Comataidh na Gàidhlig a’ cur fàilte air cunntasan às ùr mu fhoghlam is coileanadh
Chuir Buill Comataidh Gàidhlig na Comhairle fàilte air adhartas leis a’ ghluasad eadar seann Phlana Gàidhlig Chomhairle na Gàidhealtachd agus dreachd làithreach 2024–29.
Thuirt Cathraiche Comataidh na Gàidhlig, an Comhairliche Calum Rothach: “Tha mi fìor thoilichte a bhith a’ faicinn na h-obrach a tha Sgioba na Gàidhlig a’ dèanamh gus cunntas mìneachail is mionaideach a thoirt do Chomhairlichean mun t-siostam rianachd coileanaidh. Bheir seo cothrom dhuinn tuigse nas fheàrr fhaighinn mun adhartas a thathar a’ dèanamh le Plana na Gàidhlig thar seirbheisean na Comhairle.”
Fo Achd na Gàidhlig (Alba) 2005, feumaidh Plana Gàidhlig a bhith aig a’ Chomhairle. Tha an dleastanas reachdail seo cuideachd ga chur mar riatanas air a’ Chomhairle gealltanasan Plana Gàidhlig 2024–29 a bhuileachadh agus cunntas ceart a thoirt seachad mun deidhinn.
Tha aithris mu choinneimh gealltanasan a’ Phlana air a sgrùdadh tro Shiostam Coileanaidh is Rianachd Cunnairt (PRMS) na Comhairle. Chaidh cunntas às ùr a thoirt do Bhuill Comataidh Gàidhlig mun t-siostam rianachd agus cuideachd mu adhartas ann a bhith a’ lìbhrigeadh nan 38 gnìomhan a tha taobh a-staigh Plana na Gàidhlig.
Chaidh foir-shealladh de Sgioba na Gàidhlig, a tha 6.5 co-ionnan ri làn-ùine agus a tha a’ cur air adhart Plana Gàidhlig na Comhairle, a shealltainn do chomhairlichean. Ged a tha eòlas an sgioba eadar-chuspaireil a’ còmhdach spòrs, cultar, ceòl, foghlam agus an eaconamaidh, tha e na dhleastanas corporra aig a’ Chomhairle a bhith a’ lìbhrigeadh Plana na Gàidhlig, le prìomh amas a bhith a’ dèanamh nan seirbheisean Gàidhlig coitcheann is àbhaisteach thar seirbheisean na Comhairle air fad tro bheatha a’ Phlana.
Chaidh innse do chomhairlichean gun tèid dàta Gàidhlig a chaidh fhoillseachadh bho chunntas-sluaigh 2022 a chleachdadh gus fios a chur ri prògraman obrach a tha air am mìneachadh ann am Plana na Gàidhlig agus airson dèanamh cinnteach gu bheilear ag amas air prìomh dheamografachdan le barrachd cinnt.
Chaidh cunntas às ùr a thoirt do Bhuill cuideachd mun adhartas a bha Sgioba na Gàidhlig a’ dèanamh ann a bhith a’ leasachadh ionnsachadh proifeiseanta air-loidhne do thidsearan ann am Foghlam Gàidhlig. Tha seo a’ cur ris na modalan ionnsachaidh air-loidhne aig Foghlam Alba do thidsearan ùra is do cheannardan eadar-amail. Chaidh modal trèanaidh ùr leasachail beò san Lùnastal. A thuilleadh air a sin, tha inntrigidhean thidsearan pròbhaidh a-nis a’ gabhail a-steach bùth-obrach mu Fhoghlam Gàidhlig; agus tha cuairt-litir a tha ag amas air ionnsachadh proifeiseanta is ceannardas do thidsearan a’ gabhail a-steach earrann mu Fhoghlam Gàidhlig, a tha a’ togail aire mu stuthan ionnsachaidh is tachartasan Gàidhlig do thidsearan.
’S e aon de ghealltanasan Plana na Gàidhlig obrachadh gu ruige targaid de 70% de sgoiltean a bhith a’ lìbhrigeadh na Gàidhlig mar dhàrna no treas cànan. Thug comhairlichean fa-near do na goireasan so-luchdachaidh, na modalan is na seiseanan trèanaidh a bha Sgioba na Gàidhlig a’ solarachadh, le luchd-labhairt Gàidhlig a’ teagasg briathrachas gu dìreach do chlasaichean gus taic a thoirt do thidsearan is sgoilearan. Thathar air cùrsaichean ‘Leasan Beò’ a lìbhrigeadh thar trì cùrsaichean le cuibheas de 20 sgoil a’ gabhail pàirt anns gach cùrsa.
Thug comhairlichean fa-near cuideachd dhan obair chom-pàirteach aig Sgioba na Gàidhlig ann a bhith a’ cur taic ri prògram foghlam thidsearan an t-Sabhail Mhòir agus chaidh moladh a dhèanamh air obair taic na Comhairle ann a bhith a’ cruthachadh ‘Oideas’ – sreath de phod-chraolaidhean cunbhalach mu Fhoghlam tron Ghàidhligh. Tha gach pod-chraoladh a’ taisbeanadh fiosrachadh bho eòlaichean foghlaim mu na dreuchdan, na dùbhlain is na fuasglaidhean as fheàrr a thaobh a bhith ag obair ann am Foghlam tron Ghàidhlig, le amas a bhith a’ brosnachadh smaoineachadh ùr, a’ togail cheistean is a’ co-roinn fiosrachadh eadar tidsearan Gàidhlig a tha a’ dèiligeadh ri dùbhlain coltach riutha seo sna seòmraichean-teagaisg aca.
Gaelic Committee welcomes education and performance updates
Progress on the transition between previous versions of Highland Council’s Gaelic Language Plan to the current 2024-29 version has been welcomed by Members of the Council’s Gaelic Committee.
Chair of the Gaelic Committee, Cllr Calum Munro said: “I am very pleased to see the work undertaken by the Gaelic Team in bringing this illustrative and accessible briefing of the performance management system to Councillors. This will enable us to better understand and scrutinise the progress being made on the Gaelic Language Plan across council services.”
Under the Gaelic Language (Scotland) Act 2005, the Council is required to have a Gaelic Language Plan. This statutory duty also requires the Council to implement and accurately report on its Gaelic Language Plan 2024-29 commitments.
Reporting on the Plan’s commitments is monitored through the Council’s Performance and Risk Management System (PRMS). Gaelic Committee members were updated on the management system and also on the progress of delivery of 38 actions contained within the Gaelic Language Plan.
An overview of the 6.5 full time equivalent Gaelic Team driving the Council’s Gaelic Language Plan was presented to councillors. While the multidisciplinary team’s expertise covers sport, culture, music, education and the economy, delivery of the Gaelic Language Plan is a corporate responsibility of the Council with a key aim of standardising and normalising key Gaelic services across all Council services during the lifetime of the Plan.
Councillors were informed that Gaelic data published in the 2022 national census will be used to inform programmes of work outlined within the Gaelic Language Plan and to ensure that key demographics are targeted with greater accuracy.
Members were also updated on the progress being made by the Gaelic Team in the development of online professional learning for Gaelic Education Teachers which complements Education Scotland online learning modules for new and acting head teachers. This new supplementary online training module went live in August. In addition, Probationer Teacher inductions now include a workshop on Gaelic Education; and a newsletter aimed at profession learning and leadership for teachers includes a section on Gaelic Education that promotes awareness of Gaelic learning materials and events available to teaching staff.
One of the commitments of the Gaelic Language Plan is to work towards a target of 70% of schools delivering Gaelic as a second or third language. Councillors noted the Gaelic Team’s provision of downloadable resources, training modules and sessions provided with Gaelic speakers teaching vocabulary direct to classes supporting both the teacher and pupils. ‘Live Lesson’ courses have been delivered over 3 courses with on average 20 schools participating in each course.
The partnership work of the Gaelic Team in supporting Sabhal Mòr Ostaig’s teacher education programme was also noted by Councillors who commended the Council’s support work in the creation of ‘Oideas’ - a series of regular podcasts about Gaelic Medium Education. Each podcast presents the experiences of education experts about their roles, challenges and best solutions working in Gaelic Medium Education with the aims of provoking new thinking, raising questions and sharing information between Gaelic teachers facing similar challenges in their classrooms.