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The MoD spends approximately one million pounds each year to place children to private schools in north Wales because "public schools teach various lessons in the Welsh language".

It paid over one million pounds in day school allowance in the northern region for 83 children of service personnel in 2024-2025, and nearly one million pounds for 79 children in the previous year under a established practice.

A spokesperson said "service children can experience frequent moves" and the stipend "seeks to reduce interruption to their schooling".

Plaid Cymru described it as a "complete waste of money" and "a disrespect to our tongue" while the Tory party said parents should be able to choose the medium in which their children are taught.

These numbers were acquired following a request under the public records law.

The online portal of the military installation on the island informs its workforce, "for those residing and working in north Wales, where public schools teach some or all classes in the Welsh language, you can opt to enroll your kids to an English-language independent school".

"Provided you are joined by your family at your duty station, you can use this allowance to pay for the expense of school charges, field study trips/residential learning programs and daily transport."

A defense ministry representative told, "the purpose of Day School Allowance in North Wales (DSA-NW) is to assist service families posted to the region, where the Welsh tongue is the primary medium of local state education".

"As mobility is a part of military career, military kids can encounter frequent moves and from DSA-NW aims to minimize disruption to their learning."

"The MoD acknowledges the sacrifices military members, and their relatives undertake, and from DSA-NW helps with the costs of independent day schooling provided in English."

'In Areas With Bilingual or Non-English Instruction'

The allowance includes tuition fees up to a limit of £22,755 a year, £7,585 per term, and is available to personnel residing in the counties of the county, Denbighshire, Gwynedd, Anglesey or the district and serving in these specific locations:

• RAF Valley, Anglesey
• The combined forces alpine training facility, the island
• Joint Services Mountain Training Wing, Llanrwst
• The university military training program (the corps), Bangor detachment, the city

The eligible private schools are Treffos institution, the village, Anglesey; Rydal Penrhos preparatory institution in the town; St Gerard's school, the city and St David's institution, Llandudno.

The relevant military policy document confirms that "payment of the allowance is restricted to those areas where instruction in the state sector is on a bilingual or non-English foundation".

People serving elsewhere in the multiple services of the armed forces - the Army, the naval service and the Royal Air Force - can apply for a continuity of education allowance which contributes towards residential and/or tuition fees up to a cap, with a required family share of ten percent for each qualifying student.

Tory assembly representative the politician said "members of the British armed forces relocate across the nation and the globe, and the MoD has always tried to guarantee that their kids have access to consistency in education".

"While we fully support Welsh-language teaching across Wales, it's crucial to recognize there are two official languages in our nation, English and Welsh, and municipal authorities and education authorities should provide for both."

"Parents should always have the choice to decide the language in which their kids are taught."

The Welsh party's education spokesperson the assembly member said "not only is this a total misuse of money, it is an insult to our language".

"It's hard to imagine any valid reason to be spending such money every year, on blocking youth living in the country from having the opportunity to acquire the Welsh language."

"Dual-language ability enriches experience and aids the growth of youth, but the UK government is clearly blind to this."

"These funds is a clear illustration of the attitude of the UK political groups regarding the nation and the native tongue - namely unawareness and insults."