\u201cTHERE was an attitude that we should only speak English and that Welsh was just a silly language,\u201d said Karen Akinci, 51, reminiscing on her school days at Oakdale Comprehensive School in Caerphilly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThe education system in Wales was pretty dire, I feel like in that generation we missed something,\u201d said Stewart Sumner-Smith who grew up in Swansea during the 70s.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
These are the voices of just two of the many who feel that a lack of Welsh-medium education robbed them of a language.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
However, five years after the Welsh Government set the target of one million Welsh speakers by 2050, people are still calling for better Welsh-medium education provision.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
One of these is 41-year-old campaigner Carl Morris who grew up in Cardiff where he feels that he missed the opportunity to connect with the language.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThe Welsh language felt like something that belonged more to the North or West Wales.” <\/p>\n\n\n\n
– Carl Morris<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Credit: Senedd Cymru<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n
<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThe Welsh language felt like something that belonged more to the North or West Wales,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
He recalled the two hours of second language Welsh lessons he received every week and the disappointment of it barely being enough to learn any Welsh.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cAt best it was a bit of a taster, it felt very restrictive,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
It was through this shared frustration that Mr Morris connected with a group of peers who felt they had also been deprived of an opportunity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWe came together to voice that opinion of I Wish I Spoke Welsh,” he recalled. \u201cIt\u2019s not just me, it\u2019s a large proportion of the population.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWe describe Wales as a modern democracy with its own Senedd, but it doesn\u2019t give everyone the opportunity to learn the official language.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThe system is failing the children.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n