Agendas, reports and minutes

A meeting of the Gaelic Implementation Group will take place in the Council Chamber, Council Headquarters, Glenurquhart Road, Inverness on Wednesday 1 February 2017 at 10.30 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. Good News

4. Presentation – Bòrd na Gàidhlig

Over the last year, Bòrd na Gàidhlig has been developing the next iteration of the National Gaelic Language Plan (NGLP) which will go out to consultation for 3 months. Following on from the NGLP 2012-17, the new plan will prioritise learning and using Gaelic.  Also, on 1 February 2017, the provisions of the Education (Scotland) Act 2016, which relate to Gaelic medium education, comes into force and the implementation and impact of the Statutory Guidance features strongly in the draft Plan. Ms Shona MacLennan, Chief Executive of Bòrd na Gàidhlig, will give an overview of the work currently undertaken by Bòrd na Gàidhlig in relation to the above.

The Group is invited to note the presentation.

5. Presentation – MG ALBA

Mr Donald Campbell, Chief Executive of MG ALBA will undertake a presentation on proposals seeking increased BBC investment in BBC ALBA under the new BBC Charter, which started on 1 January.  Highland Council has supported this through letters of support to the Director General.

The Group is invited to comment and note the presentation.

6. A Fairer Deal for BBC ALBA, the Framework Agreement Scottish Gaelic Broadcasting

There is circulated Report No GIG/1/17 dated 9 January 2017 by the Director of Care and Learning seeking homologation of the response that the Highland Council submitted to the Director General of the BBC and the BBC’s Director of Nations and Regions.

The Group is invited to agree to homologate the response as detailed in Appendix 1 of the report.

7. Presentation – e-Sgoil

Mr Angus MacLennan, Head Teacher of e-Sgoil, Comhairle nan Eilean Siar, will undertake a presentation on the developments of e-Sgoil, which is a Scotland wide educational resource, based in the Western Isles.

The Group is invited to comment and note the presentation.

8. Gaelic Language Plan – Draft Annual Implementation Report 2016-17

There is circulated Report No GIG/2/17 dated 20January 2017 by the Director of Care and Learning providing a draft summary, for approval, of the 2016-17 Annual Implementation Report in relation to the Council’s Gaelic Language Plan 2012-16. 

The Group is invited to:-

1. comment on the Draft Annual Implementation Report covering the period 1 January 2016 to 31 January 2017; and
2. agree the Annual Implementation Report.

9.1+2 Languages Development (Gaelic)

There is circulated Report No GIG/3/17 dated 24 January 2017 by the Director of Care and Learning informing Members of the current status of the Gaelic 1+2 Languages training and development programme, namely through:-

• the rollout of Gaelic Language training courses for teachers with very little Gaelic knowledge
• the rollout of Gaelic 1+ 2 pedagogy courses for teachers with existing Gaelic knowledge
• the development of high quality resources to equip both groups of teachers with the necessary tools to deliver their teaching; and
• the development of clear Gaelic language learning pathways for teachers’ own personal development.

The Group is invited to discuss, and comment on, the Gaelic 1+2 development to date and its outcomes.

10. Revised Policy on Gaelic Medium Transport

There is circulated Report No GIG/4/17 dated 24 January 2017 by the Director of Care and Learning seeking views on a revised policy for the provision of transport to Gaelic Medium Education (GME).  The Policy also encompasses transport to denominational schools, the latter section being outwith the scope of this Committee. 

The Group is invited to consider and make comment on the draft Policy, which will subsequently be reported to the Education, Children and Adult Services Committee for decision.

11. Development of the Third Iteration of the Highland Council’s Gaelic Language Plan

There is circulated Report No GIG/5/17 dated  20 January 2017 by the Director of Care and Learning informing Members of progress and strategic planning in relation to the drafting, consultation and the submission to Bord na Gàidhlig of the Highland Council’s 3rd Generation Gaelic Language Plan (GLP3).

The Group is invited to agree:-

1. the summarised draft high level aims (3.1 – 3.10) which Bord na Gàidhlig submitted to the Council,  as a focus for the development of GLP3; and
2. a timeframe in relation to the drafting, consultation and the presenting of draft GLP3 to Gaelic Implementation Group meetings and the full Highland Council.