FOGHLAM TRO MHEADHAN NA GAIDHLIG |
GAELIC MEDIUM EDUCATION

Dè a th'ann 'S e foghlam tro mheadhan na Gàidhlig aon de na prìomh dhòighean air fileantachd sa Ghàidhlig a ruighinn agus a chumail. Tha seo gu sònraichte fìor mu chlann à teaghlaichean aig nach eil Gàidhlig. Tha foghlam tro mheadhan na Gàidhlig fosgailte don a h-uile duine, feadhainn aig a bheil Gàidhlig agus feadhainn aig nach eil. 'S urrainn do sgoilearan aig nach eil Gàidhlig bho thùs, gu dearbh a tha à dachaighean agus coimhearsnachdan gun Ghàidhlig, an toirt gu fileantachd sa chànan tro rud ris an canar bogadh. Le bogadh, tha na sgoilearan gan teagasg sa Ghàidhlig a-mhàin, is iad a' dèanamh na rudan àbhaisteach a bhios clann a' dèanamh aig an ìre thràth seo dem foghlam – ann an cròileagan, sgoil-àraich agus bun-sgoil. Tha an luchd-teagaisg a' gabhail gach cothrom sgilean Gàidhlig na cloinne adhartachadh – tro òrain, sgeulachdan, geamaichean agus gu h-àraid tro chluiche. Tha foghlam tro mheadhan na Gàidhlig a' neartachadh cànan nam fileantach agus tha e cuideachd gan toirt gu ìre nas àirde ann an sgrìobhadh agus ann an leughadh anns a' Gàidhlig. Foghlam Ro-Sgoile Tha foghlam ro-sgoile tro mheadhan na Gàidhlig, ann an riochd cròileagain agus sgoiltean-àraich, na chiad cheum cudromach ann am foghlam foirmeil. Tha buidhnean Pàrant is Pàiste ann an grunn sgìrean agus mar as tric tha iad gan ruith le comataidh saor-thoileach agus tha cuid a' fastadh neach-stiùiridh. 'S e comataidh saor-thoileach a tha cuideachd a' ruith na Cròileagain agus tha a' mhòr-chuid air co-dhiù aon neach-stiùiridh fhastadh. Ann an cuid de sgìrean tha buidhnean Cròileagan gan ruith an àite sgoiltean-àraich. 'S e Comhairle nan Sgoiltean Àraich (CNSA) am buidheann nàiseanta a tha an urra ris na buidhnean ro-sgoile seo. Tha ùghdarrasan ionadail ann an grunn sgìrean a-nis a' ruith sgoiltean-àraich, agus mar as tric tha ceangal aca ris an sgoil no sgoiltean far a bheil foghlam bun-sgoil tro mheadhan na Gàidhlig ga thabhann. Foghlam Bun-Sgoile Tha foghlam tro mheadhan na Gàidhlig sa bhun-sgoil a' cleachdadh na Gàidhlig airson an ionnsachaidh is teagaisg gu lèir, anns gach cuspair sgoile, agus modhan bogaidh gan cur gu feum ann am P1 agus P2. Mar as tric thathar a' tòiseachadh air leughadh agus sgrìobhadh sa Bheurla bho P3 ach 's i Gàidhlig fhathast prìomh chànain a' chlas tro foghlam na bun-sgoile. Tha foghlam tro mheadhan na Gàidhlig ag amas, le stiùir nàiseanta an Riaghaltais, air clann a thoirt gu fileantachd sa Ghàidhlig agus sa Bheurla mus fàg iad a' bhun-sgoil. Anns an fharsaingeachd tha foghlam tro mheadhan na Gàidhlig air a lìbhrigeadh ann an roinnean Gàidhlig taobh a-staigh sgoiltean Beurla ach tha sgoiltean Gàidhlig cuideachd ann an cuid de sgìrean. Tha an àireamh de sgoilearan ann am foghlam tro mheadhan na Gàidhlig aig ìre bun-sgoil air meudachadh bho 24 ann an 1985 ann an 2 sgoil gu còrr is 2,000 ann am bliadhna-sgoile 2006-07 ann an 62 sgoiltean. Foghlam Àrd-Sgoil Tha foghlam tro mheadhan na Gàidhlig san àrd-sgoil a' dèanamh cinnteach gu bheil leantalachd ann an ionnsachadh chlann a fhuair foghlam tro mheadhan na Gàidhlig sa bhun-sgoil. Tha seo a' toirt cothrom do sgoilearan a bhith nas fhileanta, agus tuigse fhaighinn air a' Ghàidhlig mar chànan beò anns am bi foghlam àrd-sgoil air a libhrigeadh. Tha e comasach don mhòr-chuid de sgoilearan meadhan Gàidhlig cuspair Gàidhlig do dh'fhileantaich a dhèanamh anns an àrd-sgoil. Tha Ùghdarras Theisteanas na h-Alba (SQA) a-nis a' tabhann dheuchainnean tro mheadhan na Gàidhlig ann an raon de chuspairean mar matamataig, cruinn-eòlas agus eachdraidh agus tha iomadh sgoil a' tabhann teagaisg tro mheadhan na Gàidhlig anns na cuspairean seo. Bidh Sgoil Ghàidhlig Ghlaschu a dh'fhosgail anns an Lùnastal 2006 a' teagasg a h-uile cuspair tro mheadhan na Gàidhlig aig ìre àrd-sgoil agus bidh buannachd ann do sgoiltean eile bho na leasachaidhean ùra sa churraicealam agus na goireasan a bhios rim faighinn. Dè cho èifeachdach 's a tha Foghlam tro mheadhan na Gàidhlig? Dè cho èifeachdach 's a tha Foghlam tro mheadhan na Gàidhlig? Ann an aithisg a chaidh fhoillseachadh às leth Riaghaltas na h-Alba ann an 1999, chaidh na co-dhùnaidhean a leanas a dhèanamh: cha robh clann a bha a' faighinn foghlam tro mheadhan na Gàidhlig, ge bith an robh a' Ghàidhlig na cànain dachaigh no nach robh, air an cumail air ais an coimeas ri clann a bha a' faighinn oideachadh tro mheadhan na Beurla. Anns a' mhòr-chuid de shuidhichidhean bha iad a' dèanamh na b' fheàrr na clann a bha a' faighinn foghlam tro mheadhan na Beurla agus, còmhla ri sin, fileanta ann an dà chànan. An t-Ard Oll. Ridseard MacIain The Attainments of Pupils Receiving Gaelic-medium Primary Education in Scotland CILT Alba, Oilthigh Shruighlea, 1999 Tha na buannachdan foghlaim an lùib dà-chànanas aithnichte. Tha luchd-foghlaim a' gabhail ris gu bheil clann a tha dà-chànanach nas sùbailte ann a bhith a' cothachadh ris a h-uile nì a thaobh obair eanchainn. Tha e cuideachd nas fhasa do chloinn dà-chànanach an tuilleadh chànanan ionnsachadh. 'S e an dearbhadh as fheàrr a tha againn air an dòigh-teagaisg seo, gu bheil e a' sìor fhàs mar a tha barrachd is barrachd phàrantan ga iarraidh. Tha na pàrantan ga iarraidh a chionn 's gu bheil a' soirbheachadh leis. Am bliadhna, tha còrr is 3000 duine-cloinne a' faighinn FTMG, 701 aig ìre fo-aois-sgoile, 2092 sa bhun-sgoil agus 293 san àrd-sgoil. Chithear air a chlàr (làrach ChnaG) mar a tha FTMG air a dhol am meud bho thòisich e ann an 1985. A chionn 's gu bheil foghlam an cuid-chloinne cho cudromach do phàrantan, tha sinn a' tuigsinn gum bi iomadh ceist aca mun t-siostam foghlaim seo. Airson na ceistean is trice a nochdas a fhreagairt agus fiosrachadh coileanta a thoirt do phàrantan mu FTMG, tha Comunn na Gàidhlig air leabhran fiosrachaidh agus Bhidio fhoillseachadh. Airson leth-bhreacan de Fios is Freagairt, a tha saor 's an asgaidh, cuiribh fios chun Oifigear Phàrant no faic an seo air làrach ChnaG. Tha Foghlam Coimhearsnachd ann an cuid de dh'Ughdarrasan Ionadail a' tabhairt taice do phàrantan tro chlasaichean Gàidhlig is eile. Airson tuilleadh fiorachaidh, bruidhinn ri ur Comhairle Ionadail.

What is it? Gaelic medium education is one of the main ways of achieving or maintaining fluency in Gaelic. This is especially true of children from a non-Gaelic speaking background. Gaelic medium education is open to everyone, those who speak Gaelic and those who do not. Pupils who are not Gaelic speakers to start with, indeed who come from non-Gaelic speaking homes and communities, can be brought to fluency in the language through what is referred to as immersion. Immersion means that pupils are taught only in Gaelic, while they are doing the usual things that children do in the early years of their education - in playgroup, nursery and primary school. Their teachers utilise all available opportunities to develop pupils' Gaelic skills - through songs, stories, games and especially through structured play. Gaelic medium education reinforces the language of fluent speakers and also enables them to become fully literate in the language. Pre-School Education Pre-school Gaelic medium provision, in the form of playgroups and nurseries, is an important first step in the formal education process. Many areas have Pàrant agus Pàiste, parent-and-toddler groups, which are usually run by a volunteer committee and may employ a play-leader. Cròileagan, Gaelic play-groups, are again run by volunteer committees and most employ one or more play-leaders. In some areas Cròileagan groups take the place of nursery provision. The national body responsible for these pre-schools groups is Comhairle nan Sgoiltean Àraich (CNSA). Council-run nursery provision is now available in many areas and is normally attached to the school or schools in which the authority offers Gaelic-medium primary education. Primary Education Gaelic medium education in the primary school involves the use of the Gaelic language for all learning and teaching, across all subjects in the curriculum, using immersion methods in P1 and P2. English reading and writing are generally introduced from P3 but the principal language of the classroom is Gaelic throughout primary. The aim of Gaelic medium education, through the government's national guidelines, is to take children to the same level of fluency in Gaelic and English by the time they leave primary school. In most instances Gaelic medium education is delivered in Gaelic medium departments within English medium schools but some areas now have Gaelic medium schools. The number of pupils who are in Gaelic medium education at primary school level has risen from 24 in 1985 in 2 schools to over 2,000 in the school year 2006-2007 in 62 schools. Secondary Education Gaelic medium education in secondary ensures continuity in the learning experience of children who have been educated through the medium of Gaelic in the primary school. This enables pupils to become more competent, gaining an understanding of Gaelic as a modern language through which secondary education can be delivered. Most Gaelic medium pupils are able to study Gaelic for fluent speakers as a subject in secondary school. The Scottish Qualifications Authority currently offers Gaelic - language examinations in a range of subjects including maths, geography and history and several schools offer Gaelic - medium tuition in these subjects. The Glasgow Gaelic School which opened in August 2006 will offer tuition through Gaelic in all secondary subjects and other schools will benefit from the new curriculum developments and resources on offer. How effective is Gaelic-medium education? A report published in 1999 on behalf of the Scottish Executive Education Department stated the following: "...pupils receiving Gaelic-medium primary education, whether or not Gaelic was the language of their home, were not being disadvantaged in comparison with children educated through English. In many though not all instances they out-performed English-medium pupils and in addition gained the advantage of having become proficient in two languages ". Prof. Richard Johnstone The Attainments of Pupils Receiving Gaelic-medium Primary Education in Scotland Scottish CILT, Stirling University, 1999 The educational benefits of bilingualism are well documented. It is widely accepted that children speaking two languages seem to have a greater facility for handling all aspects of the thought process. Bilingualism can also enhance a child's prospects of successfully learning other languages. The best evidence we have for the success of GME is its rapid growth in response to parental demand. Parents want it because they see that it works. This year, over 3000 pupils are receiving GME, 701 at pre-school level, 2092 at primary level and 293 at secondary level. Statistics showing the growth of GME at primary level since its inception in 1985 can be viewed here. Because the education of a child is so important to parents, we understand that many parents will have questions about the system of Gaelic medium education. In order to answer frequently asked questions and reassure parents that GME is a viable option for all, Comann nam Pàrant have produced an information booklet for parents; copies of Fios is Freagairt are available here via the CnaG website. Register your interest in Gaelic medium education here and receive a free information booklet. Community Education Departments at some Local Councils offer support for parents through Gaelic classes and various other activities. Contact your Local Council for details specific to your area. There are also a growing number of opportunities for Gaelic family holidays and an increasing number of resources online e.g. www.gaelic4parents.com