Gaelic Select Committee Minute

Go to The Highland Council ~ Comhairle na Gaidhealtachd ~ web site

Go to The Highland Council home page ~ Gu Comhairle na Gaidhealtachd làrach-lìn.

THE HIGHLAND COUNCIL GAELIC SELECT COMMITTEE
Minutes of Meeting of the Gaelic Select Committee held on 4 August 2005 in Committee Room 1, Council Headquarters, Glenurquhart Road, Inverness at 2.30 p.m.
PRESENT
Mr H Fraser Mr R Saxon Mrs A L Magee Mr A Mackay Mr A Anderson Mrs J Urquhart Mr A M Millar Mr I MacDonald	Mr J Laing Mrs I Campbell Mr W J Smith Mrs G McCreath Mr A S Park Mrs S Slimon Dr M E M Foxley

Officials in attendance:-

Mr B Robertson, Director of Education, Culture and Sport

Mr D MacDonald, Head of Education Services

Mr J MacDonald, Area Manager, Skye and Lochalsh

Ms M A MacLeod, Gaelic Development Officer

Mr D J MacLeod, Quality Development Officer (Gaelic)

Mrs F Hampton, Director, Highland 2007

Ms C MacIntyre, Early Education and Childcare Officer (Gaelic Medium)

Mr J Allison, Principal Administrator, Corporate Services

Mr H Fraser in the Chair

BUSINESS

APOLOGIES FOR ABSENCE

Apologies for absence were intimated on behalf of Mrs M E Paterson; Mr J T MacDonald and Mr R Balfour (OCB).

HIGHLAND 2007

There was circulated report GSC18/05 by the Project Director giving an update on plans to integrate Gaelic language and culture within the Highland 2007 programme.

During discussion the following points were made:

	The ministerial announcements on additional support funds for 2007 (£500k);
	Funds were still being allocated and many ideas for local and national programming were still being developed;
	Further meetings with the Scottish Arts Council and Events Scotland were required to ensure they contributed fully to the events and took on board that 2007 was an international as well as a national and local event;
	Negotiations were proceeding with Sabhal Mor Ostaig and Learn Direct Scotland to ensure that there were as many alternative channels for learning Gaelic as possible;
	While it was regrettable that the lead-in time would prevent getting a new Gaelic learners programme on the BBC before 2007, there were opportunities to launch the Year of Home Coming in 2009 and a Gaelic learners programme could be developed for the run up to that year;
	Negotiations could still proceed as to the level of television coverage for 2007;
	A meeting was forthcoming with Bord na Gàidhlig to develop the relationship with the Council on the assistance that could be given to assist with the introduction of the provisions of the Gaelic Bill;
	Visit Scotland and the Highlands of Scotland Tourist Board remained to be convinced of their contribution to 2007 but it was clear that good marketing would bring many visitors to Scotland and the Highlands, particularly in view of the marketing money for 2007 being held by Visit Scotland;
	The ‘Gathering’ of pupils was likely to be organised on a regional basis because of the logistics of bringing so many children to one place at the same time. The cumulative effect would be excellent and linked to the ‘Gaelic Pledge’.

The Committee NOTED the report and AGREED that:

	(i) There was a need to identify a person to take the lead in Gaelic maters, particularly with broadcasters;
	(ii) Niche marketing of Gaelic by Visit Scotland and a commitment to Gaelic by that organisation would result in dividends for 2007 and subsequent ‘Years’ to be promoted by the Scottish Executive; and
	(iii) There was an urgent need at a forthcoming meeting with the national Gaelic organisations to ensure their full commitment to 2007 with an agenda of the items to be discussed and agreed.

IMPROVING ACHIEVEMENT IN GAELIC – HMIe REPORT

There was circulated report GSC19/05 dated 5 July, 2005 by the Director of Education, Culture and Sport providing a summary of the recent HMIe Publication on standards in Gaelic Education and improving achievement.

The Director of Education Culture and Sport commented that while the report commended many improvements in Gaelic Education and the achievements being made, it was also clear that there was room for improvements particularly in reading and writing and the provision of Gaelic Medium Education at secondary level. The report confirmed much that the Council already knew and steps were being taken to address issues such as the training and recruitment of additional Gaelic medium teachers.

In summary the areas needing addressed were:

	Written work;
	Grammar and idiom work; and
	The range of materials available in Gaelic rather than translations of exiting material.

During discussion the following points were made:

	Reading and writing were also problematical in English; a project was underway to assist in these skills and perhaps consideration should be given to running a similar Gaelic project;
	Bilingualism had benefits beyond just learning languages and two national committees on bilingualism and languages in secondary schools were shortly to report to Scottish Ministers;
	While there were difficulties in recruiting qualified teachers in specialist subjects who could teach in Gaelic, it was becoming urgent to identify such staff with the opening of the new secondary school at Portree in the next two years; and
	There was a need to make an early start with Gaelic teaching particularly in pre-school groups to bring confidence back into communities in the use of the language.

The Committee NOTED that:

	(i) There was a need for intensive sessions where Gaelic medium education pupils could use conversational Gaelic in day to day conversation - such as in the week long course run at Sabhal Mor Ostaig; and
	(ii) There was also an urgent need to have more ‘mainstream’ recreational reading material for children and adults produced in Gaelic e.g. ‘Harry Potter’ novels etc; and

AGREED a report, on the provision for the 0-3 age range be submitted to a future meeting together with proposals to further expand Gaelic Medium pre-school provision.

MAIRI MHOR FELLOWSHIP

There was circulated report GSC20/05 dated 22^nd July, 2005 by Area Manager (Skye & Lochalsh) on the proposal to extend the Mairi Mhor Song Fellowship to December 2007 and the funding of this extension. The report also proposed the setting of a salary scale of AP3 for the holder of the Fellowship post. The funding of the extension was outlined and in particular that 2007 Year of Highland Culture would be contributing 25% of the cost in exchange for expert advice on Gaelic Musical events for inclusion in the programme.

The Committee NOTED, in part, Highland 2007 had contributed to allow assistance on programming Gaelic singing and cultural events and AGREED:

	(i) that, funds having been identified from within the Council and from other partners, the Mairi Mhor Song Fellowship continue until the end of 2007;
	(ii) a revised salary scale for the fellowship post of AP3 be submitted to the Resources Committee for approval.

GAELIC AND GAELIC MEDIUM STAFFING 2005/06

There was circulated report GSC21/05 dated 4 July, 2005 by Director of Education, Culture and Sport on the staffing situation in Gaelic and Gaelic medium education in 2005/06, highlighting the impact of new teacher training courses, particularly the distance learning schemes.

During discussion the pointing points were made:

	The Council had benefited in the last few years from the probationer scheme and the development of Gaelic medium teacher training courses;
	In particular the courses at Aberdeen University and Sabhal Mor Ostaig were fundamental to the provision of new, suitably trained staff and the development of seconded staff;
	Nevertheless, there remained a major recruitment problem if the expansion of Gaelic Medium Education was to continue. The Minister needed to be made aware of this and persuaded of the actions needed to meet the actual number of teachers required;
	The structure of courses and the need for time off work could act as a disincentive to some who would otherwise be able to undertake the training course and perhaps this could be examined; and
	While full time postgraduate courses did benefit from the Scottish Executive meeting the cost of fees, this was not the case for part-time courses.

The Committee NOTED the staffing situation in Gaelic and Gaelic medium education in 2005/06, highlighting the impact of new teacher training courses and the staffing situation in Gaelic and Gaelic medium; and

AGREED that:

	(i) steps be taken to provide assistance to encourage existing staff who wished to improve their Gaelic and to assist more individuals to apply for training as Gaelic medium teachers particularly in secondary subjects; and
	(ii) an approach be made to the Scottish Executive to determine what assistance they might offer in this regard.

EUROPEAN BUREAU OF LESSER USED LANGUAGES

The Chairman indicated that regrettably Johan Hagman, EBLUL Director, was not able to attend the Committee to outline the work of the Bureau but hoped to attend the next meeting. The EBLUL 2005 Conference had taken place in Italy in May and had been attended by the Chairman who reported as follows:

The conference which had been well attended by 150 -200 delegates seemed to be used by many of those present as an opportunity to promote tourism in their area rather than the use and development of lesser used languages;

	Some of the languages referred to at the conference were not those under threat but were widespread European languages that had relatively few users in a particular country;
	The 2006 conference would be held in Skye.

The Chairman continued that the programme he intended for the 2006 conference should concentrate on learning from the experience of others on the issues surrounding the maintenance and development of lesser used languages that had a genuine threat to their continued use. He expressed the hope that the Director of the EBLUL Programme would be able to attend the next meeting of the Committee and that a clearer picture of what could be achieved at the 2006 conference would result; and finally, he intended to establish and confirm links with the development agencies in Irish Gaelic and the Welsh language.

The Committee NOTED the report and the work being done to prepare for the 2006 EBLUL Conference.

UPDATE REPORT

There was circulated report GSC22/05 dated 25^th July, 2005 by the Gaelic Development Officer informing Members on progress with the following:

	The Charter for Regional or Minority Languages for which there was a strong argument for an approach to be made for responsibility for Gaelic to be transferred from the Home Office in London to the Scottish Parliament if progress was to be made in negotiations with Europe for support of the language and culture
	Gaelic Cross Party Group;
	Gaelic and Culture Plan;
	Iain Crichton Smith Writing Fellowship;
	Gaelic Courses For Staff;
	Memorandum of Understanding between the Highland Council and the Province of Nova Scotia; While progress with implementing the terms of the Memorandum was slow, this reflected the very small number of Gaelic speakers in Nova Scotia. However to assist, the arrangements for staff, especially teachers, to transfer between the two areas should be enhanced and a demonstration of preschool provision as developed by the Council should be provided in Nova Scotia;
	Bilingual Signs; These should be rolled out where ever a replacement sign was required;
	Highland 2007;
	Gaelic Names Joint Liaison Committee;
	Community Planning; and
	Royal National Mod. Discussion was needed to establish suitable venues in say Inverness and Badenoch and Strathspey in advance of the new school becoming available in Portree;

The Committee AGREED that:

	(i) There was a need for clarification of the previous commitments given by the government on the broadcasting of Gaelic by both television and radio and therefore the Minister responsible should be invited to the next meting of the committee; and
	(ii) The recent Gaelic Careers Convention had been a success with 26 advisers including 13 teachers from different subjects present.

The Committee otherwise NOTED the update report

The meeting closed at. 3.55 p.m.