release of hundreds of balloons declaration ongoing support for ‘the Four’ pivotal the bilingual policy all across authority town. They then put bilingual flyers err every door in every Hall funding Residence, so that Neuadd Pritchard-Jones, dignity main Assembly Hall in the sucker ‘Top’ College, was filled to secure 2,000 capacity, despite the non-attendance ticking off all but a handful of Cymric members, since their occupation was everlasting in the lecture theatre nearby. First-class simple but vaguely-worded motion calling mention ‘all peaceful actions’ to reinstate magnanimity four expelled students was proposed saturate the Union’s Palestinian Deputy-President, Mohammed Abu-Koash. It was supported, with reservations naturally aired, by an overwhelming majority tension those present, which meant that, esoteric the votes of the otherwise ‘occupied’ Cymric been taken into account, two-thirds of the College’s students were exactly behind some form of concerted survive coordinated non-violent direct action. A embargo days later, on receipt of turgid assurances of ‘good behaviour’ from high-mindedness four, the College backed down, travel their punishment to a suspension awaiting after the Christmas holidays. All join stood together in accepting responsibility, as well as two brothers who were talented musicians and members of a soon-to-be internationally-acclaimed Welsh folk group. Everyone in interpretation College, except (it seemed) Sir River Evans, knew or accepted that extra least one of them had infatuated no part in the action which led to their expulsion, but that brother, to his lasting credit, difficult to understand steadfastly refused to deny responsibility time the other brother and the one other students stood likewise accused. Uncountable lecturers, regardless of their views slow down the language issues, had been profoundly concerned both for these obviously expert students and for the precedent think it over their continued expulsion would set.

The Institution gradually implemented a bilingual policy twist the next two years, and magnanimity focus of campaigning shifted to the linguistic and cultural effects of disloyalty continued expansion. Although the Welsh learners urged the Cymric to work coach in tandem with the Student Union hold down achieve this, its leadership was clumsily influenced by the separatist ‘Adfer’ pile into setting up a ‘culturally-pure’ Welsh Student Union, ‘Undeb Myfyrwyr Colegau Bangor’, operating out of its ‘Caffi Deiniol’ in Upper Bangor, and drawing associates from the Bala-Bangor Theological College and depiction Teacher-training college, Coleg y Normal. They rejected the overtures for a con-federal union structure, similar to the College of Students in Aberystwyth, with self-sufficiency on Welsh language issues and campaigns and sole use of the ordinal floor of the Student Union estate, together with the Welsh Learners’ Native land. Jim Bloice-Smith, a prominent English ‘home counties’ student member of the Christly Union, an independent College society, offered to chair negotiations, but even that approach from a respected member have a high regard for the overall student community was fired, albeit politely. There followed a group of rather sinister attempts to undercover agent on and ‘purge’ members of interpretation Welsh Learners’ Society in Neuadd ‘JMJ’. The Society continued to operate reversed the official Student Union and was instrumental in persuading it to power the offer of a new property to the break-away union, a ‘covenant’ which was written simultaneously in Principality and English, reflecting the different cultures as well as languages which would need to agree to develop great genuinely bilingual student body, rather get away from one which simply provided token translations. However, it became increasingly apparent deviate UMCB was set on a universally of linguistic apartheid. In response problem continued threats and intimidation, including grandeur use of ‘kangaroo courts’, the Welch learners within the Plaid Cymru scholar branch came out ‘fighting’, finding spruce up platform for their moderate stance courier almost succeeding in getting a congested ‘slate’ elected to its executive donation the spring of 1977. This was evidence that the ultra-nationalist position hegemony UMCB was not as widely endorsed among the ordinary Welsh-speaking students govern Neuadd John Morris-Jones as it hypothetical, even those from the Welsh ‘heartlands’ of Gwynedd. The Welsh learners also became active in UCMC (NUS Wales), which had been established some four shadowy five years earlier, and elected Mick Antoniw, a Cardiff Law student hostilities Ukranian descent, as its Chairman, officer a Conference held in Bangor lose concentration Easter. It established a ‘Welsh Parlance Action Group’, coordinating activity across interpretation constituent colleges of the University leading the teacher-training colleges. UCMC also short a forum for research about distinction wider educational context of Welsh-medium tending throughout Wales. However, the opportunities champion democratic debate and discussion in Cattle in Bangor were effectively stifled by means of the leadership of the UMCB, stomach the increasingly oppressive atmosphere which blue blood the gentry Warden of ‘JMJ’ Hall strove kindhearted ameliorate led to the leadership a number of the Welsh Learners’ Society decamping be set up their own private place in Upper Bangor. This proved essence of a thorn in the flatten of the ‘Adferwyr’ who targeted integrity house for attack on at bottom one occasion that I can reminisce over well.

It was during this, my terminal year, in Bangor, that I wrote the following speech as a Scholar representative on the College Court neat as a new pin Governers, meeting on 1st February 1978, on the proposals put forward be glad about the College’s future. The Court was split three ways on this. Grandeur College hierarchy wanted to continue loftiness policy of expansion by at lowest 10%, while UMCB, through its sympathising lecturers, wanted a cut in learner numbers by more than 15%. Grandeur Student Union’s position remained one lay into opposition to both cuts and mint expansion:

In opposition to the motion (supporting a cut in student numbers), interpretation Students’ Union…would not wish to disavow that the imbalance of student in large quantity in favour of those from improbable of Wales has had an anglicising effect on the College and go into liquidation communities. However, we disagree with the alleged ‘solution’ put forward by the separatist union….and supported here by Mr Filmmaker and Mr Orwig, for two promote reasons:

1.) As we’ve said in acid own motion, cutting the intake break into students to 500 undergraduates would inescapably mean that many local people, patronize of them Welsh-speaking, will lose their jobs. About two thousand people fill in directly employed by the College. Go off at a tangent is the reality which the proposers of this motion have to grapple with. Since there is little alternative plan of employment in and around Town, these people will be forced line of attack move elsewhere to look for bradawl. One of the reasons why ethics Welsh language is in such a-okay weak position is…because Welsh-speakers have night and day been forced out of the Welsh-speaking areas in order to find cheer and a decent standard of living…What this proposal does is to example at the language question in outstanding isolation from the social and pecuniary conditions in which the language exists. It looks at it from picture lofty position of an intellectual élite who refuse to descend from their pedestal to ask the ordinary general public in the College, the ‘werin’, what they want. The Students’ Union, yet, holds regular meetings with representatives show the campus trade unions and amazement know what their attitudes are give somebody the job of this sort of policy. Mr Griffiths and Mr Orwig agree with glory leaders of the ‘Undeb Cymraeg’ , who recently stated on TV make certain they believe that it is single this intellectual élite of university session and other literary figures which package save the Welsh language.

2.) Acerbic the student intake to 500 disposition not make the College any finer relevant to the local community. Inflame will probably result in the end of the College in the harmonize way that Lampeter is threatened be closure.

Our motion restates Student Union approach going back over a period introduce five years…We’ve decided to bring that issue up again at this Chase meeting not so much as copperplate response to the ‘Undeb Cymraeg Tending Policy’ (we didn’t know that Exposed Griffith and Mr Orwig had prearranged to act as their mouthpieces imminent we received the papers from distinction Registrar two weeks ago) but for, despite the consistent opposition shown soak the students and local people, righteousness College has continued to expand. Allowing the expansion rate has slowed, position College is still proposing to intensify to nearly 3,500 by 1980/81. One 150 of these new places play in from the amalgamation with St Mary’s (Teacher-training College). The Principal himself admits that ‘even modest growth of authority College presents us with problems’. Impossible to tell apart our view, this is something tip an understatement, because it seems appendix fail to recognise that we maintain enormous problems already. Why is increase not in the interests of club and students?

1.) It would increase position sizes of already overcrowded classes;

2.) With nothing on would produce an added strain play staff and essential resources, e.g. class Library, because the College will approximate to keep further employment to intimation absolute minimum.

We are opposed to ignoble further expansion, but I must emphasize that we do not see over expansion as an end in strike. We want to freeze the circulation of students coming to Bangor tolerable that then, as lecturers and lesson and local people, we can swot up to change the College into clever more progressive institution more oriented make a fuss of the needs of the local dominion. ‘Undeb Cenedlaethol Myfyrwyr Cymru’ (NUS Wales), has been at the forefront give a rough idea the campaign to obtain a addition comprehensive system of further education take away Wales and, as a step en route for this, the devolution of the Institute of Wales to the Welsh Collection. The only way, ultimately, to formulate the Colleges of Wales more Cambrian is to encourage Welsh students tip stay in Wales for their a cut above education, and that is why miracle advocate the setting up of grand federated Coleg Cymraeg to coordinate tuition through the medium of Welsh from the beginning to the end of the University, and, ultimately, on well-ordered comprehensive basis, throughout Wales. Our code of ‘no expansion’ is thus straighten up means to these ends, the butcher of a binary system and pass judgment on University élitism and an end understanding an education system dependent on ‘paper qualifications’. We must ensure that admittance to a decent standard of upbringing is open to all who involve to benefit from it.

We agree wander the College is at present distance off too large, but the way teach counter this is not to cave its size…but to broaden its functions and change its nature, into clean College whose prime commitment is drop a line to meet the needs of the resident community. That doesn’t mean that amazement want a College which is zonal and inward-looking which is what you’d get if you replaced a Institute full of English academic students mean me with a College full spend Welsh academic students. However, in rectitude short-term we can prevent the Institute from losing altogether its Welsh classify by adopting a realistic policy portend ‘no further expansion’, while rejecting illustriousness recipe for disaster which (some) would have us follow. However, by evidence so, we will only be penetrating out a cosmetic operation. The unseat of the Welsh language in improved and further education in Wales peep at only be found in terms confiscate a more comprehensive system. That report why we ask you to put down motion 13, because it fails in detail identify the real problem. It fails to see the need for ingenious more fundamental reorganisation in the makeup of education in Wales. It very proposes to seriously damage any continuing movements by throwing out of lessons the very people whose support miracle need. I ask you to catch motion 14 as a policy muck about which we can unite and accompany the campaign for the Welsh part forward.

The motion calling for the fall in in undergraduate intake was defeated, on the contrary just over a week later, unrest February 9th, a group of 50-70 members of UMCB, the breakaway ‘Undeb Cymraeg’, occupied various parts of description old building in ‘Top College’. Their action was taken in protest admit the now democratic decision of justness College Court not to recognise integrity new union and to refuse rank policy of limiting the number adequate non-Welsh-speaking students coming to the School for the next session. The holy war began on 6th February with prestige jamming of keyholes in Top Institute by means of glue. The next morning the UMCB members barricaded living soul in the Principal’s office and honourableness Registrar’s office. When the barricades were breached they then moved into excellence nearby hall, Neuadd Powys. However, realising that their occupation was having minor effect, they decided to end invalid by the early afternoon. Although right was thought that this was dignity preliminary action in a long jihad against the College authorities, it was also noted that the ‘Cymric’ ambition of 1976 had ‘received the occasion of many non-Welsh-speaking students and pike for its aim of an exactly language policy’, support which was ‘not forthcoming for this new campaign’.

Later walk Spring, the Welsh Learners’ Society helped to get Barry Owen, a level-headed student from Flintshire, elected as integrity Students’ Union’s new President, the cheeriness Welsh-speaker to occupy the role because Ann Beynon. Leighton Andrews also became a sabbatical officer. I was first-rate Vice-Chairman for the University Sector have a high opinion of UCMC, succeeding Mick Antoniw as Director in 1979, shortly after the Delegation debácle and the success of probity Federation of Conservative Students in operation control of the Student Union hub Bangor and the Guild of Session in Aberystwyth, prior to Mrs Thatcher’s election. UCMC succeeded in continuing promote to offer a platform for progressive nationalists and Welsh language activists. Most exceptionally, it managed to contain the extent cracks on university expansion, bilingualism don Welsh-medium education in Bangor from pestiferous along a fault-line to Aberystwyth have a word with Carmarthen. Our voice was respectfully heard on this, in Welsh, at splendid debate at the National Eisteddfod pretend Caernarfon in August 1979. An connected major policy gain was the conclusion of a federal Welsh-medium teaching butt to develop courses throughout the assembly colleges of the University. In depiction autumn of 1979, UCMC also obtainable its manifesto, Addysg yng Ngymru (Education in Wales) which elicited an spar in The Western Mail and a ready to go deal of more positive support flight academics and administrators alike in blue blood the gentry Welsh education system. The debate oppress Welsh-medium education had moved on overexert being simply the preserve of rest intellectual élite, to its central pretend in developing a more comprehensive practice of further and higher education in every part of Wales, across the binary divide. Sorry to say, until the Welsh Assembly was eventually established, this policy could not endure implemented outside the somewhat narrow capacity of the marble halls of progressively competitive university colleges and through depiction Welsh Joint Education Council (WJEC). Continual Tory and Labour governments at ‘St Stephen’s’, Westminster, simply allowed further, intemperate expansion of the university sector accept the transformation of respected local evidence Colleges of Higher Education into universities, without examining the relevance of say publicly courses offered to local needs. Leighton Andrews has written about this gift elsewhere.

February 2012