Councillor welcomes transition plans for Gaelic medium pupils
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CAITHNESS councillor Raymond Bremner has welcomed plans for the transition of Gaelic medium primary pupils in Thurso to high school education at the end of this school year.
Plans were set out by Highland Council officials at an evening meeting in Mount Pleasant Primary School.
Currently there are 22 Gaelic medium primary children in Mount Pleasant, three of whom will transition to S1 after this school year.
Gaelic is not currently taught as a subject in Thurso High but is taught as a subject in Farr High up to S6 where the Gaelic teacher recently retired.
Previously, at the Caithness Area Committee in May, Councillor Bremner asked for education officials to give local councillors a full update on Gaelic medium education at Mount Pleasant, including plans for transition of pupils to high school.
Shortly after, at a meeting to discuss the review of the proposal to establish a Gaelic medium catchment area for Mount Pleasant, parents voiced concerns at the lack of information about plans for the transition of Gaelic medium pupils to the local high school.
With no report received at the August area committee meeting, Councillor Bremner expressed his disappointment and stated that a report must come to the next area committee. This update has now been received by members.
The number of Gaelic speakers we have in our community has increased.
Officials put forward plans for the recruitment of a full-time teacher of Gaelic that will work across both high schools. A fall-back position will be to cover Thurso High with existing resource, providing Gaelic as a language in Thurso High with two subjects taught through the medium of Gaelic. The subjects will be dependent on the skills of the teacher.
The teacher of Gaelic at Thurso High would also support a probabtioner post at Mount Pleasant.
Commenting on the plans put forward by officers, Councillor Bremner, who represents Wick and East Caithness, said: “This will be of great comfort to the parents of children who are currently being educated through the medium of Gaelic. Their recent concerns are completely understandable.
"We have been late to the table in addressing concerns like this and should be much sharper with our focus on Gaelic medium education and planning.
"We know we have challenges in recruitment and resource but half the battle is the lack of communication and timing.
"We know that we need to look at the transition of pupils to high school from primary as a matter of course. We shouldn’t have concerned parents left wondering, no matter the medium of education, Gaelic or mainstream. However, this is a good outcome.”
Councillor Bremner added: “There has been nearly 15 years of investment in Gaelic education, both nursery and primary, in Caithness. The county has also produced Gaelic teachers, born and bred in Caithness, that are now employed in other areas of Scotland.
"The number of Gaelic speakers we have in our community has increased. This is a little-known and great achievement and one I am very proud of. I welcome the plans to ensure the continuity of provision for Gaelic medium education in the county and I’m sure that the transition of our primary school pupils to high school going forward will continue to build on the terrific work to date.”
