Council Responds To Calls For Gaelic Medium Provision On Isle of Skye

Thursday, 19 January 2006

Members of the Highland Council’s Education, Culture and Sport Committee today (Thursday, 19 January 2006) agreed that statutory consultations be undertaken on designating Sleat Primary School as a dedicated Gaelic school and  on changing the designated area of Broadford Primary School to include those pupils wishing to access English Medium provision within the area currently served by Sleat Primary School; 

Committee members were informed that the Council’s propositions for the statutory consulation were in response to representations from Comann nam Pàrant Sleite; and Comunn na Gaidhlig requesting that Sleat Primary School becomes a dedicated Gaelic school.

Members heard that the background to the request was due to the facts that Sleat Primary School has had a declining mainstream English Medium roll and a rising Gaelic Medium roll for some years and this pattern is predicted to continue. The pre-school English nursery has been closed for session 2005/2006 due to lack of numbers. The Gaelic Medium nursery however has steadily increasing numbers and from January 2006 there will be 20 three and four year old children enrolled.

This pattern is continuing in session 2006/2007 when there are unlikely to be any English

Medium pupils enrolled in Primary 1. If the falling English Medium numbers continue the

school will move naturally towards Gaelic only provision over the next decade.

In order for locally based consultation to commence, consultation papers be drawn up for the consideration of the Skye and Lochalsh Area Committee, in consultation with the Chairman and Vice-Chairman of the Education, Culture and Sport Committee.

For further information please contact: Laurence Young, Area Education Manager tel: (01478)