Falkirk Council: Not enough demand for Gaelic school in Falkirk

A 2019 survey of parents with three-year-old children revealed a strong interest in Gaelic Medium Education (GME) in Falkirk but the coronavirus pandemic stopped any further consultation taking place.

At that time 65 parents were interested with 31 still keen even if it meant their children going to a school in another authority area.

Now, Bôrd Na Gàidhlig – the public body in Scotland that promotes Gaelic development – says Falkirk is a priority area for establishing a school teaching the language.

Bôrd Na Gàidhlig and the parents’ group Comman Nan Pàrant, along with Falkirk Council, held a meeting in January to tell parents more about what they can expect from Gaelic medium education.

It was attended by eight members of the public but no applications have been made for GME locally so far, a report going to members of Falkirk Council’s education, children and young people’s executive says.

The council has a legal duty to provide education in Gaelic where parents choose it and currently pupils from Falkirk can get transport to either Cumbernauld or Riverside in Stirling, where GME is provided.

At GME schools, children are taught solely in Gaelic from Primary 1 to Primary 3 so they become fluent. English is introduced from Primary 4 on, although Gaelic remains the predominant language used in the classroom.

In Glasgow, there are now four Gaelic nurseries, three primaries and one secondary school, and a fourth primary is due to open next year as demand continues to increase across the city.

At next Tuesday’s meeting of the education executive, members will be asked to approve a further survey of parents of three and four-year-olds, to establish if there would be demand for local GME in the Falkirk area starting in either August 2024 or August 2025.

If there is enough demand for a GME unit in Falkirk, it will be opened within an existing primary school and the Scottish Government will fund the capital costs and pay for a member of staff.