A visiting psychology professor at Wrexham University has been dismissed from his honorary position after stating that the use of Welsh language on road signs was “unintelligible” and “potentially dangerous.” Nigel Hunt made the comments via social media. Hunt confirmed that he had received a letter from the university’s vice-chancellor, which dismissed him from the position he had held for the past 13 months. The professor believes that road signs should only be in English for the sake of driver safety. However, many people have pointed out that such signage would be illegal under Welsh and UK law.
Hunt has claimed that his view that signs should only be in English is based purely on science and that he has no personal vendetta against the Welsh language. He argues that having dual-language signs is detrimental to driving standards and that there is evidence to support his claims. However, his views have resulted in numerous complaints against him on social media and elsewhere. The university has confirmed that it has terminated its relationship with Hunt as a result.
Hunt’s opinion on road signage has been a controversial issue. On one hand, he believes that his dismissal is a free speech issue and that university academics should be able to express their views without fear of retribution or dismissal. On the other hand, many people – including Welsh politicians – think that Hunt’s views are discriminatory towards the Welsh language and that they reveal an ignorance of Welsh language legislation. Whatever the merits of Hunt’s opinion are, it has landed him in serious trouble with the university
Read the full article from The BBC here: Read More