Gaelic medium education

Gaelic Medium Primary Education Assessments

Freagairt Mheasaidh do dh’Iarrtas Phàrant airson Foghlam tron Ghàidhlig sa Bhun-sgoil ann an Comhairle na Gàidhealtachd (An Cèitean 2022)

Cùl-fhiosrachadh

Fhuair Comhairle na Gàidhealtachd iarrtas airson measadh air an fheum air Foghlam tron Ghàidhlig anns a’ Chomraich. Chaidh an t-iarrtas fhaotainn bhon phrìomh phàrant air 23 Màrt 2022.

Tro Achd an Fhoghlaim (Alba) 2016, tha Riaghaltas na h-Alba air pròiseas a stèidheachadh far an urrainn do phàrantan measadh iarraidh air an fheum air Foghlam Bun-sgoile tron Ghàidhlig (FBtG) bhon ùghdarras fhoghlaim aca, an t‑ùghdarras ionadail a tha a’ solarachadh foghlam sgoile san sgìre sa bheil iad a’ fuireach.

Measadh Tùsail

Seach gun robh Comhairle na Gàidhealtachd air iarrtas FBtG fhaotainn bho ochdnar phàrant aig Bun-Sgoil na Comraich, tron phrìomh phàrant, chaidh aontachadh gun deigheadh dùilean fa leth nam pàrant a shireadh ann an sgrìobhadh a thaobh co-dhiù a bhiodh iad airson gabhail ris an iarrtas thùsail airson FBtG aig Bun-Sgoil na Comraich, nan deigheadh seo air adhart bhon Lùnastal 2022.

Chaidh litir a chur gu pàrantan air 25 Giblean. Air Dihaoine 29 Giblean, bha Comhairle na Gàidhealtachd air freagairtean fhaotainn a’ dearbhadh iarrtas airson FBtG aig Bun-Sgoil na Comraich do 7 chloinne.

Tha Comhairle na Gàidhealtachd, mar phàirt dhen Mheasadh Thùsail, a-nis air measadh a dhèanamh air an fheum air FBtG a rèir an stiùiridh ann an Stiùireadh Reachdail airson Foghlam Gàidhlig. Tha an Stiùireadh a’ mìneachadh nan ceumannan a dh’fheumas ùghdarrasan a ghabhail gus measadh a dhèanamh air iarrtas an dèidh dhaibh iarrtas fhaotainn airson FtG.

Far a bheil ùghdarras foghlaim sam bith den bheachd gu bheil feum, math dh’fhaodte, air FBtG ann an sgìre mheasaidh FBtG, tha dà roghainn aige. Faodaidh e:

làn-mheasadh a ghabhail os làimh a thaobh co-dhiù a tha feum air FBtG anns an sgìre mheasaidh FBtG; no
gun a bhith a’ gabhail làn-mheasadh os làimh, a chuid ùghdarrais a chleachdadh gus ceumannan a ghabhail mar a tha riatanach, gus dèanamh cinnteach à solar FBtG mar a tha e a’ meas freagarrach san sgìre mheasaidh FBtG.

Tha an fhreagairt dhan phròiseas a-nis a’ moladh gum bu chòir do Chomhairle na Gàidhealtachd “solar FBtG a dhèanamh tèarainte” mar thoradh air a’ Mheasadh Thùsail. Mar sin, a’ cur an gnìomh a chuid ùghdarrais gus ceumannan a ghabhail mar a tha riatanach, gus dèanamh cinnteach à solar FBtG a leithid sin, gun a bhith a’ gabhail làn-mheasadh os làimh.

Beachdachadh air Nithean Èigneachail

Sgrìobh Comhairle na Gàidhealtachd gu pàrantan is luchd-obrach uile ann am Bun-Sgoil na Comraich air 18 Cèitean 2022, le fiosrachadh mu thoraidhean a’ mheasaidh thùsail.

Nuair a tha ùghdarras foghlaim a’ faighinn iarrtas phàrant a tha air a dhèanamh fo Achd 2016, feumaidh e an sgìre chruinn-eòlasach dham bi am measadh a thaobh feum air FBtG ainmeachadh, agus canar ‘sgìre mheasaidh FBtG’ ris an sgìre.

’S e an sgìre mheasaidh FBtG a chaidh ainmeachadh an seo, an sgìre-sgoile a tha Bun-Sgoil na Comraich a’ còmhdach. ’S iad na h-adhbharan airson seo:

Tha sgìre-sgoile na Comraich a’ laighe ri crìoch dà sgoil eile a-mhàin: Bun-Sgoil Loch Carrann agus Bun-Sgoil Sìldeig.
Tha a’ Chomhairle mar-thà a’ tabhann FtG aig Bun-Sgoil Loch Carrann.
Tha Bun-Sgoil Sìldeig na pàirt de Bhuidheann Sgoiltean Co-cheangailte Gheàrrloch, agus tha Bun-Sgoil na Comraich na pàirt de Bhuidheann Sgoiltean Co-cheangailte a’ Phluic. Nan deigheadh Bun-Sgoil Sìldeig a ghabhail a-steach ann am measadh FBtG airson na Comraich, bhiodh sin a’ toirt beachd gum biodh clann air an gluasad gu Àrd-Sgoil a’ Phluic an àite Àrd-Sgoil Gheàrrloch, agus bhiodh seo a’ lùghdachadh co-thàthadh coimhearsnachd ann an Sìldeag.
’S e an t-astar/ùine bho Bhun-Sgoil Sìldeig gu Bun-Sgoil na Comraich 22 mìle/50 mionaid air aon-slighe.

Na h-Ath Cheumannan

Is urrainn do Chomhairle na Gàidhealtachd dearbhadh gun tèid dreuchd airson tidsear bun-sgoile airson Foghlam tron Ghàidhlig airson Bun-Sgoil na Comraich a shanasachadh tro phròiseas fhastaidh làithreach na Comhairle.

Aig an ìre seo, bhiodh feum air Tidsear Foghlam tron Ghàidhlig (FtG) gus solar bun-sgoile FtG a stèidheachadh bhon Lùnastal 2022.

Ma tha ceistean agaibh mun mheasadh, cuiribh post-d gu gaelic@highland.gov.uk

Assessment Response to a Parental Request for Gaelic Medium Education (GMPE) in Highland Council (May 2022)

Background

Highland Council received a request for an assessment of the need for Gaelic Medium Education (GME) in Applecross. The request was received from the lead parent on 23 March 2022.

Through the Education (Scotland) Act 2016, the Scottish Government has established a process for parents to request an assessment of the need for Gaelic medium primary education (GMPE) from their education authority, the local authority that provides school education in the area where they live.

Initial Assessment

As the Highland Council had received a GMPE request from 8 parents at Applecross Primary School via the lead parent, it was decided to seek in writing the individual intentions of parents to commit to the initial GMPE request at Applecross Primary School, should this commence from August 2022.

A letter was sent to parents on 25 April. On Friday 29 April, Highland Council had received returns confirming a request for GMPE at Applecross Primary for 7 children.

The Highland Council as part of the Initial Assessment has now assessed the need for GMPE in line with Guidance Statutory Guidance on Gaelic Education. The Guidance sets out the steps education authorities must take to assess demand on receipt of a request for GME.

Where any education authority determines that there is a potential need for GMPE in the GMPE assessment area, it has two possible options, it can:

carry out a full assessment of the need for GMPE in the GMPE assessment area; or
without carrying out a full assessment, exercise its discretion to take such steps as are necessary to secure the provision of such GMPE as it considers appropriate in the GMPE assessment area.

The response to the process now recommends that Highland Council “secure provision of GMPE” as the outcome of the Initial Assessment. Thereby exercising its discretion to take such steps as are necessary to secure the provision of such GMPE without carrying out a full assessment.

Consideration of Mandatory Factors

The Highland Council wrote to all parents and staff in Applecross Primary School to indicate the outcomes of the initial assessment on 18 May 2022.

When an education authority receives a parental request made under the 2016 Act, it must designate the geographical area in relation to which it will undertake its assessment of the need for GMPE referred to as a ‘GMPE assessment area’.

The GMPE assessment area for which this determination was made is the area in covered by the Applecross Primary School catchment. The reasons for this were:

The Applecross catchment abuts that of only two other schools, Lochcarron Primary School and Shieldaig Primary School.
The Council already offers GME at Lochcarron Primary School
Shieldaig Primary School is part of the Gairloch Associated School Group, whilst Applecross Primary School is part of the Plockton Associated School Group. Including Shieldaig in the GMPE assessment for Applecross would imply a transfer of children to Plockton High School rather than Gairloch High School, and would reduce community cohesion in Shieldaig,
The travel distance/time from Shieldaig Primary School to Applecross Primary School is 22 miles/50 minutes one-way.

Next Steps

The Highland Council can confirm that a post for a Gaelic Medium Primary Teacher for Applecross Primary School will be advertised through the Council’s existing recruitment process.

At this stage, a qualified Gaelic Medium Teacher would be required to establish GMPE provision from August 2022.

If you have any questions about the assessment, please email gaelic@highland.gov.uk.