Standalone Gaelic Primary Schools

The Highland Council’s Education, Culture and Sport Committee has agreed the principle of establishing a Gaelic Medium School to serve Greater Fort William and another to serve Portree and communities currently served by the Gaelic Medium provision in Portree Primary School, Skye.

Statutory consultations were undertaken by the Council in each of the communities in September/October and the results showed that in each of the communities there was strong support for standalone Gaelic school provision.

Council officials will now prepare option proposals on preferred sites for the new schools for members’ consideration.  Members and officers will meet with the Scottish Government and Bord na Gaidhlig to discuss capital funding for the school developments.

Councillor Michael Foxley, Leader of the Council’s Administration, who represents Fort William and Ardnamurchan, said:  “For the last 14 years, Gaelic Medium Education has been served well by St. Mary’s Primary School in Fort William but there is a need to grow in scope, size and impact our provision in the Greater Fort William area.  We need to impress upon parents and children the advantages of bi-lingualism within the European context. We will need to seek additional funding for both school developments at Fort William and Portree and we will form a small group of dedicated members, parents and council staff to further discussions with the Scottish Government.”

Councillor Hamish Fraser, Chairman of the Council’s Gaelic Committee, who represents Skye, said:  “I would like to thank everyone involved in both consultations at Fort William and Portree, Council staff and members of the public. I congratulate the Council for moving forward the Council’s Gaelic Plan which is another historic and important decision which reinforces the Councils commitment to the Gaelic language and sends out a clear message that we are taking seriously our obligation to that Plan.

“The hard work now begins in establishing the correct locations, securing adequate funding from our partners in order that, when these schools are built they will be established for greater benefit for our children and the wider community.”

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