5th June 2025
Tha comhairlichean Chomhairle na Gàidhealtachd air fàilte a chur air an obair ionmholta a thathar a' dèanamh gus cothroman a leudachadh do luchd-ionnsachaidh òga na Gàidhlig.
Aig coinneamh Chomataidh na Gàidhlig an-diugh (Diciadain 4 Ògmhios) chaidh an obair leasachaidh a thathar a’ dèanamh aig Bun-Sgoil Bhaile an Fhraoich ann an Inbhir Nis a chomharrachadh mar dheagh eisimpleir de bhith a’ cruthachadh "spiorad mhath is ion-ghabhaltach airson na Gàidhlig thar na sgoile".
Thug buill fa-near dhan cheannardas a bhathar a’ sealltainn gus ùidh is com-pàirteachadh sa Ghàidhlig fhàs ann am Bun-Sgoil Bhaile an Fhraoich.
Thuirt cathraiche Comataidh Gàidhlig Chomhairle na Gàidhealtachd, an Comhairliche Drew Mac a’ Mhuilleir: “Tha Bun-Sgoil Bhaile an Fhraoich na deagh eisimpleir de sgoil a tha air gabhail gu togarrach ri bhith ag ionnsachadh na Gàidhlig air feadh na sgoile, le taic an dà chuid bho na sgoilearan is bhon luchd-obrach.”
Tha Plana Gàidhlig na comhairle a’ gabhail a-steach prìomhachas ro-innleachdail gus adhartachadh is fàs leantainneach a lìbhrigeadh, an dà chuid ann am Foghlam tron Ghàidhlig (far a bheil sgoilearan a’ faighinn na cuid as motha dhen fhoghlam choitcheann aca tron chànan) agus ann am Foghlam Luchd-ionnsachaidh na Gàidhlig (far a bheil sgoilearan a’ cur eòlas air a’ chànan ged is ann sa Bheurla a tha am foghlam coitcheann aca.)
Chuala a’ chomataidh gu bheil Bun-Sgoil Bhaile an Fhraoich air a bhith fìor ghnìomhach le bhith ag ionnsachadh na Gàidhlig bho thoiseach iomairt ionnsachadh cànain 1+2, a tha ag amas air cothrom a thoirt do chloinn air fad dà chànan a bharrachd ionnsachadh fhad ’s a tha iad sa bhun-sgoil.
Bha tidsearan clasa air clasaichean cànain a ghabhail os làimh gus a’ Ghàidhlig ionnsachadh agus bha iad a-nis gu misneachail a’ lìbhrigeadh na Gàidhlig mar an dàrna cànan a bharrachd aca sna h-ìrean as àirde. Bha iad cuideachd air maoineachadh a ghleidheadh o chionn ghoirid, tro Sheachdain na Gàidhlig, gus grunn chleasan Gàidhlig a chur air dòigh do gach clas san sgoil.
Chaidh cuireadh a thoirt do phàrantan tighinn a-steach gu co-chruinneachadh sgoile far an deach cànan is cultar na Gàidhlig a thaisbeanadh agus far am b’ urrainn dhaibh ionnsachadh Gàidhlig fhaicinn a’ dol air adhart san sgoil.
Thuirt Ceannard Bun-Sgoil Bhaile an Fhraoich, Janice NicRath: “Bha sinn fìor thoilichte gun deach iarraidh oirnn fiosrachadh mun t-slighe Ghàidhlig againn a thoirt dhan chomataidh an-diugh.
“Tha sinne, aig Bun-Sgoil Bhaile an Fhraoich, a’ faireachdainn gu bheil e cudromach gum bi cothroman aig ar cuid cloinne eòlas a chur air cànan is cultar na Gàidhlig, a’ togail air na traidiseanan is air an dualchas ionadail againn. Tha sinn air gàirdeachas a dhèanamh ri cothroman airson obrachadh com-pàirteach a tha dha-rìribh air ìomhaigh na Gàidhlig a thogail san sgoil agus sa choimhearsnachd againn.
“Tha sinn moiteil gur e sinne an aon sgoil aig nach eil Foghlam tron Ghàidhlig a chaidh a thaisbeanadh air àrd-ùrlar air feadh an t-saoghail tro cho-chruinneachaidhean air-loidhne Seachdain na Gàidhlig agus tha sinn a’ coimhead air adhart ri bhith a’ comharrachadh an tachartais seo a-rithist an-ath-bhliadhna.”
Tha Comhairle na Gàidhealtachd an dùil obair mar seo a lìbhrigeadh ann an sgoiltean eile air feadh na sgìre.
Thathar air cothroman a thabhann gu dìreach do sgoiltean, a’ gabhail a-steach seiseanan ionnsachadh-cànain do thidsearan, leasanan beò ionnsachadh-sgioba a tha air an lìbhrigeadh air-loidhne do chlasaichean, agus measgachadh de mhodalan fèin-ionnsachaidh a tha a’ leigeil le tidsearan a’ Ghàidhlig ionnsachadh nan ùine fhèin.
Tha targaid aig Plana Gàidhlig Chomhairle na Gàidhealtachd gum bi 70 sa cheud de sgoiltean a’ lìbhrigeadh na Gàidhlig mar chànan a bharrachd, agus tha na cothroman seo a’ cur taic ri bhith ag obrachadh gu ruige na targaid sin, a bharrachd air a bhith a’ co-obrachadh le buidhnean on taobh a-muigh airson cuideachadh gus ionnsachadh Gàidhlig a lìbhrigeadh ann an sgoiltean.
Ann an Sgìre an Iar na comhairle, tha 48 a-mach à 54 sgoil (89 sa cheud) a’ lìbhrigeadh na Gàidhlig aig an àm seo. Bho 2023-24 tha àrdachadh 10 sa cheud air a bhith san àireimh sgoiltean san Sgìre a Tuath le solar Gàidhlig, le 12 de na 30 sgoiltean san sgìre a-nis a’ tabhann na Gàidhlig mar chiad no dàrna cànan a bharrachd.
Chuir buill fàilte air an adhartas a bhathar air a dhèanamh gu ruige na targaid agus air na cothroman airson ionnsachadh proifeiseanta a bharrachd a bha rim faotainn do thidsearan.
Tha Sgioba na Gàidhlig agus Sgioba Planadh Feachd-obrach na comhairle air a bhith ag obair o chionn ghoirid còmhla ri Sabhal Mòr Ostaig anns an Eilean Sgitheanach gus àrdachadh soirbheachail a thoirt air an àireimh thidsearan a tha a’ taghadh na Gàidhealtachd airson na bliadhna probhaidh aca. Thathar a-nis a’ leudachadh nan oidhirpean seo gu Oilthigh Shrath Chluaidh gus àrdachadh a thoirt air an àireimh thidsearan àrd-sgoile le teisteanas Gàidhlig a tha a’ taghadh na Gàidhealtachd airson na bliadhna probhaidh aca.
Expanding opportunities to learn Gaelic at school
Work to extend opportunities for young Gaelic learners has been praised and welcomed by Highland Councillors.
A meeting of the Council’s Gaelic Committee today (Wednesday 4th June) highlighted the development work undertaken at Muirtown Primary in Inverness as an exemplar in creating a “positive and inclusive ethos for Gaelic across the school”.
Members noted the leadership shown at Muirtown to grow interest and involvement in Gaelic.
Highland Council’s Gaelic committee chairman Drew Millar said: “Muirtown Primary is a great example of a school that has embraced their Gaelic learning throughout the school, supported by both the pupils and the staff.”
The council’s Gaelic language plan includes a strategic priority to deliver continued promotion and growth in both Gaelic medium education (where pupils receive the bulk of their general education through the language) and for Gaelic learner education (where the language is introduced to pupils who are otherwise taught in English language settings.)
The committee heard that Muirtown Primary had been very active with its Gaelic learning since the beginning of the 1+2 language initiative, which aims to provide all children with the opportunity to learn two additional languages in their primary years.
Class teachers had undertaken Gaelic language learning classes and are now confidently delivering Gaelic as their second additional language in the upper stages. More recently they secured funding, through Seachdain na Gàidhlig, to enable them to lead a variety of Gaelic activities to all classes in school.
In a showcase assembly parents were invited in to find out more about Gaelic language and culture and to see the Gaelic learning going on in school.
Muirtown Head teacher Janice MacRae said: “We were delighted to be asked to share highlights from our Gaelic journey with committee today.
“We, at Muirtown, feel it is important for our children to have opportunities to experience Gaelic language and culture, building on our local traditions and heritage. We have embraced opportunities for partnership working which has truly raised the profile of Gaelic within our school community.
“We are very proud to be the only non-Gaelic Medium school to have learning showcased on a world-wide stage through the Seachdain na Gàidhlig online assemblies and look forward to celebrating this event again next year.”
Highland Council has ambitions to see similar work delivered in schools across the region.
Opportunities have been offered directly to schools, including language learning sessions for teachers, team-teaching live lessons that are delivered online to classes, and a variety of self-study modules, that allow teachers to learn Gaelic in their own time.
Highland Council’s Gaelic Language Plan has a target of 70 per cent of schools delivering Gaelic as an additional language, and these opportunities support working towards that target, as well as collaborating with external organisations to help deliver Gaelic learning in schools.
In the council’s west area 48 out of 54 schools (89 per cent) are currently delivering Gaelic. Since 2023-24 there has been a 10-per cent increase in the number of schools in the North area with Gaelic provision, with 12 out of the area’s 30 schools now offering Gaelic as a first or second additional language.
Members welcomed progress towards the target and the additional professional learning opportunities being made available for teachers.
The Council’s Gaelic team and workforce planning team have recently worked with Sabhal Mòr Ostaig in Skye to successfully increase the numbers of teachers choosing Highland for their probation year.
These efforts will now extend to Strathclyde University to work towards increasing the number of Gaelic qualified secondary teachers choosing Highland for their probation year.