SLG
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Demand for Gaelic education widens | Quote: | Aberdeen Press and Journal - April 4, 2006 Tuesday
Demand for Gaelic education widens
The resurgence of Gaelic in Lochaber continues with some parents in
Loch Leven-side communities asking for their children to be educated
in the native tongue.
Projections by education officials show that by 2009 there could be
up to 10 pupils in a Gaelic unit, which could be provided at
Kinlochleven.
Highland Council's Lochaber area education manager Rosemary Bridge
says this would be viable in terms of the authority's policy and
experience elsewhere in the region.
The council has now agreed to go out to consultation on the issue by
holding a public meeting and inviting the comments of interested
parties no later than May 5.
The move follows a request by parents at Kinlochleven, Ballachulish,
Duror, Glencoe and Nether Lochaber in the south Lochaber area for a
Gaelic medium unit from the start of the new school year in August.
Accommodation would be available at Kinlochleven Primary School,
where a replacement unit is to be built in 2008 as part of a
Highland-wide multi-million pound public-private-partnership
agreement, signed last week.
Members of the council's Lochaber area committee were told at a
meeting yesterday that, although there had been significant
difficulties experienced in the past in recruiting qualified primary
Gaelic teachers, the situation had now eased as more native speakers
joined the profession.
Staffing for the unit's first year would be provided by a full-time
teacher and a part-time classroom assistant, at a cost of almost
£39,000.
Free transport would be provided for Gaelic pupils living within
reasonable travelling distance of the school, estimated to cost
about £12,000. |
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Highlander
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[edited by the smiley police - 3 is enough I think, 200 odd is pushing it]
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azzuri
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suppose we should see this 'Highlander' guy as some sort of compliment. You know the forum is a great success when trolls start appearing to spread their 'gospel'.
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Wolf of Badenoch
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| rs_azzuri wrote: | suppose we should see this 'Highlander' guy as some sort of compliment. You know the forum is a great success when trolls start appearing to spread their 'gospel'.
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Aye an i think ye`ve attracted a troll ae the highest calibre thaur tae. 
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Nina
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Wolf, are ye thinking of butchering somebody again with that chopstick?
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Lothian Sky
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Chopstick?
If that's what you eat your Chineese takeaway with, I'll forget about taking you out on a date Nina! 
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Nina
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I cannae eat with chopsticks, we eat with pitchforks in Dutchland. I can forget about my date altogether now right...? 
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Lothian Sky
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It's alright Nina, I can teach you, but put the axe away, you're scaring me. 
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Nina
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OI! It was the Wolf who is holding an axe.
I just had a pitchfork 
Can I take it with me to the Chinese?
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Lothian Sky
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 Not an attractive image Nina! But okay bring the pitchfork, you might need it!
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Nina
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How did ye find my picture??
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Leathlaobhair
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Fantastic news, SLG.
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Abieuan
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It's a start, but so few pupils in a formerly Gàidhlig heartland ?
Let's hope this takes off in Lochaber and the numbers grow to hundreds.
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SLG
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Well, it's a start. Once it's up and runnng I'm sure there will be a greater level of take-up. The overall numbers are steadily rising and we now have a situation like Sleat where there are barely enough English medium pupils to justify keeping that stream going. Others will follow.
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Abieuan
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Yes, when Gàidhlig education becomes more widespread and part of the mainstream, more parents will send their children to Gàidhlig schools.
I think, at the moment, in areas where Gàidhlig schools are just starting, many parents feel it is a safer option to send their kids to "ordinary" schools.
Let's hope that there is a snowball effect.
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darkside
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one of my workmates informed me the other night his son came home singing a song with sign language but couldnt understand what he was singing , he said to me what he said to his son "is it french? no dad! is it norsk? no dad its gaelic!!!!" and do you know how proud he was to tell me that when he came into the work that night, he's a great believer in the language as well and before anyone asks this was in hamilton, near glasgow
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azzuri
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....excellent, today I actually met a Gaelic teacher who visits the secondary schools in Kilmarnock of all places. Apparently this is only recent - I certainly don't remember Gaelic being an option at my school when I was younger.
I'm no romantic that envisages Kilmarnock being some sort of Gaelic mono-culture in 50 years, but it's good that Kids are learning about the roots of the language in the town.
Ain't called 'Cill Mhearnáig' for nothing.
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SLG
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Met a woman who did the same night school classes as me but 5 years earlier. So she was starting from scratch at the time. She's a primary school teacher in (I think west) Edinburgh and she started introducing bits and pieces of Gàidhlig into her class just for a bit of fun. The kids absolutely loved it and she was asked by parents to start regular Gàidhlig lessons into the class. She didn't get one single negative comment about it.
I think it just goes to show that, despite the really vehement dislike some folk have towards Gàidhlig, I think the vast majority don't have any problem with it, and when they come across it, are actually quite interested.
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Babygael
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Thats encouraging to know SLG, thanks for sharing because for a while there........ 
BG  
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garye
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| azzuri wrote: | ....excellent, today I actually met a Gaelic teacher who visits the secondary schools in Kilmarnock of all places. Apparently this is only recent - I certainly don't remember Gaelic being an option at my school when I was younger.
I'm no romantic that envisages Kilmarnock being some sort of Gaelic mono-culture in 50 years, but it's good that Kids are learning about the roots of the language in the town.
Ain't called 'Cill Mhearnáig' for nothing. |
I go to Gaelic classes at Kilmarnock College myself. In my group there are 5 Primary Schools teachers and three of them teach Gaelic in their schools in the town (the other too are renfrewshire I think). The guy who teaches us also teaches in one of the local secondaries. In addition to that there is a Gaelic Medium Unit in Onthank Primary as well as a Nursery and Parent & Toddler group.
As you say it maybe isn’t going to be a Gaelic monoculture but as was said elsewhere these things can snowball.
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Babygael
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Garye | Quote: | | as you say it is'n t going to be a gaelic monoculture but as was said elsewhere these things can snowball |
I really hope so!!
Bg  
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