Falkirk Council: Children could be offered Gaelic education

This would mean thatchildren would be taught primarily in Gaelic with English being used as a second language.

Parents and carers who are interested in their children being educated in Gaelic are being urged to attend a public meeting on January 25, which will tell them more about Gaelic-medium education (GME) and how it can be set up in Falkirk.

Bòrd na Gàidhlig (BnG) – the principal public body in Scotland responsible for promoting Gaelic development – is jointly hosting the meeting with Falkirk Council.

Jennifer McHarrie, director of Gaelic Education at BnG, will deliver a short presentation on the benefits of Gaelic-medium and answer any questions prospective parents may have.

Also attending will be representatives of Comann nam Pàrant, the national organisation which offers advice and support on Gaelic Medium Education to parents.

A Falkirk Council spokesperson said: “We are working in partnership with Bord na Gaidhlig to raise awareness of the potential for Gaelic-medium Education in the Falkirk Council area.

“Parents of pre-school children who would like to know more should sign up for our online information session on January 25 at 6.30pm.”

While all families have the right to send their children to a Gaelic school, for many years Falkirk pupils have had to travel to either North Lanarkshire or Riverside in Stirling.

In early 2020 – before the Coronavirus pandemic – a survey of parents in Falkirk revealed that future demand for Gaelic education in Falkirk could be much higher than previously thought.

A questionnaire to parents who had three-year-olds at nursery at that time found that 65 parents would consider sending their children to Gaelic medium education if Falkirk had a school for them to attend.

And 31 of them would still be interested in Gaelic medium education if it meant their child travelling to another authority, as currently happens.

The results were a surprise to education chiefs, as the number of Falkirk children being educated in Gaelic has stood at around 20 pupils – spanning the year groups from Primary 1 to S6 – for several years, with only minimal change.