These are conference materials provide important information from scrutiny activity and research on the national context, and describes best practice to support senior leaders, practitioners and education authorities in evaluating and planning for improvement in Gaelic Education. The conference also celebrated 30 years of Gaelic Medium Education. It should be used with our quality frameworks to contextualise these to the Gaelic sector. These frameworks set out the standards we use to evaluate and report on quality and improvement in Scottish education.

Explore this resource

To view presentations from the conference, select a video from this playlist. Videos available:

Gaelic Education: successes and challenges - keynote speech by Dr Alasdair Allan, Minister for Learning, Sciences and Scotland's Languages

Sharing the vision: Advice on Gaelic Education - Joan Esson, HMI

Gaelic in a European context - Professor Matthew MacIver CBE

A discussion with former pupils of Gaelic Medium Education - Kayanna Morrison and Alasdair MacLeod

Celebrating Gaelic song - Sgoil Chiùil na Gàidhealtachd

Download the conference agenda document for full details of the programme and conference speakers in Gaelic and English.

Challenge Questions

• What is going well with your strategy for Gaelic?
• How do you gather evidence on what needs to improve at strategic, senior, middle and individual leadership levels to ensure incremental development of the Gaelic language and culture in your establishment/local authority?
• What are the implications for strategic and team improvement planning from ‘The Advice on Gaelic Education’ and your own self-evaluation evidence?
• How clear are you on the purpose of having local, national and statutory objectives to improve outcomes for Gaelic?
• How well do local authority and school planning, systems, processes and support align to achieve incremental improvements for Gaelic?
• What are the financial and staffing resources required to implement your planning priorities?
• What professional learning and high-quality research is underpinning your strategy for Gaelic?
• How do you celebrate Gaelic language and culture and encourage collective and individual ownership of its further development?

learner participation

How good is OUR school? has been developed to support learner participation in self-evaluation. The resource is based in Article 12 of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child. This states that children have the right to have their opinions considered when adults are making decisions about things that affect them. Article 30 refers to children from minority or indigenous groups having a right to learn and use the language, customs and religion of their family, whether or not these are shared by the majority of the people in the country where they live.

Plan

• evaluate how well learners are involved in decisions about improving Gaelic

Do

• look at minutes of meetings, for example the pupil council
• review the suggestions and concerns being raised by learners about Gaelic and the action being taken
• talk to the pupil council and other groups to review how they ensure that the views of learners of Gaelic are actioned

Reflect and share

• reflect on how well learners of Gaelic are involved in decisions
• draw up a list of strengths and areas for improvement
• discuss your findings with a lead person for Gaelic

Downloads

PDF file: Feedback on conference (285 KB)

PowerPoint file: Advice on Gaelic Education presentation - Joan Esson (3.34 MB)

PDF file: Joan Esson presentation - Transcript (51 KB)

PDF file: Matthew MacIver presentation - Transcript (43 KB)

PDF file: Dr Alasdair Allan presentation - Transcript (32 KB)

PDF file: Maggie Wentworth presentation - Transcript (31 KB)