A new consultation aimed at ensuring the long-term growth of the Gaelic and Scots languages has been launched today by the Scottish government.
The consultation seeks views on how to raise the profile of Scots, a new strategic approach to Gaelic-medium education (GME) and the growth of areas with a high percentage of Gaelic speakers. The consultation also covers the structure and function of Bòrd na Gàidhlig, the principal public body promoting Gaelic in Scotland.
The feedback received through the consultation will help to develop the forthcoming Scottish Languages Bill. The SNP promised in its 2021 Scottish Parliament election manifesto to bring forward “a new Scottish languages Bill which takes further steps to support Gaelic, acts on the Scots language and recognises that Scotland is a multilingual society”.
However, progress in growing GME, which is seen as a key driver when it comes to ensuring that Gaelic thrives and grows, has been slow.
It emerged recently that in 2023 the government will miss its target to establish 10 standalone Gaelic schools - there will be just seven such schools.
Promoting the Scots and Gaelic languages in schools
A recent briefing prepared by the Scottish Parliament Information Centre showed that, between 2017 and 2021, the proportion of Scottish pupils in GME increased by around 0.2 per cent in primary and 0.1 per cent in secondary.
The percentage of pupils learning Gaelic as a second language stayed the same.
The 2011 census indicated that 57,375 people spoke Gaelic and 87,100 said they had some Gaelic skills, and over 1.5 million people identified themselves as Scots speakers.
Launching the consultation during a visit to the GME unit at Goodlyburn Primary in Perth, education secretary Shirley-Anne Somerville said: “Gaelic and Scots are a significant part of Scotland’s culture and we want to ensure they thrive and grow.
“The situation for Gaelic speakers is an improvement on 10 years ago as there are increased numbers in Gaelic-medium education and more initiatives in place to support Gaelic in Scotland.
“We now need to build on what is in place and this consultation will show how we can make our measures more effective, ensuring Gaelic-medium education continues to grow and provides a high-quality education, that Bòrd na Gàidhlig operates effectively in the promotion of Gaelic, and consideration is given to the creation of a Gàidhealtachd [areas with a higher percentage of Gaelic speakers].
“Scots is spoken throughout Scotland but has never benefited from formal support through legislation and it may be time to consider this to help promote, strengthen and raise the profile of the language.”
The Gaelic and Scots language consultation will run until 17 November.
