A bill which aims to ensure all pupils in Wales finish school as "independent Welsh language users" has been passed in the Senedd.
The Welsh Language and Education (Wales) Bill aims to close the gap in Welsh speaking ability among pupils from different schools.
It also aims to make progress towards the 2050 target of a million Welsh speakers by strengthening the role of the language in education.
Welsh Language Secretary Mark Drakeford described the bill as "historic" and said currently "we don't get enough from the investment we make in teaching Welsh in English-medium schools".
The legislation sets out three language categories for maintained schools with a minimum amount of Welsh language education to be provided by schools in each category.
The three are "primarily Welsh language" (minimum 80%), "dual language" (50%), and "primarily English language, partly Welsh" (10%).
Speaking in the Senedd on Tuesday evening, Drakeford said the bill "will give every child the opportunity to become an independent, confident Welsh speaker by the time they finish compulsory education, a bill that will open doors for our pupils, a bill that provides new job opportunities, provides access to the rich culture of the Welsh language, and allows people to enjoy using the language in their everyday lives".
'Persuade more parents'
Speaking on the Dros Frecwast programme, on BBC Radio Cymru, Drakeford said "we don't get enough from the investment we make in teaching Welsh in English-medium schools, we don't get enough for the child, for the teachers, or for Wales as a whole".
"What we do in the bill is to change the whole system.
"There will be a duty on the government to set targets, there will be a duty on local authorities to say how they are going to help schools ensure children can speak Welsh and there will be duties on schools, and through the institute [National Institute for Learning Welsh] we are going to give more help to schools and teachers to help children in our schools, after a decade of learning Welsh, to become Welsh speakers."
Cymdeithas yr Iaith (the Welsh Language Society) have said "the aim should be Welsh-medium education for all and we are disappointed that politicians have not pursued this path."
But Drakeford rejected that idea, telling the BBC "it is not up to the government to make decisions like that on behalf of parents".
"I want to persuade more parents to use education through the medium of the Welsh language, but at the end of the day it is the choice of the parents and the child."
