The Senedd unanimously passed a “far-reaching, truly historic” bill aimed at transforming education as part of the ambition of reaching a million Welsh speakers by 2050.

Senedd members voted 50-0 in favour of the Welsh language education bill, which aims to ensure all pupils become confident Welsh speakers by the end of compulsory school.

Mark Drakeford said the bill will open doors for pupils, offer job opportunities, provide access to the rich culture of the language and allow people to use Welsh in their everyday lives.

The former first minister, who is now responsible for the language, told the Senedd the bill would open a new chapter in the history of Welsh education.

Under the bill, three school categories will be created – primarily Welsh; dual language; and primarily English, partly Welsh – with targets for each for a minimum of Welsh education.

The bill would also put the target of reaching at least a million Welsh speakers on a legal footing and establish the National Welsh Language Learning Institute.

Ministers’ Cymraeg 2050 strategy also aims to double daily use of the language by 2050.

Prof Drakeford said: “The institute will be the focal point for Welsh learning and it will help in the process of planning to develop the education workforce. It will promote innovation and continuous improvement… and will help to raise standards in learning Welsh.”

Cautioning change will not happen overnight, the finance secretary stressed the importance of embedding the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages.

Tom Giffard, for the Conservatives, said his party would support the bill in the final vote because “it’s extremely important we achieve that target of a million Welsh speakers”.

Cefin Campbell – an architect of the bill, which was part of Plaid Cymru’s since-collapsed cooperation agreement with ministers – was heartened to see cross-party support.

Plaid Cymru’s shadow education secretary described the bill as “truly historic” and an important milestone on the journey to a million Welsh speakers and beyond.

Mr Campbell told the Senedd: “Time will tell if this bill succeeds in its ambition to secure one million Welsh speakers by 2050.

“At the moment, you have to say that it looks like a mountain to climb, with the summit feeling very far away.

“But, one of the purposes of mountains is to climb them, so why not put our language boots on and go for it.”

Responding during the debate on 13 May, Prof Drakeford thanked his Tory and Plaid Cymru counterparts for their support despite not agreeing with every word in the bill.

He added: “When we can come together in this way, we can do important things, not just in Wales today but in the future Wales.

“In my view, we have as a Senedd succeeded in creating an important bill – a far-reaching bill that will enable all children to become confident Welsh speakers.”

After completing its passage through the Senedd, the bill should receive royal assent in the months ahead with no legal challenge expected from the UK Government.