Agendas, reports and minutes

 

The Highland Council

Minutes of Meeting of the Gaelic Implementation Group held in the Council Chamber, Glenurquhart Road, Inverness on Thursday 14 August 2014 at 10.00 am.

Present:

Mr G Farlow
Mr C Fraser
Mr H Fraser (Chair)
Mr J Gordon

Also present:

Mrs I Campbell
Mr C Macaulay
Mr K MacLeod
Mrs M E Paterson
Dr A Sinclair
Mr D Fallows

In attendance:

Mr H Fraser, Director of Education, Culture and Sport
Ms C McDiarmid, Head of Policy and Reform, Chief Executive’s Office
Ms M A Macleod Mitchell, Gaelic Development Officer, Chief Executive’s Office
Ms D Grant, Community Learning & Development Officer (Gaelic), Chief Executive’s Office
Ms S Paterson, Community Learning and Development Officer, Chief Executive’s Office
Ms M Mulholland, Gaelic Community Learning & Development Officer, Chief Executive’s Office
Miss J Maclennan, Principal Administrator, Corporate Development Service
Mrs F MacBain, Committee Administrator, Corporate Development Service

Also in attendance:

Mr D Wilby, Head of Performance, High Life Highland
Mr D J MacIntyre, Director (CLÌ) Gàidhlig’s

An asterisk in the margin denotes a recommendation to the Council.  All decisions with no marking in the margin are delegated to the Group.

 Business

 1. Apologies for Absence

Apologies for absence were intimated on behalf of Mr J McGillivray, Mr A M Millar and Mr F Parr.

2. Declarations of Interest

The Committee NOTED the following Declarations of Interest:-

Item 8 - Dr Audrey Sinclair (non-financial) and Mr K MacLeod (financial)

3. Recess Powers

The Group NOTED that the Recess Powers granted by the Council at its meeting on 26 June 2014 had 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 had been circulated Report No GIG/14/14 dated 29 July 2014 by the Director of Education, Culture and Sport which provided 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 updated the Council’s 2012-13 Annual Implementation Report and outlined further action since 31 December 2013.

During a summary of the report, the range of on-going activity was detailed and attention was drawn to the support of Gaelic through pre-school education, programmes of activity organised through primary and secondary schools, adult learning and community engagement.  An update on progress being made in a wide range of local Gaelic Classes and the requirement for a review of Gaelic adult learning provision in Scotland was also given.

During discussion, the following comments were made:-

• it was hoped there would be increasing demand for Ùlpan courses and the new-style conversation class which was due to start in Portree;
• while welcoming the attendance at the youth residential event by Gaelic Secondary pupils from Portree and Mallaig High Schools, it was hoped that in future other schools would also participate;
• a Gaelic Language Act Implementation Fund application had been with the aim of recruiting further Gaelic tutors; and
• it was important that people who had taken Ùlpan classes had opportunity to   make use of their new language skills.

Having commented on the progress in implementing the Home and Communities Theme in GLP 12-16, the Group:-

i. AGREED 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
ii. AGREED 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  

Dr A Sinclair declared a non-financial interest in this item as a member of Clì Gàidhlig but, having applied the test outlined in Paragraphs 5.2 and 5.3 of the Councillors’ Code of Conduct, concluded that her interest did not preclude her involvement in the discussion.

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

During a summary of the report, the range of on-going activity was detailed.  Attention was drawn to implementation action across all three Commitments which were as follows:-

• to increase Gaelic usage and the profile of the Gaelic language and internal Gaelic services across the Council. These included increasing the use of Gaelic in reports, improving the appearance of Gaelic on the Council’s website and developing a database of staff with Gaelic skills;
• to identify and provide developmental opportunities for Members and officers to learn Gaelic or improve their Gaelic skills. Key to this was the development of a two-hour course ‘Encouraging Gaelic Usage in the Council’ which had taken place in the Council Chamber in 2013 and was hoped to be rolled out to Areas in 2014-15. Also mentioned were the discussions taking place with Soillse, the Gaelic Research Partnership, with a view to extending the Gaelic Skills Audit for teaching staff to all Council staff; and
• to increase the use and profile of Gaelic in dealings with external partners, stakeholders and contacts, such as the inclusion of Gaelic phrases on funding documentation, wider use of Gaelic in care homes and strengthened links between the Blas festival and the charity Music in Hospitals.

During discussion, Members welcomed progress made to date and made the following comments:-

• ongoing collaboration with Welsh Councils and Welsh-language organisations was to be encouraged;
• the encouragement of Gaelic in care homes was welcomed;
• it was important that those who could, attempted to speak at least a few words of Gaelic at Gaelic Implementation meetings; and
• the Gaelic Awareness session for Members in 2013 had been valuable and should be repeated, perhaps followed by a Gaelic lunch to provide an opportunity for Gaelic conversation to improve speakers’ confidence.

Having commented on the progress of implementing Theme 4, the Group:-

i. AGREED to take forward a Gaelic Skills Audit and Bilingual Skills Strategy;
ii. AGREED to take forward the inclusion of Gaelic in the Service Centre;
iii. AGREED to further examine the possibility of creating a bilingual Gaelic micro-site within the Council’s main website;
iv. AGREED to explore the possibility of rolling out new sessions on Gaelic in the Council/Gaelic Awareness; and
v. AGREED 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) undertook a presentation providing an overview of HLH activities in respect of Gaelic including the ongoing partnership between the Council and HLH in implementing the Gaelic Language Plan 2012-16, where it applied to HLH.

Following an outline of the Gaelic Schedule of the Service Delivery Contract between HLH and the Council, specific areas of activity were summarised as follows:-

• Adult Learning -  HLH commissioned groups and learning centres to provide Gaelic language classes;
• Arts – projects included the Blas festival which introduced 1300 school pupils to Gaelic and the River Ness Flood Alleviation Scheme Public Art Project;
• Leisure facilities – included the provision of venues for Gaelic classes and drama workshops;
• Libraries - a wide range of additional activities were highlighted, such a Gaelic bookbug sessions, Gaelic Medium story telling and the Am Baile Website;
• Museums - the Highland Folk Museum had Gaelic at its core and staff able to welcome visitors in Gaelic. The Inverness and Museum and Art Gallery (IMAG) also had Gaelic throughout the building, from Interpretation Panels to Education Packs and Recordings of Gaelic Language; and
• Sports – there were 37 Gaelic Medium coaches/leaders and bi-lingual Active Schools projects in Fort William and Skye.

Examples were provided of translation support that had been sought from the Council and a summary was given of plans for the future which included exhibitions at IMAG during the Mod, Inverness Traditional Music Classes at the Mod and at the Masters World Highland Games, collaboration with the Council’s Gaelic Team on the HLH Summer Activities Programme 2015 and the new Am Baile Website.

The Group thanked Mr Wilby for his presentation AGREED 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 had been circulated Report No GIG/16/14 dated 30 July 2014 by the Director of Education, Culture and Sport which provided Members with the opportunity to contribute to the Draft response to the Scottish Government’s Consultation on a Gaelic Medium Education (GME) Bill. 

It was explained that the consultation paper did not invite views on draft legislation but on particular proposals relating to GME.  The views received would be important in shaping legislation for submission to Parliament.  The Council intended to submit its views on Gaelic education in general and specifically on the proposal to introduce legislation to the Scottish Parliament aimed at expanding and improving access to GME in Scotland. 

The Director summarised the Council’s draft response, with particular emphasis on areas of concern, notably the need to ensure that a ‘one size fits all’ approach was not adopted given the wide variation in levels of support and demand for GME not just from one Local Authority to another but also within individual Local Authorities. However, legislation to create a national framework within which decisions relating to GME provision could be made was welcomed.

The proposed response highlighted the value of consultation and cooperation between all parties involved in Gaelic, including parents. Sustainability was key, as was the need to balance the supply of teachers with the promotion of GME in a realistic way. Parents required good quality information and this tied into the Council’s strategic approach to GME provision, with reference being made to the online map showing all GME resources in Highlands.

The Chairman thanked the Director not only for the presentation but for his valuable contribution to improving GME provision in the Highlands during his time in post. Several Members echoed these sentiments, thanking the Director, as it was his last Gaelic Implementation Group meeting prior to his retiral, and speaking warmly of his immense contribution to Gaelic in the Highlands. They wished him well for the future.

During discussion, the following comments were made:-

• in relation to encouraging and promoting the growth of GME, the benefits of bi-lingualism should be emphasised to parents;
• GME had blossomed in the last twenty years and Gaelic Medium schools were central to the language’s long-term future;
• several aspects of Gaelic development were being worked on jointly with other Local Authorities;
• there were pockets of strong support for GME and other areas with less interest and it was important that distinctions were made in how they were tackled;
• Mr Macleod asked for a copy of the draft Bill;
• the consultation response should make reference to the importance of encouraging secondary teachers with Gaelic ability to consider teaching subjects through the medium of Gaelic; and
• the last paragraph of the draft response should be amended to read ‘…will likely result in expansion of staffing and expertise…’

Having commented on the Draft Consultation response as detailed in Appendix 1 of the report, the Group AGREED that it be finalised and submitted to the Scottish Government subject to the following amendments:-

i. in relation to the question regarding steps that could be taken to encourage and promote the growth of Gaelic Medium education, the sixth bullet point be amended to emphasise the benefits of bilingualism;
ii. that the response be strengthened to highlight the need for secondary school teachers who were able to teach subjects through the medium of Gaelic; and
iii. in relation to the last question seeking further comments, the first sentence, last paragraph be amended to read that “the growth of Gaelic Education will likely result in the expansion of staffing and expertise…”.

8. CLÌ Gàidhlig Presentation                                                                                 

Declarations of Interest:

Dr A Sinclair declared a non-financial interest in this item as a member of Clì Gàidhlig but, having applied the test outlined in Paragraphs 5.2 and 5.3 of the Councillors’ Code of Conduct, concluded that her interest did not preclude her involvement in the discussion.

Mr K MacLeod declared a financial interest in this item on the grounds of CLÌ Gàidhlig having previously been a client of MacLeods WS of which he was a partner but, as the relationship had been in the past and pertained to an unrelated matter, he concluded that his interest did not preclude his involvement in the discussion.

Mr D J MacIntyre, Director, undertook a presentation outlining Comann an Luchd-ionnsachaidh (CLÌ) Gàidhlig’s work on community related engagement alongside the Council. He made the following points:-

• Clì Gaidhlig was formed in 1984 in order to give support and guidance to Adult Gaelic Learners in Scotland and throughout the world. In 1987 it became a Company Limited by Guarantee and has charitable status;
• it had a membership that benefited from a quarterly magazine Cothrom, which was due to become an online publication due to the expense of paper distribution;
• the core of Clì’s work involved the organisation of different types of courses for both learners and fluent speakers, including conversation courses, Ulpan, Gaelic for Business, and Grammar, Reading and Writing courses;
• Clì arranged Gaelic Awareness Training Days aimed at Public Bodies who were involved with Gaelic Plans. It was particularly helpful to raise awareness at a senior level and have Gaelic included in corporate philosophy. Work was ongoing with the Council’s Gaelic Development team on this;
• Clì provided a funding package aimed at new adult Gaelic Learners or lapsed elementary learners. Support was provided through the funding for childcare, transport accommodation and there was a start-up grant for Gaelic tutors;
• http://www.learngaelic.net/ was a website for learners and fluent speakers which Clì was involved with. The steering group for this site comprised representatives from BBC Alba, MG Alba, Bord na Gaidhlig, Sabhal Mòr Ostaig and SOCS (Simplified Online Communication System);
• other projects included classes for FèisTutors, Tuition for Choirs, Coffee mornings and Conversation Circles; and
• Clì planned to use the aims set out in The National Gaelic Language Plan as guidance in setting out a strategic plan for the next four years. It would also look at supporting, building and assisting on the aspirations contained in the Highland Council plan.

Mr MacIntrye also commented in relation to the Scottish Government Consultation Paper on a GME Bill that it was important to establish the reasons why parents chose GME for their children. An awareness session for parents and children, prior to starting GME, was, in his view, beneficial. He concluded that there was a promising increase in demand for Gaelic courses, generated, in part, by the increasing number of Local Authorities with Gaelic Language Plans.

Members thanked Mr MacIntyre for the presentation and welcomed the partnership working that Clì was facilitating between a range of different organisations, including between themselves and the Council’s Gaelic Team. Members were urged to consider joining Clì and benefiting from their quarterly magazine.

The Group NOTED the position.

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

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

The Report provided information on progress across the five Strategic Commitments.  Gaelic Education statistics were detailed for Highland in Academic Year 2013/14 and attention was drawn to the online map of the Council’s Gaelic Education provision which would be updated when the 2014 school census figures had been collated.

The Director welcomed the expanded remit of the Gaelic Language Plan which was not solely focussed on Education. However, Education remained key to ensuring young people who had learnt Gaelic had the opportunity to take practical steps to use their Gaelic in the wider community and that the country provided adequate infrastructure to facilitate this.

He highlighted certain areas of activity within the five Strategic Commitments as follows:

• Strategic Commitment 1 - We will contribute to national strategic partnership initiatives, and policy formulation for Gaelic Education. Many areas of collaborative working were listed in the report, with sustainability and growth considered key to future policy formation;
• Strategic Commitment 2 - We will ensure that Gaelic Education is factored into strategic Highland Council Education reviews and assessments. A good example of this was the integral part Gaelic was to play in the plans for the replacement Inverness Royal Academy;
• Strategic Commitment 3 - We will create partnerships to establish a professionally organised, well-resourced and sustainable 0-3 Gaelic Early Years sector. This was proving to be a growth area;
• Strategic Commitment 4 - We will develop 3-18 Gaelic Education and increase the number of Gaelic Learners in schools. Fèisean nan Gaidheal was cited as an example of a successful project which had increased the number of children exposed to the language; and
• Strategic Commitment 5 - We will work with partners to review the learning materials and learning resources provided to support Gaelic Education. It was felt that a proper body of material was now available, achieved in part through collaboration between agencies at a national level.

The Director drew attention to the table at 3.2 of the report which showed an increasing number of primary school pupils in GME since 2007 which he considered a good indicator of increasing support for GME as a whole. He emphasised the importance of early and full consultation with Members on the next draft of the Gaelic Language Plan, the process for which was due to start in 2015.

During discussion, Members commented on the strength of Gaelic within the Education sector as evidenced by the figures detailed in the report. Reference was made to the successes that had been achieved during the previous ten years, with thanks expressed to a number of former Councillors for their efforts, as well as to more recent successes such as the recruitment of 12 additional Gaelic Medium teachers and the opportunities presented by the Fèis movement. A request was made for a Gaelic speaker to sit on the interview panel for the recruitment of the new Head Teacher for Bun-sgoil Ghàidhlig Inbhir Nis, however it was acknowledged that the composition of the panel was set out in the Council’s Scheme of Delegation. Finally, reference was made to praise that had been received from a visitor from Hong Kong for the bi-lingual Interpretation Panels in the North Highland Geo Park.

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

The meeting ended at 12 noon.