Cornish Language and Heritage (Education and Recognition)

I beg to move,

That leave be given to bring in a Bill to make provision about the teaching and promotion of the Cornish language in educational institutions; to make provision about the recognition of the Cornish language and Cornish heritage; and for connected purposes.

Today is not just about preserving the Cornish language, or Kernewek in Cornish; it is about protecting a cultural identity that is woven into the fabric of Cornwall’s past, present and our future. Cornish can be traced back 4,000 years. Over that time, Cornish speakers were driven further west due to conflicts and invasions from Europe, but it was our fishermen who kept the language alive until it faded in the 18th century. Despite this, Cornish was officially recognised as a regional language by the UK Government in 2002 under part 2 of the European charter for regional or minority languages.

This was a landmark moment, affirming that Cornish—alongside Welsh, Scottish Gaelic, Irish, Scots and Ulster Scots—is a language to be protected and promoted. The UK Government have committed to supporting those languages, yet Cornish remains at part 2 status while four of the other five Celtic languages have part 3 protection, which offers stronger commitments in areas such as education, public life and the media. In November 2024, the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages issued recommendations urging the UK Government to take stronger measures to support minority languages, including enhancing educational provision and promoting language awareness. This Bill would work in lockstep with those recommendations and strengthen the UK’s commitment to linguistic diversity.

Recognition of Kernewek is growing, but it needs sustained support. Cornwall council and the Cornish National Minority Working Group have championed its survival through initiatives such as Go Cornish, which now reaches over 8,000 primary school children in 51 schools, including Dobwalls community primary and Menheniot primary school in South East Cornwall, yet Cornish is still not formally embedded in secondary or higher education. A GCSE in Cornish once existed, but was discontinued in 1996. The option to learn should always be available, and the Government’s own charter commitments state that minority language education should be strengthened, and we must ensure that learning Cornish is a viable, accessible option—not a requirement, but a choice for those who wish to engage with their cultural heritage.

Teaching Cornish should not be an added burden for overstretched schools, but rather an exciting opportunity for students who wish to learn. The Go Cornish programme proves that effective teaching can be done without increasing teacher workload, as it provides structured resources, sound files and low administration learning models. It aligns with Ofsted’s cultural capital framework, which encourages schools to celebrate cultural traditions and histories. Beyond schools, there must be provision to provide lifelong learning opportunities. At present, hundreds of people sign up for Kernewek classes each year, and universities such as Exeter and Cambridge have previously offered Kernewek courses. If Welsh and Gaelic can be successfully integrated into higher education, why not Cornish?