Introduction

This publication includes national-level statistics from the annual data collection regarding the provision of Gaelic Medium Education (GME) in Secondary Schools.

In both 2024/25 and 2025/26, 1.7% secondary pupils received education in the medium of Gaelic as recorded in the pupil census. This equates to 5,498 pupils and 5,434 pupils for 2024/25 and 2025/26 respectively.

The GME in secondary schools data collection captures school-level information on what subject(s) are offered through the medium of Gaelic by each local authority GME secondary school within the academic year. It also captures how many pupils are currently being taught each of these subjects through the medium of Gaelic, broken down by pupil stage.

It’s an important collection providing information on the extent of GME provision which provides evidence and data in relation to current subject offer and pupil uptake. This can be used to provide further support and assistance in relation to qualifications, classroom resources, teacher recruitment & support and career-long professional learning. 

This is the first time GME in secondary schools’ statistics are being published. The main purpose of this bulletin is to present the latest statistics for 2024/25 and 2025/26.

Throughout this report, tables are referenced. These are published in Excel format as supporting documents to the report. 

An Official Statistics Publication for Scotland

These statistics are official statistics. Official statistics are statistics that are produced by crown bodies, those acting on behalf of crown bodies, or those specified in statutory orders, as defined in the Statistics and Registration Service Act 2007.

Scottish Government statistics are regulated by the Office for Statistics Regulation (OSR). OSR sets the standards of trustworthiness, quality and value in the Code of Practice for Statistics that all producers of official statistics should adhere to.

More information about Scottish Government statistics is available on the Scottish Government website.