Teaching Gaelic i n schools - your views online

Candidates in the local elections have clashed over where to site a Gaelic secondary school for Edinburgh as one parent accused the council of trying to kill off education in the language.

Charlene Mcilhatton

Meanwhile there’s a massive shortage (and inadequacy) of Special Educational Needs provisions in Edinburgh. More SEN kids are being pushed into mainstream causing massive pressure on everyone involved (the children, staff, other pupils in the class). So before building a new school that is not a “need” maybe focus on GIRFEC for the children in Edinburgh. I do think Gaelic should be taught but there are many things in the educational queue that need to come before this.

Janet Murray

We do not need another school to teach a language that is only spoken in the isles. We have a perfectly good primary school in Bonnington that should b enough. Sick of wasting taxpayers money on a language that the majority of us don’t speak nor wish to learn.

Calum MacLeod

What about choice? That said, because of Brexit, English is not the dominant language in Europe. More European languages may well be needed.

Elizabeth McArthur

We drop down the Pisa rankings mainly due to the fact our children fail to speak and understand the queen’s English!

Clair Gracie

The Gaelic language is our Scottish heritage and origins of our culture, so I think you should all learn to respect that! It’s only a dying language because it is slowly being pushed out. The schools should consider teaching the true history of Scotland, not just a brush over. The language should be introduced to schools across the country. Considering there are Gaelic place names all over Europe it would especially benefit people who like to travel.

Vic Weddell

In the current climate there are a number of areas where the money would be much better spent as opposed to another nationalist vanity project.

John Smith

There is not a single person that speaks Gaelic in Scotland that does not also speak English fluently. This language should be allowed to fade away naturally. It serves no useful purpose and wastes valuable education time.

Sarah Spence

I know two words in gaelic "Donny Murdo" (Danger Mouse)! Wouldn't hurt to learn more, being Scottish and all.

Robert Howlieson

Waste of money. If the language was important, it would be taught at all schools.

Jonathan Gray

It's a redundant language, no wonder people think it's a waste of money. Lot more pressing things the money could be spent on that would actually make a difference in day to day life.

Toni Edwards

Drop the second language in high school being European and replace with Gaelic – problem solved!

Jan Clarkson

So much more needs to be done to support pupils in existing secondary schools. Can Gaelic really be justified? Don’t think so.

Diane Smith

I only knew one school that taught Gaelic. What is wrong with folk? Ok is our native tongue but how many of us know it? Here we have another minority flapping their gums and the majority have to sit back and listen and are shot down for saying no.

Allan Dubh-Shith

We shouldn’t have Gaelic schools, Gaelic should just be a normal part of the curriculum. Not to mention we don’t have enough Gaelic teachers to fill the jobs anyway.

Rab Queen

Is Gaelic in the national (Scottish) education curriculum? So why waste needed education funds for the whole system of education, for a language that isnt used much in Scotland. The Gaelic language in Scotland has become so mixed in with English language so much so that the purest form of Gaelic is now spoken in Canada, mostly by descendants of victims of the Highland clearances.

Jennie Godfrey

I am enjoying so much learning Gaelic. I wish I had had the opportunity when I was at school. I realise the way to really understand our history is to be able to read what people saw and felt in their native tongue...not the "British history" of the "winners" but the feelings of the people through their poetry and song and other written records. I have learned English grammar through learning Gaelic and that would help with another language. It is definitely worth learning and keeping in our culture. If I had school age children I would push for them to learn, no doubt about it.

Ward Stradlater

Mair folk speak Urdu than Gaelic in Scotland.

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