Dave Thompson, MSP for Skye, Lochaber and Badenoch has called on Highland Council to appoint more Gaelic teachers at Broadford Primary School amid concerns that there are not enough.
During the last administration in Highland Council, it was decided to equalise the ratio of teachers to pupils between the Gaelic units and the English units across the region. In the first few years of Primary School, children in Gaelic Medium need additional teaching assistance than children in English medium, and therefore it is important that there are is a higher ratio of teachers to children. As a result of this decision, there are some older children in the Gaelic Medium unit who are being taught in English and Gaelic.
Today, Mr Thompson has written two letters to Drew Hendry, leader of Highland Council (letters attached). The first letter addressed the question of repealing the decision of the last administration and the second asked Highland Council to appoint an additional permanent Gaelic medium teacher in Broadford.
Mr Thompson said, “Parents with children in the Gaelic medium unit in Broadford have voiced their serious concerns to me. It seems that the principle of Gaelic immersion in Gaelic Medium Education has been undermined by the decision of the previous administration at Highland Council not to supply enough Gaelic teachers. The children in primaries one to four, who are all in the same classroom, are hearing English frequently so they are not immersed in Gaelic. A third teacher would limit the amount of English heard in the classroom.
“Broadford Primary School is one of the closest school to the only Gaelic college in Scotland and so it seems incredible that there is not adequate Gaelic teaching in Broadford. English speaking parents have been motivated by their children in Gaelic Medium to begin attending and organising Gaelic evening classes. This is a school which has all the potential for contributing significantly to the revitilisation of the Gaelic language, and it must be given all the assistance that it needs.
“I have written to the new leader of Highland Council in the hope that he will consider repealing the last administration’s decision which has hindered the provision of Gaelic Medium Education in Broadford Primary School. I hope we can resolve this matter quickly and efficiently so that the children’s education is not impeded in any way.”
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