Agendas, reports and minutes

A meeting of the Gaelic Implementation Group will take place in the Council Chamber, Council Headquarters, Glenurquhart Road, Inverness on Thursday 14 August 2014 at 10.00 am. 

Webcast Notice: This meeting will be filmed and broadcast over the Internet on the Highland Council website and will be archived and available for viewing for 12 months thereafter.

You are invited to attend the meeting and a note of the business to be considered is attached.

Yours faithfully

Michelle Morris
Depute Chief Executive/
Director of Corporate Development

Please note that this meeting will be conducted in Gaelic with simultaneous translation to English.

Business

1. Apologies for Absence

2. Declarations of Interest

Members are asked to consider whether they have an interest to declare in relation to any item on the agenda for this meeting. Any Member making a declaration of interest should indicate whether it is a financial or non-financial interest and include some information on the nature of the interest. Advice may be sought from Officers prior to the meeting taking place.

3. Recess Powers

The Group is asked to note that the Recess Powers granted by the Council at its meeting on 26 June 2014 have not been exercised in relation to the business of the Gaelic Implementation Group.

4. Gaelic Language Plan 2012-16, Theme 1 “What we will do for Gaelic in the Home and in Communities" Implementation Report   

There is circulated Report No GIG/14/14 dated 29 July 2014 by the Director of Education, Culture and Sport providing information on progress on the implementation of Gaelic Language Plan (GLP) 2012-16 Theme 1, “What we will do for Gaelic in the Home and in Communities”.  This updates the Council’s 2012-13 Annual Implementation Report and outlines further action since 31 December 2013.

The Group is invited to:-

i. comment on the progress in implementing the Home and Communities Theme in GLP 12-16;
ii. agree to feed into the national review of Gaelic Adult Learning; working with Bòrd na Gàidhlig and other partners to assess the range of Gaelic Adult Learning resources, including online and other materials to support parents of Gaelic Medium pupils and other adult learners; and
iii. agree continued cross-agency working to encourage Gaelic learning and usage opportunities in workplaces, homes, schools and communities.

5. Gaelic Language Plan 2012-16, Theme 4 “What we will do for Gaelic in the Workplace" Implementation Report

There is circulated Report No GIG/15/14 dated 1 August 2014 by the Director of Education, Culture and Sport providing further information on the implementation of Gaelic Language Plan 2012-16 Theme 4 “What we will do for Gaelic in the Workplace”.  This update builds upon the Council’s 2012-13 Annual Implementation Report and outlines further action since 31 December 2013.

The Group is invited to:-

i. comment on the progress of implementing Theme 4;
ii. agree to take forward a Gaelic Skills Audit and Bilingual Skills Strategy;
iii. agree to take forward the inclusion of Gaelic in the Service Centre;
iv. agree to further examine the possibility of creating a bilingual Gaelic micro-site within the Council’s main website;
v. agree to explore the possibility of rolling out new sessions on Gaelic in the Council/Gaelic Awareness; and
vi. agree to establish a standard clause regarding Gaelic to be used in Service Level Agreements/Service Delivery Contracts/Contracts across the Council.

6. High Life Highland’s Delivery on Gaelic 

Mr D Wilby, Head of Performance at High Life Highland (HLH) will undertake a presentation providing an overview of HLH activities in respect of Gaelic.  His presentation will also cover the ongoing partnership between the Council and HLH in implementing the Gaelic Language Plan 2012-16, which applies to HLH.

The Group is invited to:-

i. comment on the Presentation; and
ii. agree that officers continue to work with High Life Highland counterparts to increase the use and profile of Gaelic across its sphere of activities.

7. Scottish Government Consultation Paper on a Gaelic Medium Education Bill

There is circulated Report No GIG/16/14 dated 30 July 2014 by the Director of Education, Culture and Sport providing Members with the opportunity to contribute to the Draft response to the Scottish Government’s Consultation on a Gaelic Medium Education Bill. 

The Group is invited to:-

i. comment on the Draft Consultation response as detailed in Appendix 1 of the report; and
ii. agree that it be finalised and submitted to the Scottish Government..

8. CLÌ Gàidhlig Presentation  

Mr D J MacIntyre, Director will undertake a presentation outlining Comann an Luchd-ionnsachaidh (CLÌ) Gàidhlig’s work on community related engagement alongside the Council.

The Group is invited to comment on the presentation.

9. Gaelic Language Plan 2012-16, Theme 2 “What we will do for Gaelic in Education" Implementation Report

There is circulated Report No GIG/17/14 dated 4 August 2014 by the Director of Education, Culture and Sport providing an update on the implementation of Gaelic Language Plan 2012-16 Theme 2 “What we will do for Gaelic in Education”.  It also provides information on a wide range of local and national initiatives.

The Group is invited to:-
 
i. comment on progress in implementing the Education Theme in the Gaelic Language Plan;
ii. agree to the updating and publication of all the Gaelic Education statistical data and the Online Gaelic Education Map, when the School Census figures are made available; and
iii. agree to further scrutiny of the All Teacher Survey data to identify the opportunities for sourcing Gaelic teachers within Highland teacher population.