Gaelic

Leugh an duilleag seo ann an Gàidhlig

Gaelic has been spoken in Scotland for more than 1,500 years and, although its use has declined over the centuries, it remains a valuable part of Scotland's cultural identity, especially for people in the Highlands and Islands. As the custodian of Scottish Gaelic we have a duty to protect this indigenous language.

In 2005 we passed the Gaelic Language (Scotland) Act 2005 to give Gaelic greater protection and prominence as an official language of Scotland.

Gaelic Language Plan

The 2005 Act led to the creation of our Gaelic language board, Bòrd na Gàidhlig, which advises Ministers on matters relating to Gaelic language, culture and education. The board is able to request that public bodies develop Gaelic Language Plans to set out how they will promote the use of Gaelic.

We published our second Gaelic Language Plan in May 2017, following a Gaelic Language Plan consultation in 2015. This plan provides further details on how we are supporting Gaelic.

Education

We support Gaelic Medium Education (GME), where a child's education is delivered through the medium of Gaelic, through a number of policies and funding streams.

The Education (Scotland) Act 2016 supports Gaelic through the following provisions:

  • the parent of a child who hasn't yet started school may request that their local education authority assesses the need for GME in their area
  • every education authority must promote the potential provision of GME and support any existing Gaelic education provision in the authority area
  • Bòrd na Gàidhlig has a duty to produce statutory guidance for Gaelic Education

In addition to the normal education block funding, local authorities may also apply for two sources of funding designed to support Gaelic education at all levels:

  • the Gaelic Education Specific Grant, to help support Gaelic provision in their area
  • the Gaelic Schools Capital fund, to help expand GME in their area

There are a range of measures in place to encourage young people to take up courses in Gaelic teaching. These include:

  • distance learning courses
  • part-time courses
  • conversion courses

Find out more about learning Gaelic via the LearnGaelic website.

In addition, we are supporting Bòrd na Gàidhlig's teacher recruitment campaign.

Organisations

There are a wide range of Gaelic development organisations that receive funding from Bòrd na Gàidhlig, as well as other funding bodies. These organisations are:

Broadcasting

The Gaelic TV channel BBC ALBA launched in September 2008 and went live on Freeview in June 2011, providing a vital support for the language.

We directly fund MG ALBA, one of the partners in BBC ALBA, with approximately £11.8 million of core funding each year. From 2016 to 2017 we are providing an additional £1 million following the UK Government's decision to withdraw its funding for Gaelic broadcasting in Scotland.

Gaelic radio services are available on BBC Radio nan Gàidheal and some commercial and community radio services.

Demographics

The total number of people recorded as being able to speak, read, write and/or understand Gaelic in the 2011 census was 87,000. Of these, the total number of people who speak Gaelic was 58,000. The data shows that the rate of decline has slowed significantly in comparison to earlier censuses.

The data shows an increase of 10 per cent in the number of Gaelic speakers below the age of 15, and a 15 per cent increase in the 16 to 29 age group.

Council of Europe Charter

The European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages was adopted in 1992 to help protect Europe's languages and encourage their use. The UK Government ratified the Charter in 2001 in respect of Welsh in Wales, Scots and Gaelic in Scotland and Ulster-Scots and Irish in Northern Ireland.


Gàidhlig

Tha daoine air a bhith a' bruidhinn sa Ghàidhlig ann an Alba airson còrr is 1,500 bliadhna agus, ged a tha i air crìonadh thairis air na linntean, tha i fhathast na pàirt luachmhor de dhearbh-aithne chultarail na h-Alba, gu h-àraid airson muinntir na Gàidhealtachd 's nan Eilean. Tha dleastanas oirnn mar luchd-glèidhidh na Gàidhlig an cànan dhùthchasach seo a dhìon.

Chaidh Achd na Gàidhlig (Alba) 2005 Achd na Gàidhlig (Alba) 2005 aontachadh airson tèarainteachd agus follais a bharrachd a thoirt don Ghàidhlig mar chànan oifigeil na h-Alba.

Plana Gàidhlig

Stèidhich Achd 2005 Bòrd na Gàidhlig, a tha a' toirt comhairle do Mhinistearan air cùisean co-cheangailte ri cànan, cultar agus foghlam na Gàidhlig. Faodaidh am Bòrd iarraidh air buidhnean poblach Planaichean Gàidhlig a dheasachadh a mhìnicheas mar a bhrosnaicheas iad cleachdadh na Gàidhlig.

Chaidh an dàrna Plana Gàidhlig fhoillseachadh ann an 2017, às dèidh co-chomhairleachadh ann an 2015. Faodar barrachd fiosrachaidh air an taic a tha Riaghaltas na h-Alba a' toirt dhan Ghàidhlig sa Phlana seo.

Foghlam

Tha sinn a' toirt taic do dh'Fhoghlam tron Ghàidhlig (FtG), far a bheil clann a' faighinn am foghlam tro mheadhan na Gàidhlig, tro ar poileasaidhean agus maoineachadh.

Tha Achd an Fhoghlaim (Alba) 2016 a' toirt taic don Ghàidhlig tro na solaran a leanas:

  • faodaidh pàrant le pàiste nach eil air tòiseachadh san sgoil fhathast iarraidh air an ùghdarras foghlaim aca measadh a dhèanamh den iarrtas airson FtG san sgìre aca
  • Feumaidh gach ùghdarras foghlaim cur air adhart gum faodar FtG iarraidh agus taic a thoirt do dh'fhoghlam Gàidhlig a th' anns an sgìre aca mu thràth
  • tha dleastanas air Bòrd na Gàidhlig Stiùireadh Reachdail airson Foghlam Gàdhlig fhoillseachadh

A bharrachd air am maoineachadh àbhaisteach a tha iad a' faighinn a thaobh foghlam, faodaidh ùghdarrasan ionadail cuir a-steach airson dà mhaoin sònraichte airson taic a thoirt do dh'fhoghlam Gàidhlig aig gach ìre:

  • an Tabhartas Sònraichte airson Foghlam Gàidhlig, airson taic a thoirt do sholar Gàidhlig san sgìre aca
  • am Maoin Calpa airson Sgoiltean Gàidhlig, airson cuideachadh le leudachadh ann am FtG san sgìre aca

Tha sgeamaichean ann gus daoine òga a bhrosnachadh gus trèanadh a bhith nan luchd-teagaisg na Gàidhlig. Nam measg gheibhear:

  • cùrsaichean aig astar
  • cùrsaichean pàirt-ùine
  • cùrsaichean atharrachaidh

A bharrachd air seo, tha sinn a' cumail taic ris an iomairt airson luchd-teagaisg a thrusadh aig Bòrd na Gàidhlig.

Buidhnean

Tha iomadh buidheann leasachaidh Gàidhlig a tha a' faighinn maoineachadh bho Bhòrd na Gàidhlig, a bharrachd air buidhnean maoineachaidh eile. 'S iad na buidhnean seo:

Craoladh

Chaidh an t-sianal TBh Gàidhlig BBC ALBA a stèidheachadh san t-Sultain 2008 agus chaidh i beò air Freeview san Ògmhios 2011, a' toirt taic cudromach dhan chànan.

Tha sinn a' toirt seachad maoineachadh de mu £11.8 millean gach bliadhna gu MG ALBA, com-pàirtiche ann am BBC ALBA. Eadar 2016 agus 2017 tha sinn cuideachd a' toirt seachad £1 millean a bharrachd às dèidh do Riaghaltas an Rioghachd Aonaichte stad a chuir air maoineachadh airson craoladh Gàidhlig ann an Alba.

Gheibhear seirbhisean rèidio sa Ghàidhlig air BBC Radio nan Gàidheal agus air cuid de stèiseanan coimeirsealta agus coimhearsnachd.

Cunntasan-sluaigh

Chaidh 87,000 duine gu h-iomlan a chlàradh le comas labhairt, leughaidh, sgrìobhaidh agus/neo tuigsinn sa Ghàidhlig. Nam measg tha comas labhairt sa Ghàidhlig aig 58,000. Tha am fiosrachadh a' sealltainn nach eil an crìonadh san àireamh de luchd-labhairt na Gàidhlig cho luath an coimeas ri cunntasan-sluaigh na bu tràithe, puing a tha gu math cudromach.

Tha am fiosrachadh a' sealltainn gu bheil an àireamh de luchd-labhairt na Gàidhlig fo aois 15 meudachadh air fàs aig ìre 10 sa cheud, agus an àireamh eadar 16 agus 29 air fàs aig aig ìre 15 sa cheud.

Cairt Comhairle na h-Eòrpa

Chaidh Cairt Eòrpach airson Cànanan Sgìreil agus Mion-chànanan aontachadh ann an 1992 gus cuideachadh cànanan na h-Eòrpa a dhìon agus airson an cleachdadh a bhrosnachadh. Dhaingnich Riaghaltas an Rìoghachd Aonaichte an Cairt ann an 2001 a thaobh Cuimris sa Chuimridh, Gàidhlig agus Albais an Alba, agus Albais-Ulaidh agus Gàidhlig na h-Èireann an Èireann a Tuath.

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