FALKIRK TEACHERS TO TAKE PART IN GAELIC LEARNING SCHEME

macwea · FALKIRK TEACHERS TO TAKE PART IN GAELIC LEARNING SCHEME

Press release from www.snpgrangemouth.org

FALKIRK TEACHERS TO TAKE PART IN GAELIC LANGUAGE IN PRIMARY SCHOOLS INITIATIVE

Councillor Angus MacDonald, chairman of MOD 2008 FALKIRK has today welcomed news that Falkirk Council is to play its part in the promotion of the Gaelic language. At Mod 2006 in Dunoon Councillor Angus MacDonald and Councillor Tom Coleman, Convener of Falkirk Council's Education and Leisure Committee announced that funding had been secured to allow local teachers to join the Gaelic Language in Primary Schools Initiative (GLPS) training programme.

Falkirk Council does not currently provide Gaelic teaching in local schools but meets any parental demand through centres outside the area, in particular at the Gaelic Medium unit at Riverside Primary in Stirling and at Condorrat Primary in North Lanarkshire.

Falkirk Council's Convener of Education and Leisure, Cllr Tom Coleman said: "The Gaelic in Primary Schools training course opens up interesting possibilities for Gaelic education in the Falkirk area. Falkirk will host the 2008 Royal National Mod and we expect this could lead to increased interest in Gaelic language education. We are also looking at a range of issues related to Gaelic as part of our wider discussions on the National Plan for Gaelic which sets out a variety of requirements for local authorities."

Speaking at the press conference at the Royal National Mod in Dunoon, Councillor Angus MacDonald commented:- "This is the first step towards the provision of Gaelic education in Falkirk District and hopefully we will see an increase in provision and interest in the language as we move towards Mod 2008 in Falkirk. We have an opportunity to give Gaelic a high profile and Falkirk Council will play its part in that process. This is an important time for the Gaelic language, particularly as the Draft National Plan for Gaelic is currently out for consultation, with views and opinion to be returned to Bord na Gaidhlig by Novemeber 10th. Falkirk Council is currently preparing a response to Bord na Gaidhlig which will be the subject of a report at the next Education Committee meeting."

garye

One of the good things about the GLPS programme is that it can be delivered by current Primary staff who have learned the basics as opposed to fluent speakers who are urgently needed for Gaelic Medium. It’s a good way to introduce kids to the basics of the language.

Abieuan

Aye, we have waited too long for enough teachers to be trained.

This could be a way forward for every school in every part of Scotland that does not have a qualified Gàidhlig teacher.

It could mean that any child in Scotland who takes an interest in Gàidhlig would have the means to step on the ladder to becoming fluent, and at least let those that do not, realise that Gàidhlig is a relevant part of what Scotland is today.