Gaelic Medium Education in secondary schools

Subjects offered in the medium of Gaelic in Scotland

In 2025/26, 37 local authority secondary schools in Scotland offered at least one subject in the medium of Gaelic (Table 1). This is five more than the 32 local authority secondary schools in 2024/25. However relatively fewer subjects were offered in the medium of Gaelic in 2025/26 (32) compared to 2024/25 overall (33; Table 2).

The subjects offered in the medium of Gaelic varied in 2025/26. The Gaelic Language subjects were offered in the majority of GME local authority secondary schools, with most other subjects being offered in less than a fifth of local authority secondary schools (Table 3 and Figure 1).  Of the 37 local authority secondary schools which offered GME in 2025/26, the most common subjects offered were:

• Gàidhlig (Gaelic Fluent Speakers; 35 schools)
• Gàidhlig (Gaelic Learners; 30 schools)
• Eachdraidh (History; 11 schools)
• Nuadh-eòlas (Modern Studies; 11 schools)
• Cruinn-eòlas (Geography; 10 schools)
• Eòlas Creideimh (Religious Studies; 10 schools)

Figure 1. The Gaelic Language subjects were offered in the majority of GME local authority secondary schools in 2025/26, with other subjects being less commonly offered

Most common GME subjects offered across local authority secondary schools in Scotland, 2024/25-2025/26

There were 15 subjects offered in more schools, 9 subjects offered in the same number of schools and 14 subjects offered in less schools in 2025/26 compared to 2024/25. This includes subjects offered in one year and not the other.

The largest changes in number of schools offering a GME subject over time was for Gàidhlig (Gaelic Learners), with an increase of six schools from 24 in 2024/25 to 30 in 2025/26 and Gàidhlig (Gaelic Fluent Speakers), with an increase of five schools from 30 in 2025 to 35 in 2025/26. All other changes between 2024/25 and 2025/26 were an increase or decrease in one or two schools.

A full list of subjects offered within local authority secondary schools, and the number of schools which offered said subject, in 2024/25 and 2025/26 is available within Table 3.

Pupils taught subjects in the medium of Gaelic in Scotland

In 2025/26, pupil uptake of the GME subjects offered varied from zero pupils (Fiosaigs (Physics)) to 3,320 pupils (Gàidhlig (Gaelic Learners)) across all stages and local authority secondary schools in Scotland (Table 4). The Gaelic Language subjects had the highest uptake across local authority secondary schools where it was offered (Figure 2). Of the 32 subjects offered in the medium of Gaelic, the subjects taken by the most pupils in 2025/26 were:

• Gàidhlig (Gaelic Learners; 3,320 pupils)
• Gàidhlig (Gaelic Fluent Speakers; 1,754 pupils)
• Eachdraidh (History; 830 pupils)
• Eòlas Creideimh (Religious Studies; 812 pupils)
• Nuadh-eòlas (Modern Studies; 809 pupils)

Figure 2. The Gaelic Language subjects had the highest number of pupils taught in the medium of Gaelic in 2025/26

Most common GME subjects taken by pupils across local authority secondary schools in Scotland, 2024/25-2025/26

There were 19 subjects where more pupils were taught in medium of Gaelic in 2025/26 compared to 2024/25. There were 17 subjects where less pupils were taught in the medium of Gaelic in 2025/26 compared to 2024/25. This includes subjects offered in one year and not the other.

The largest increases in number of pupils taught a specific subject in the medium of Gaelic over time were for:

• Gàidhlig (Gaelic Learners), with an increase of 1,392 pupils from 1,928 in 2024/25 to 3,320 in 2025/26
• Eòlas Creideimh (Religious Studies) with an increase of 270 pupils from 542 in 2024/25 to 812 in 2025/26
• Beurla (English) with an increase of 200 pupils from 53 in 2024/25 to 253 in 2025/26
• Technical with an increase of 198 pupils from 117 in 2024/25 to 315 in 2025/26

The largest decreases in number of pupils taught a specific subject in the medium of Gaelic over time were for:

• Business Studies, with a decrease of 270 pupils from 270 in 2024/25 to zero in 2025/26 (subject not offered in 2025/26)
• Personal and Social Education (PSE), with a decrease of 147 pupils from 941 in 2024/25 to 794 in 2025/26

A full list of pupils taught subjects in the medium of Gaelic in 2024/25 and 2025/26 is available within Table 4.

Data on pupil uptake of the GME subjects offered is available by pupil stage (Table 5). Across the majority of GME subjects offered in 2025/26, the number of pupils taking them generally decreases by pupil stage (from the highest in S1 to the lowest in S6). This is similar to the pattern in GME subject uptake by stage seen in 2024/25.